How To Get More Reviews For Your Business, Why They Are Important, and How To Rank Higher Using Them:
Google reviews are one of the most important ranking factors for your business on Google. Unfortunately, many businesses think that all they need to do is have an attractive website with good content to rank high and be successful. However, this isn’t always true. In this blog post, we will talk about what Google reviews are, how to get more reviews, why they matter, and how you can rank higher on Google by using them.
What Are Google Reviews?
Google reviews are reviews that Google users leave on your business’s listing. They show up prominently on the search engine and in local listings, so it is essential to be getting reviews for your customers and yourself. Reputation is everything in the modern world; it’s what separates you from your competition. It can be difficult to build credibility, but Google reviews have been shown time and time again that they are an excellent way for businesses to build credibility and authority online.
Why Are Google Reviews Important?
1. Build Trust and Credibility
Did you know that over 91% of 18-34-year-olds prefer brand recommendations to those from loved ones? No one wants to eat at an empty restaurant; similarly, people are less likely to shop and visit businesses with no reviews. Google rewards businesses that do well in their local markets, and one of the most direct and measurable ways to gauge this is through reviews. Social proof is one of the most powerful influences to making a purchase. Businesses that focus on getting more high-quality reviews to reap the benefits of getting more in-store visits, website visits, and purchases.
2. Get More Sales
Consumers make more and more purchase decisions based on what they see online, making sure your positive reviews outshine the negative ones. Positive reviews can be a go-to resource for swaying the undecided consumer. They’re not just beneficial in the short term, but they also provide lasting value as
future consumers will notice your glowing review stats and may be more
inclined to purchase due to the social proof your business has built up. Alternatively, If your business has too many negative reviews, the effect is the opposite; consumers can be deterred from choosing you over competitors. If you currently have little or low-quality reviews, you should implement a strategy to get more reviews.
3. Better Google Search Rankings
Moz recently did a study that found that online reviews had an essential role in Google rankings. Approximately 1/3 of ranking factors can be attributed to the popularity and number of ratings for different websites on sites like Google. Google also likes to reward businesses with high-quality customer reviews with better search engine rankings. Google is focused on providing the best search result and experience for the searcher. Therefore, if your business can offer an excellent experience reflected in your reviews, your business will rank higher. This can help enhance your brand’s credibility, increase visitor traffic, and convert customers to take action at an increased rate.
How To Get More Google Reviews
1. Reach Out To Your Warm Audience
A simple yet effective way to immediately get 20-30 high-quality reviews is by sending a direct Google review link to people that already know your business and ask for an honest review. These people can include employees, long-time customers or, friends and family. To do this, follow these steps:
- Copy your business’s review link from Google My Business 2. Create a sincere message asking for feedback or a review of the business
- Email, text, Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram the message to as many people as you can
2. Insert Review Links Onto Your Website And Emails
Your website is often the first place a customer looks to leave feedback for your business. So make sure it’s clean and clutter-free with an intuitive call to action on your homepage. An excellent way to do this is by listing your best customer reviews with a link to where customers can leave a review. Also, if you have a newsletter or send email invoices to customers, an effective strategy is to leave a review link in the email signature. This way, you wouldn’t
have to send review links, and every customer in your database manually will be able to leave a review.
3. Create Review Cards With QR Codes
Another way to increase reviews for your local business is by creating review cards with a QR code. To do this, you would design a card that asks for reviews from customers. To make this simple, create a QR code in which customers can scan and be prompted directly to your reviews on Google. Your review cards should say something such as: “Leave Us a Google Review! Your feedback is critical and will help others find us more easily. Plus, it helps us know what we’re doing right and what we need to improve on. So scan here to leave a rating or visit bit.ly/YourBusiness. Thank you.” This method is very effective because you can physically give a customer the cards which, can be a reminder to leave a review when they leave your store. Also, if they’re having any issues posting a review, you can guide them to ensure you’re getting the most reviews you can.
4. Promote On An Email List And Social Media
Suppose you have an extensive email list or a social media following using it to get more reviews! Popular email marketing software such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, etc., allows you to send broadcast messages to everyone on your email list. Then, using the same format outlined in the review cards section, send a genuine email asking your customers for a review. Also, asking for feedback on social media can be very effective in increasing Google reviews. The key is not to do this once and forget about it but to constantly remind people to leave reviews. A less intrusive way to do this is by highlighting a customer or review each month on social media. This would show your business’s appreciation for your customers and let others know that they can be featured if they leave a review.
5. Respond To All Existing And New Reviews
Getting the reviews is just as important as responding to reviews. Google rewards businesses that interact and update customers regularly. This can be done through uploading pictures, Google posts, and responding to reviews. Also, people are more likely to leave a review if they know the owners will see and respond to the reviews. It may be a time-consuming process, but it’s important to let customers know that you appreciate their review. Receiving feedback from your customers is essential. It shows that they care enough to take the time and write a review but also helps you improve on what you’re
doing right and fix any mistakes or issues with them. You should reply to all reviews, including the negative reviews. You will inevitably receive a negative review, but you must address it head-on. To effectively respond to a negative review, you must first acknowledge the customer’s frustration, apologize for what they are upset about and offer a solution to the problem. Solutions can include managers reaching out, offering a discount, or making some business changes. Most people look closely at negative reviews and how owners respond to them compared to positive reviews. This is why responding to reviews cannot be overlooked.
Conclusion
Reviews are more important than ever for your business. With so many competitors in the market today and vying to be at the top of Google, it can be tough to stand out from the crowd. If you want a leg up on your competition or if you’re looking for new ways to improve customer service and loyalty, then this blog post is for you! We’ve outlined several methods that will help get reviews flowing in, like waterfalls. Give these tips a try and see how much they transform your online presence! Leave us a comment below with suggestions, questions, or comments related to getting more Google reviews!