Anatomy Of Google Reviews That Gets Results

We could easily say that we live in an online world which greatly depends on Google. Whatever information we may need, we go to Google. When we want to make a purchase, we go to Google. That’s why Google processes over 3.5 billion searches every day.

With that said, it’s easy to see how a business’ online presence is heavily linked to their success as a whole. Online exposure can either make or break a company, whether it be social media profiles, company websites, blogs, or podcasts. In the past few years, we have seen Google Business reviews play a bigger and bigger role on whether your site gets more visibility and you get more customers. A company’s Google Business ratings and reviews end up influencing the consumers’ decisions to engage with the company and/or purchase their product or service. In fact, approximately 95% of online shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase.

Google Business Reviews are a way for people to write public reviews for businesses they’ve used online, where other people can read them and businesses can reply to posted reviews. Online reviews provide both the business and the customer with valuable and measurable information, as well as with feedback on the customer’s experience. Google Business Reviews are presented as an overall rating (out of 5 stars) and the total number of reviews. They are found next to a business’ Google Maps listing. Google reviews can give businesses a big credibility boost without the business having to spend a dime. The many benefits of getting Google reviews include Google ranking for local SEO, levelling the playing field, increasing your online reputation, and helping mum and dad operations.

After a customer makes a purchase on your website, they will receive an option to opt-in for an email from Google requesting feedback on their experience purchasing from you. If the customer decides to opt-in, they may receive an email after their order has been delivered so they can comment on their experience using the purchase. Each rating is collected and added to your overall rating, which is displayed on your optional website badge, in your Merchant Center dashboard, and in other areas.

Let’s start with information that businesses with a rating of 4.0 or higher are, statistically, more likely to convert customers than those with lower ratings. Statistics say that 80% of customers don’t trust businesses with ratings under 4.0. So, we can now see better why online reviews are so important. They are a unique way for consumers to validate and justify their online purchases.

In some cases, companies have noticed that their Google Reviews have disappeared. This sometimes happens due to inactivity, however, there are other factors that influence Google’s decision to remove the reviews.

Again, statistics show that 91% of millennials trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. So clearly, Google’s ability to provide reviews from actual customers acts as a company’s free credibility boost. It means that a large number of positive Google reviews, especially for unfamiliar businesses, benefits on multiple levels. Like, for example, it increases brand trust, online exposure, converts more customers, and directs more traffic to the company website. In fact, companies that have more Google Business Reviews are ranked higher on the SERP and are prioritised on the Map Pack.

The Map Pack consists of a group of businesses near the location from where you’re searching. The map pack displays the name and link to the business, the address and phone number, and the total number of Google reviews in addition to the average rating. With proper execution, Google Business Reviews can be one of your most successful marketing tactics. This is partly because Google Business Reviews allow your business to show up in the “Map Pack.”

Every smart business knows that it is vital to get customers to click on your link when it shows up in a search engine. You may spend all the time and money in the world on your SEO strategy, but if people aren’t actually clicking on your business, all the effort is in vain. Luckily, having Google reviews is an excellent way to increase the CTR when you show up in a search engine. Your Google review rating will show up next to your business name in Google, so a good collection of positive ratings will increase clicks through to your site.

Do you want to focus on earning more Google Reviews? If so, you probably want to get started as quickly as possible. Customers can often spot fake reviews or incentivised reviews from a mile away, and so can search engines. Stick with tried and true methods like simply asking customers to review your business, sending email blasts, and advertising your Google Review page to customers. You’ll be glad you went the more ethical route in the long run.

The most genuine and natural looking reviews are the ones that customers leave without any prompting. That’s not to say you can’t prompt someone into writing a review by asking them directly what they thought of your business and if they minded leaving a review. Engaging with someone directly about their experience is good customer service and will often prompt a (hopefully) positive review on your Google My Business page.

Your customers will need a Google account in order to be able to leave the review. Many people have it these days, either they’re a busy owner themselves and have one for their own Google Analytics or perhaps they have a personal Gmail account. If they don’t have an account, they will need to create one.

First of all, you don’t need to panic, it’s not the end of the world!
If you know the person that made the review, it is best to contact them directly and address their concerns, and try to request that they take down or make minor changes to the review.

Many businesses worry about the negative reviews and don’t want to openly solicit reviews for this reason. It is important to understand that customers can post reviews independently and that this is not something that is under the business’s control.

When responding to a customer about a negative review, the last thing you want to do is make the situation even worse. The most important thing to understand about responding successfully to negative reviews is to know that you are writing a response for future customers, not just for the customer who left the negative review. This is your chance to show countless people just how customer-focused you really are. Even if the customer who wrote the negative review remains unhappy after your response, you’ll get lots of new customers if your response shows that you clearly went the extra mile to do everything possible to help that unhappy customer.

We recommend that you respond in the time frame of 24 hours after the review has been left. The faster you respond, the more chance you have to turn a negative review into a positive one or at least a better one. You need to keep a positive and customer-friendly attitude and try to either fix the problem or provide helpful information. Show all future customers who will be reading reviews that you are trustworthy and truly dedicated to customer satisfaction.

Keep your response short, around 2-5 sentences, in order for others to read it, no one likes or has time to read an essay. If you keep your response brief and easy to skim, more people will read it.

Compare suspicious complaints with your sales records. Can you find any matching transactions?

– Visit your Google My Business profile

– Click on the “support” option at the bottom of the left side navigation panel.

After clicking “support,” a help box will pop up. To email Google and dispute a review, you’ll need to click through the following list of help topics:

– Need more help

– Customer reviews and photos

– Manage customer reviews

– Email support

Before you fire off an angry email rant, get organised. The more information you can provide to support your case, the better. When you’re ready, submit your phone number or email address along with a screenshot of the suspicious review, and you should receive a response within two days.

Yes! You should always respond to positive reviews with a sincere ‘’thank you’’. This is an awesome way to deepen your relationship with each customer who leaves a positive review.

When a customer leaves a positive review, they may feel like they’re risking their own reputation to endorse your business. If their friend sees their review, uses your business, but then has a bad experience, they may lose credibility with their friend. We suggest you reward them for believing in you enough to take that risk so it is best to treat them with a warm and sincere response. It a sure path that customer will feel even more committed to continuing to do business with you.

Also, when other people search for your type of business and they see that you respond to many of your reviews, both positive and negative, they’ll see that you’re truly committed to making your customers happy and it will make them more likely to become your next customer.

We recommend that you actively manage your Google and other social media reviews. Customers understand that no business is perfect and what is often more valued by customers are businesses that are open and responsive to customers. It is always best to reply to each review, and where a negative review is received there is always the opportunity to reply and respond in an appropriate way to provide some balance.

In case you can’t access your Google My Business listing to reply to reviews, it may mean that your listing is unverified. That means that you will need a verified Google My Business (GMB) listing to be able to access and manage your Google Reviews. Your GMB listing is verified against your business address and usually requires a postcard to be sent to your business address.

We all know Google search algorithms are more than complex, but one thing is sure – Google Reviews have an impact on Google local search. Google business reviews can drive three core areas of your business: brand trust, local SEO, and feedback. If you’re not currently utilising Google reviews, you’re potentially missing out on advantages that your competitors may be utilising.

The most important thing – Google reviews are free!

For many businesses, this marketing channel can provide incredible ROI (your investment is much lower than most other channels). With little time and resources put towards Google business reviews, you can see incredible results in a relatively short amount of time.

The bottom line is, if you’re not already, utilise Google business reviews and increase brand trust, local SEO, feedback, and insights. You will quickly find it is one of the most cost-effective ways to drive leads to your business and gain trust in your geographic area.