Do Google reviews really matter? Google reviews are important for any local business. Learning how to acquire Google reviews is vital to the success of any brand’s customer acquisition strategy, largely because of the popularity of Google as a popular search platform. Reports suggest that 63 percent of consumers say they are likely to check reviews on Google before visiting a business – more than other business review sites. Google is also the number one site for online reviews, with 58 percent share of all reviews. By having plenty of positive reviews on their Google My Business (GMB) listing, brands can boost their local search performance, which means more attention from new and repeat consumers alike. Professional SEO services ensure that a business website gains improved visibility among target audience, and increases brand recognition and identity.
Why Google Reviews Are Important for Your Business
The process of a Google review may be quick and simple, but the benefits are ongoing. The greater number of people you get to leave reviews, the easier it will be to achieve your business objectives. Here are the major benefits to expect –
- More Reviews Leads to more Reviews – It is estimated that about 88 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Building up online reviews improves the likelihood of a Google searcher engaging with your business upon finding it.
- More Visibility in Google Searches – There are several SEO factors that Google uses to determine which local business shows up in the search results. Reviews are one of the most important factors that account for almost 11 percent of Google ranking chances. The more reviews you have on Google, the chances of your business ranking highly in the local pack and localized organic rankings will be more.
- Builds Trust with Potential Clients – People trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends or family. For instance, when someone searches for a company or a service provider, they look for positive experiences that others had while using their services. Seeing real people vouch for a specific business encourages others also to engage with them.
- More Positive Reviews, more Purchases – Clients research and read reviews before making purchase decisions. Typically, they read a minimum of 10 reviews before feeling confident in making a decision. When you have a large number of positive reviews from customers, you surely stand to benefit from them.
- Higher Reviews, Higher Rank – Google rewards businesses that have frequent and positive reviews. They are a definite local SEO ranking factor, as confirmed by Google itself.
Top Strategies to Get More Google Reviews
Here listed are the top strategies to get more reviews –
- Ask for Reviews – Requesting reviews need to be a regular part of your business interactions with customers. One of the easiest ways to get more customer reviews is to ask for them either by email or text. Most customers don’t automatically think of leaving a review, but if you ask for reviews, they may be happy to do it. Include a direct link to your Google page to make it quick and easy. Make sure to request for reviews when a client is very happy with their business experience. Never ever ask for 5 stars, but just ask for valuable feedback. Although reviews benefit businesses, they also benefit the customer. It is important for businesses to remain alert when receiving a review. Respond to all reviews (both positive and negative) as this will help build a more confident brand image.
- Explain How to Leave a Review – For customers to post a review for a business page on Google, they need to open up Google Maps, search for the business page, pull up Google Business Profile, scroll down to the reviews section, and then click on the prompt to leave a review. One of the best ways to get more reviews is to explain this process in detail on the website page. For instance, Myrtle Beach HVAC Company explains the process of leaving a Google review –
Source link – https://beachairhvac.com/ - Create a Google Page on the Website – Make sure to dedicate a full website page to Google reviews (or reviews in general), accessible from the main navigation menu. This page should contain a Call-to-Action (CTA) to post or write a review and also include existing reviews. This strategy not only encourages prospects to become a client, but also motivates an existing client to leave a review. Creating calls to action (CTA) gives clients ample opportunity to review a business page. Including CTAs throughout the website and social media pages is a passive method to request feedback, but it creates a consistent reminder for customers to leave a review. In addition to having a designated page for Google reviews (or reviews in general) on your website, you can include CTA on the website footer. CTAs can be a blurb in the footer or sidebars of a website, which will show up on every page of the site. It could even be pop-up reminders within a website asking customers to leave a review.
Source link – https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2020/09/16/get-more-google-reviews - Verify Your Business – It is important to verify the business page with Google by signing up for Google My Business and following the steps for verification. This ensures that your business listing information is accurate and provides the business page a boost of legitimacy for anyone looking up products or place of business. In addition, verifying your business on Google protects against any unauthorized edits to business page (like a random person looking to cause trouble, or a disgruntled customer or competitor planning to damage your site). It also puts the website in a much better position to be ranked in Google’s search results.
- Create a Google Review Email Campaign – Email marketing is an effective way to get more Google business reviews. Don’t just beat around the bush, clearly ask clients to leave a review in your email. There’s nothing wrong with asking them to do something that will help future customers make informed decisions. The best way to get people to give a review is to send them a direct link to review the business so there’s minimal margin for confusion. Make it short and personalized by using their first name. Make sure to thank customers for choosing your services, tell them how valuable their feedback is, and how your business appreciates it.
- Ask for Reviews on Social Media Platforms – Social media platforms are a great avenue for conversational marketing. Post a screenshot of some of the top reviews and ask customers to leave their own feedback. Remind followers that this is an opportunity for them to introduce someone else just like them to the benefits they experience from associating with the business. For instance, social media platforms like Facebook have their own review system, so keep this in mind when reaching out in this regard.
Source link – https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2020/09/16/get-more-google-reviews - Respond to Existing Google Reviews – Among consumers that read reviews, about 97 percent read responses to reviews. Even if the response is just a simple note of thanks, make sure to respond to each and every review received. By responding to customers’ Google reviews, the business or company is making new potential reviewers know that they listen to customer feedback and that it’s worth their time to write their own review. Try to be specific, timely, and grateful in responses to positive reviews as this will bring more positive reviews. However, it shouldn’t stop with the good reviews, either. Continue to exhibit courtesy, respect and good customer service when responding to negative reviews. Reach out to them and try to resolve the issue on a positive note. Even if potential customers read a poor review, they will see that a company made a sincere effort to solve their client’s issue.
- Get Google Reviews from Stakeholders or Vendors – No one knows the nature of business, brand and culture better than those people who interact with the company business on a day-to-day basis. Reach out to internal customers as well, business partners, vendors and even individual employees and ask them to share their opinions and comments. Reviews from stakeholders, vendors or employees can make potential clients know more about the overall brand image.
- Purchase a Review-generation Tool – Install a review generation tool to help streamline the whole process. Podium, NiceJob, Servgrow and TrustPilot are some of the top review-generation tools specifically designed to bring more reviews on multiple platforms, not just Google. Even though these tools are not always free, they can be a great way to help reach more customers and make online reputation management more efficient by keeping everything neatly in one place.
Learning how to get Google reviews isn’t difficult, but acquiring the kind of positive results takes considerable amount of time. Incorporating the above-mentioned strategies can help get positive reviews online. As long as a company plans their strategies carefully and take customer opinions seriously and use it to improve their core operations, Google reviews will attract the eyes of more customers. These customers, in turn, can add to the valuable social proof that a brand needs to remain noticeable among the competitors. An organic SEO company can provide valuable support in planning the right search engine optimization tactics. They would develop strategies and planning according to your present requirements, and help in improving business ranking and traffic.
