There is a fantastic block of stats about consumer reviews over on Search Engine People. If you are wondering why this is such a strong growth area, wonder no longer!

A few of their gems:

1. 90% of online consumers trust recommendations from people they know; 70% trust unknown users, 27% trust experts, 14% trust advertising, 8% trust celebrities (Econsultancy, July 2009, Erik Qualman, Socialnomics)
2. 70% consult reviews or ratings before purchasing (BusinessWeek, Oct. 2008)
3. 7 in 10 who read reviews share them with friends, family & colleagues thus amplifying their impact (Deloitte & Touche, Sept. 2007)
4. 45% say they are influenced a fair amount or a great deal by reviews on social sites from people they follow (46% say reviews in newspaper or magazine influence them.) (Harris Poll, April 2010)

Thanks to Richard Hearne, SEO god from Red Cardinal for the link.

Yes you can! Renowned SEO expert Richard Hearne of Red Cardinal did exactly that this afternoon with the LouderVoice EasyReview system.

Think you can beat him?