It is the need of the hour for businesses to build and maintain their digital presence if they wish to grow digitally. As everything is on the internet these days, your potential customers are somewhere Googling for the list of best businesses seeking for goods and services you provide.
If you don’t have an impactful digital presence, chances are high that your website will not rank in their Google search results.
One of the most sought-after solutions by businesses for creating a digital presence is to gain as many Google reviews as possible. Your previous customers explaining why you are the best at what you do will turn the heads of your potential customers.
You are living under a rock if you are not using the free Google My Business platform for collecting Google reviews. The first thing we want you to do on the journey to online marketing is to claim your GMB profile and let us show you how you can do that.
First, sign in to your Google account.
Second, go to the Google My Business page.
Third, come to Google Business profile help.
They will guide you through the step-by-step procedure for claiming your page.
Here you can check out the step-by-step guide mentioning the procedure for claiming your page, and if you are confused with the steps, you can also check screenshots or reach out to the customer support team via popup chat.
Now that you have claimed your profile, let us explain what is in this for you and why Google reviews are so fruitful.
Why Should You Care About Google Reviews For Your Business?
What’s the fuss about Google reviews in the business world?
Are you someone who is asking that question? Well, let us explain the “fuss” to you.
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Builds Online Reputation
If you deal with your customers in person, then how they feel about your goods and services is highly important. However, your reputation on the internet is more important because you are exposed to the world (literally).
According to Brightlocal, “79% said they trusted online reviews as much as the recommendation of family and friends”
Google reviews can help strengthen your business’s overall rating in uncountable ways.
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Increases Brand Trust
Research shows 98% of consumers read online reviews for a local business. If the number is that large, it is high time local businesses owners take Google reviews seriously.
Google reviews are not something a business boasts about itself, but real people write them. Thus, they instil trust in the potential customer’s mind about the business.
Google reviews open the customer feedback loop, forming a relationship between the customers and the business.
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Helps With SEO
No matter how confusing the Google algorithm is to understand, Google reviews play a significant role in it.
The diversity, velocity, and frequency of Google reviews you receive impact how your website ranks on Google.
GMB listing lets you create a Google review link to your page, which you can later use on your website. The customer will use the link to submit a new review directly; everybody knows Google’s algorithm loves links in search rankings.
Also, Google reads the text on websites before showing the local search results to users. The Google reviews you get may contain the keywords potential customers search for.
For instance, if one of your customers submits a review that says, “This is the best pizza I had in all of Delhi.” and a prospect searches, “Which location in Delhi serves the best pizza?”
Google will read the review on your website and suggest your business name because your business location matches the query. This is how Google reviews help you rank on the Search Engine Result Page (SERP).
This will improve your website's click-through rate (CTR), directly improving your company name's online reputation.
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Increases revenue
The sheer volume of Google reviews can cause increased revenue. Think about it. We all look for affirmations and testimonials before putting our money into something.
The higher number of reviews leads to a better digital presence, which leads to more leads, which results in an increased number of customers. More customers directly translate into more revenue.
Forget the saying “happy wife, happy life,” and chant “happy customers, happy returns.”
What are the strategies for getting more constructive Google reviews?
After understanding the importance of Google reviews, here is the part where we hand over the ultimate strategy for getting more Google reviews for your business.
1. Verify Your Google Business Profile
First things first, verify your Google My Business profile. But how?
The first step is to create a GMB profile. Google will request information about your company.
The second step is to get your business verified. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to choose what customers globally see on your profile.
Also, you wouldn’t be able to respond to reviews you would get from happy customers. This can cause your current and potential customers not to trust your brand (more on this later in the article).
After your business is verified, the third step is to claim your business online by selecting the option on your GMB profile that says “Claim your business.”
Now that you have claimed your business, you can respond to all the Google reviews. Happy replying!
2. Make A Noticeable GMB Listing
Optimize your Google My Business listing so that more and more customers in your local area find your business. But how to do that? Well, read on the pointers.
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Add every detail of your business, including the relevant pictures
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Google lets you write a 750-character description, leverage that, and write from your customer’s point of view. Try to answer their queries
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Look for grammar mistakes. Get an editor or use Grammarly.
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Post on your GMB at least once a week. Repurpose content from social media or create offers, whatever it takes
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Ask questions and answer them religiously. Make it a habit
3. Focus on making the process easy
Customers don’t submit reviews because come on, who wants to go through the tiring process of clicking several options until you finally get to click “Write a Review,” no matter how excellent the service was? Nobody, not even you.
However, anybody wouldn’t mind writing a review if doing so only required them to click on one little link and if they had a great customer experience. Clicking on one link doesn’t sound like much. Does it?
Thanks to Google, it lets you create a custom link that you can put as a call-to-action button on your website and review request emails, invoices, or social media posts.
4. Add A Call To Action On The Website
Where will the customer first go if they want to submit a Google review? Not on the Google Maps app, social media, or your website. Where will customers first go if they want to learn more about your business? Your website.
So if your website is the most important place of business, then why not add a call to action there?
Ask for positive reviews on your website by including a call-to-action button or providing a hyperlink to an anchor text. Add this to the website's footer or dedicate a whole page with the other significant business information. A separate review section for both negative and positive online reviews will be easy for users to navigate.
5. Online Review Management Systems
If you have a business, you already have a lot on your plate. Collecting customer reviews will just be another additional task that you won’t be able to handle.
You can get help with online review management systems and review sites like Trustpilot, Reviews.io, Podium, etc., to maintain the entire review shebang.
So take advantage of the online review management systems and sort Google reviews for your business. They will send personalised automated emails or SMS to your customers asking for Google reviews. Also, they have an entire system where you can check the review requests, analytics, and other essential details.
The best online review management systems are:
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Time-saving
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Easy to use
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Providing real-time notifications
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Having a single management dashboard
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Sending review requests
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Following up after a customer doesn’t respond
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Analytics and insights
6. Encourage Honest Reviews
Start by just asking customers for reviews, and trust us, and they wouldn’t mind submitting reviews if your services are good. The next step would be to create a process for it.
Customers' email addresses and phone numbers may be collected as part of the process. Another example could be the automation of review-requesting emails, SMS, and follow-up emails. Use templates for review requests to save time, but don’t forget to personalise them a little.
Also, explain why reviews are significant for your business and add an emotional touch to the request. Tell them how it would benefit you if they wrote a brief Google review about the services they received.
Also, don’t forget to follow up after they don’t respond the first time. They could have missed the notification or were busy.
7. Don’t Leave A Google Review Unturned
According to statistics, 55% of potential consumers trust online reviews that the business has answered.
It’s almost a sin not to give a review response to a customer, even if it's a negative review. Take responsibility for the negative experience of customers and try to explain what might have caused the negative review if you have valid reasons. Obviously, don’t be rude while replying, and try to have a peaceful conversation with the reviewer.
You must have seen big businesses like Instagram and KFC reply to Google reviews. They already have a vast consumer base, but they reply to all the reviews despite that. If they can do it, what is your excuse?
8. Collect Other Online Reviews
Though Google reviews are the most trusted, other reviewing platforms have a lot of reputation in the market as well. Businesses can send their customers to those platforms to leave a review.
One such platform is Yelp. It is a local-based platform that will suggest potential customers for your business based on the reviews you get.
Facebook is another platform that businesses use for collecting real reviews, as they recommend the best businesses to the audience.
We recommend you focus on these platforms for better-collecting reviews and marketing your business, as they follow a no-fake reviews policy.
Conclusion
You must refrain from having any other reason to focus on getting Google business reviews. The strategies we proposed for getting some big businesses are employing more Google reviews, and they have been working pretty well for them.
An online presence is of utmost importance for any business that wants to grow. Getting Google reviews is a sure-shot way to achieve that goal. We hope you take advantage of that with the correct methods in hand.
Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
1. How to make a Google My Business account?
Google lets you create a free Google My Business profile in a few easy steps.
Step 1: Sign in to your Google account.
Step 2: Go to the Google My Business Page.
Step 3: Come to Google Business profile Help.
They will guide you through the step-by-step procedure for claiming your page.
2. How do Google reviews help a business grow?
The higher number of Google reviews lets you gain an online reputation, which leads to more potential customers visiting your profile. More traffic will translate to an increased number of customers, and more customers directly mean more revenue.
3. How do Google reviews help with local SEO?
Google reviews work as backlinks for bringing traffic to big and small businesses. We all know how important backlinks are. The more reviews you get on your website, the more they will speak to the authenticity of your business. Of course, the more reviews you get means more star ratings on the website, which helps convert visitors to customers.