Google My Business Listing: Reviews are very important to your business and they can influence customer decisions in many ways. It has both positive and negative reviews.
While positive reviews may be sponsored or fake, no company pays for negative reviews.
However, negative public reviews are a way for a business to demonstrate customer service. These complaints act as a powerful counterweight to increase the validity of positive reviews.
It all depends on what kind of reviews your business gets. How do you increase Google views?
How Can I Get More Google Reviews?
Make Sure Users Can Leave Reviews
Another account you need to do to get more than 5-star Google reviews is to make sure you have a Google My Business (GMB) page.
This may sound obvious, but many small businesses don’t realize that they aren’t, and that’s only because they’ve been given a GMB instruction.
They must register on the page and fill in all the information. Once a page is created, designed, and verified, it can start collecting reviews.
Businesses that previously had a Google Places page will find that it is linked to a local GMB page.
One of the best ways to scale Google reviews is to hire a professional online reputation management company like Rise Research.
Ask a question!
In most cases, the easiest way to get more reviews is to ask for them. Often, your customers buy a product and have a satisfying experience using it, but they never think to return to your page and leave a review.
The same goes for services, but some industries — hospitality, and restaurants in particular — are easier to collect reviews from.
Ideally, they follow your account on one of the social media sites or have already signed up for your newsletter as part of the buying process.
These are the ways you can ask your customers for honest reviews. Even mediocre reviews are better than no reviews at all.
Make it easy to Leave a Review
To collect as many reviews as possible, link to as many review forms as possible. Instead of linking to your primary Google My Business Listing page or your website, link directly to the review page.
Make sure the user clicks at least a few times to get to the review page. If they browse your profile or website for your GMB local page and have to find where to review that page, they will bounce.
Consider every additional step where you lose a percentage of your potential views a failure.
Don’t Buy or Fake Reviews
Experienced Internet users know what a legitimate review looks like. More importantly, they know how to spot a fake review.
Multiple signals are provided when you buy positive reviews or delete negative reviews.
Writing reviews of your own business from personal accounts and buying reviews from accounts that allow purchased reviews are signs that your business has something to hide.
An additional risk of purchased reviews is that when fake accounts are removed, your review may be removed as well.
Instead, they lose credibility. Fake reviews hide the truth and you want to spread the truth.
Look elsewhere
Bringing reviews through Google My Business Listing is one thing, but you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one proverbial basket.
Many developers prefer to find reviews through Yelp, Angie’s List, or one of the many other sites that offer business reviews.
If you don’t have a review on any of these sites, but most are on Google My Business Listing, your review will appear to be sold. When asking for reviews, ask through any reputable review site, not just Google.
Allow your users to choose their favorite site. Some employees even go the extra mile to post reviews on multiple sites.
Address Negative Reviews Promptly and Independently
You will inevitably get some negative reviews. Be careful when one or two-star reviews appear and you should always check your review.
Don’t delete negative feedback; Customers will know you did and won’t forget. Instead, mention each negative review in the review comments.
Ask the reviewer to contact your customer service department and work with them to get things right.
If you can’t be satisfied — and some are not satisfied — don’t sweat it. If you can get others excited, ask them to respond to their initial comments.
Use QR Codes to Link to View Pages
Cell phones are common in most consumer stores today. That means almost every customer can scan the QR code and visit the site they connect to.
Printing a QR code on your promotional materials, receipts, or any other place customers see is a great way to link directly to the review page.
It passively and effectively encourages users to leave reviews after scanning the code and looking at the direction.
Encourage Public Testimony
Most businesses get an unsolicited review at some point. When these comments are negative, they provide an opportunity to provide customer service.
What do you do when they are right?
Private information cannot be made public or used without the consent of the sender.
But what you can do is reply and ask them to post their reviews on GMB and other review sites.
This allows you to bring underperforming standalone views into the public spotlight.
Add a CTA to Your Article
The footer of your newsletter is a great place to add a link to your Google My Business Listing profile, with an attached call to action.
Users on your mailing list usually like your products or services and are usually willing to leave reviews when they think about it and have the time.
A good time to leave a review is when they are reading your message. The link at the bottom of the newsletter is important.
Monitor Partners and other Businesses
You don’t need to get all your reviews from customers. Many businesses have partners in the industry.
Another trick you can use is to put reviews of those businesses on their pages. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes those businesses will respond by putting their review on your page.
This will help you build your business process and increase your views at the same time.
Provide a Reviewable Service
You can use all the tricks in the book to bring in reviews, but they won’t help you if you don’t deliver a stellar service or product based on those reviews.
If no one is satisfied with your service, no one should leave a good review on your page. Make sure your customer service is second to none and your products are satisfying.
You’ll start bringing in insights organically, and the rest of these tips will help you grow even more.