Software review sites that AI answers trust, and how to show up on them
Your buyers check G2 and Capterra before they call, and so does ChatGPT, so this is how to show up well on both.
SEO and AEO
Tech and SaaS
The Leapyn team
6 min read
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A VP of operations has two demos booked for next week and twenty minutes before the first one. They open G2, filter by company size and read the three most recent reviews from people with their job title. One vendor has dozens of reviews from property managers and replies to every complaint. The other has six old reviews and a half-empty profile. The demo has not started, and one of the two vendors is already behind.
Software review sites are where buyers go to check whether a vendor is as good as its website says. They matter more every year because answer engines like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews lean on them too. When a buyer asks which tool to use, the reviews on these sites often decide which names make the shortlist.
The good news for smaller software companies is that review sites reward effort more than budget. Twenty honest reviews and a well-written profile can put you next to vendors many times your size.
Which software review sites matter
G2 is the largest independent B2B software review site, and its category grids show up constantly in buyer research and AI answers.
Capterra, GetApp and Software Advice are run by Gartner Digital Markets and are popular with small and mid-sized buyers. A Capterra profile often feeds the other two.
TrustRadius focuses on longer, detailed reviews that enterprise buyers like to read.
Gartner Peer Insights matters most for enterprise software and categories Gartner covers in its research.
Industry directories. In vertical markets such as real estate, the directories, associations and marketplaces your buyers already use can matter as much as the big names, especially integration marketplaces from the platforms you connect to.
Are Capterra and G2 reviews legit?
Both sites verify reviewers and moderate reviews, and both disclose when a vendor invited the reviewer or offered an incentive. Buyers trust them because the reviews are mixed and specific, which is also why a profile full of perfect five-star reviews reads as less credible than one with a few honest criticisms answered well.
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How to get your first 20 reviews
Pick one site first. Spreading twenty reviews across five sites leaves you thin everywhere. Choose the site your buyers use most and build there until you have a solid base.
Ask at the moment of value. The best time to ask is right after a customer gets a win, such as a successful launch, a renewal or a thank-you email. Ask the person who uses the product every day, not only the buyer.
Make it easy. Send a direct link, tell them it takes about five minutes and suggest what to cover, such as the problem they had, what changed and who they would recommend it to. Never script the review itself.
Reply to every review. Thank happy customers by name and answer criticism calmly with what you changed. Buyers read the replies as closely as the reviews.
What to do with a bad review
Every software company gets one eventually, and how you answer it matters more than the star rating. Reply within a few days, thank the reviewer, acknowledge the specific problem without arguing and explain what you fixed or how they can reach a person who will help. Then follow up privately. Some reviewers update their rating once the issue is solved, and buyers reading later see a vendor that listens. Never ask a site to remove a fair review, and never offer anything in exchange for changing one, because both break the review sites' rules and can get your profile flagged.
Review sites for real estate software
PropTech buyers use the big software review sites, but they also lean on sources closer to their world. Property managers check the integration marketplaces of the platforms they already run, agents ask their brokerage and peers in Facebook groups, and investors ask other investors. Treat those places as review sites too. Get listed in the marketplaces of every platform you integrate with, collect quotes from named customers you can use with permission and make it easy for happy users to recommend you where their peers already talk. Our guide to vertical SaaS marketing covers how to work those industry channels.
What to put in your profile
Use the same category language and buyer description as your website, so the review site, your site and AI answers all describe you the same way. Add screenshots, pricing ranges if you can share them, the integrations buyers care about and a short line on who the product is for. Consistency across these sources is a big part of why answer engines feel confident naming you.
Do review sites help SEO?
They help indirectly. Review site profiles often rank for your brand name and for "alternatives" searches, they send referral traffic from buyers who are close to a decision and they give AI answers third-party evidence about your product. We covered the full picture in how to get your software recommended by ChatGPT.
What a buyer reads on a review site, in order
Watch a buyer use a software review site and a pattern shows up. They glance at the star rating, then filter to reviewers in their industry and company size. They skip the five-star reviews that say great product and read the three-star reviews to find the honest complaints. Then they read how the vendor replied, because the reply tells them what support will feel like after the contract is signed.
That order should shape your profile work. Ask happy customers to mention their role, portfolio size and the specific job the product does, because those details match the filters buyers use. Reply to every middling review with a fix or a clear explanation. Keep screenshots and pricing notes current so the profile answers questions before a demo. Review sites for real estate software reward vendors who treat the profile like a sales page that never sleeps, and the same detail feeds the AI answers that quote these sites.
Roundups and listicles count too
"Best software for X" articles behave a lot like review sites in AI answers. Find the roundups that rank for your category and ask to be included with one proof point and a clear reason you fit. Our SEO and AEO services run that outreach alongside review programs, and for real estate software it is part of how we work as a PropTech marketing agency.
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The first call felt like talking to someone who already understood our business. We didn’t have to explain the basics. They showed up with questions that mattered.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What are the most trusted software review sites?
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G2, Capterra, TrustRadius and Gartner Peer Insights are the most widely used B2B software review sites, along with GetApp and Software Advice. In vertical markets, industry directories and integration marketplaces also carry weight.
Are Capterra reviews legit?
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Capterra verifies reviewers and moderates reviews, and it discloses when vendors invited reviewers. Buyers trust it because reviews are specific and mixed rather than uniformly perfect.
How do you get reviews on G2?
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Choose customers who have just had a win, send them a direct link, explain it takes about five minutes and suggest topics without scripting the review. Then reply to every review, positive or critical.
Do software review sites help SEO?
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They help indirectly. Profiles rank for brand and alternatives searches, send buyers who are close to a decision and give AI answers third-party evidence about your product.
Which review site should a small software company start with?
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Start with the one your buyers use most, often G2 or Capterra, and build a solid base of reviews there before spreading to others.
Written by
The Leapyn team
Senior marketing team
Senior marketers who run strategy, creative and demand gen for B2B companies. We write about what’s working for our clients right now.
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