How Google Reviews Work And How To Get More

Customer reviews can make or break your business, but the most important platform for your business to shine is Google. How do Google reviews work and how can you get more for your company? Check out how to get Google reviews below.

How Important Are Google Reviews?

Of all the digital review platforms online today, none hold a candle to Google. For years, Google has dominated the industry, holding the vast majority of market shares as far as search engines are concerned. Since companies purchase the best business software to get more market shares, this is a critical element to achieve your goals.

On top of the sheer number of Google users who are searching for the goods and services you have to offer, Google reviews can also have a great impact on your Google SEO ranking—in and out of the local map pack.

So, the more Google reviews you have, the better your business ranks in Google. This also attracts more customers with your transparency and availability. This is what makes Google reviews so important for your business, but it’s not the only reason. There are also great benefits to be gained from learning how to get Google reviews consistently.

What Are the Benefits of Google Reviews?

How do Google Reviews work for your business? There are three primary advantages of building up an impressive review profile on Google. Read about them below.

Trust

Research shows that consumers turn to customer reviews in order to decide whether or not a company can be trusted. Most consumers seek out customer reviews before making deciding to do business with a company.

Trust is a major component of business success and growth. One surefire way to show your potential customers that you’re trustworthy is to let your satisfied customers speak for you with honest reviews.

Customers

Did you know that the majority of consumers take the time to skim through a company’s reviews before visiting the establishment? Or that over 50% of users will only take action after they’ve read a positive review that they’re satisfied with?

Pair those numbers with the drastic search volume that Google receives every single day, month or year, and there is unlimited potential when it comes to scrolling through your customer reviews—whether consumers are looking for the go-ahead to buy your product, schedule an appointment, or enlist your services.

Sales

In addition to improving your overall reputation and attracting new customers, Google reviews also give you the power to increase your sales. Customers are willing to spend around more money when buying from a company that boasts great online reviews, as opposed to an establishment with poor or few reviews. Combine positive online reviews and demand generation tactics to boost your sales significantly.

How Do I Manage My Google Reviews?

As you seek to understand how Google reviews work and how to get more of them, it’s important that you learn how to manage your Google reviews. It isn’t enough to set up your Google My Business profile and wait for the good words to start pouring in. You have to be proactive. The following three tips can help you to effectively manage your reviews.

Acquire

Quantity and consistency are essential when it comes to getting Google reviews. Many consumers only read recent reviews. They want to know what the company is like now, not five years ago.

This means that you must always be working toward acquiring more reviews. It also means that if you had a rocky start and you received some negative feedback, you can easily bounce back by improving your customer experience and adding more recent, positive reviews to the list.

Assess

One fantastic benefit of online customer reviews is the transparent insight into how your customers feel about your business. Online reviews aren’t just for others to look at; they’re for you to assess and learn from. Every so often, make a point of reading through your most recent reviews to find out how you can improve the customer experience and grow your business effectively.

Engage

Lastly, it’s important to engage your customers directly when they leave a review that warrants a reply—usually a negative review. This isn’t always fun, apologizing and trying to rectify a sour situation, but it’s incredibly important. In that same Bright Local survey, 89% of consumers said they read customer reviews and the company’s response to a bad review.

If you’ve acquired a poor review, take the opportunity to right the situation—not only for your unhappy customer, but for the sake of your business’ reputation.

How Long Do Google Reviews Take to Show Up?

Typically, Google reviews are published immediately from the time the consumer submits the feedback. However, it isn’t a rare thing for a review to take up to three days before it goes live. This slight delay may have something to do with the reviewer’s profile, your business listing, or other case-by-case variables. Whether you are trying to boost medical device business sales or retail store sales, keep this in mind. Check your reviews constantly to stay up to date and achieve your goals in any industry.

Can Google Reviews Be Removed?

For obvious reasons, it is not so easy to remove a Google review. If you have received a negative review that you don’t want other customers seeing, the best thing you can do is reply to the dissatisfied customer and follow up with them to address the issue and make amends. This will show future onlookers that you’re invested in the satisfaction of your customers and you are taking active steps to learn from your mistakes.

If you receive a fraudulent review, you do have the option to report it to Google, but there are no guarantees that it will be taken down.

How to Get Google Reviews

Not sure how to get Google reviews? It can be a complicated process that requires some up-front effort and consistent maintenance. Adhere to these basic steps on how to get Google reviews. Set up your Google My Business profile, verify your listing, and complete your profile with pictures and helpful information.

Simply ask your customers to leave you a review. You can do this through an email or before they leave your store. Initiate digital review campaigns via email marketing or social media. Add a simple Google review plug on your website so customers can quickly and easily leave a great review. Whatever you do, stay consistent and engaged. Google reviews are crucial to the growth of your business, so make review management a key priority in your schedule.