Reviews are incredibly important to your business and they can influence customer decisions in several ways. This includes both positive and negative reviews. Positive reviews may be sponsored or false, whereas no company will pay for negative reviews. However, public negative reviews are a way for a business to showcase their customer service. These complaints work as a powerful counterweight to increase the validity of positive reviews. All of this depends on your business receiving any reviews at all. How do you increase Google reviews?
How Do I Get More Google Reviews?
1. Make Sure Users Can Leave Reviews
The number one thing you need to do to get more five-star Google reviews is to make sure you have a complete and verified Google Business Profile. It may seem obvious, but many small businesses don’t realize they are not automatically given a fully managed profile simply because they exist. They need to claim or create the listing, verify it and fill out the information completely. Once that profile is created, fleshed out and verified, it can begin to collect reviews. Businesses that need help managing reviews at scale can also work with an online reputation management company like Thrive Local.
2. Ask!
Most times, the easiest way to get more reviews is to ask for them. Often, customers will purchase a product or service, have a satisfactory experience and never think to go back to your profile to leave a review. Ideally, they will have followed one of your social media accounts or signed up for your newsletter as part of the purchase process. These are avenues you can use to ask your customers for honest reviews. Even mediocre reviews are better than no reviews at all.
3. Make it Easy to Leave a Review
To gather as many reviews as possible, link as closely to the review form as you can. Instead of linking to your basic Google Business Profile or your website itself, link directly to the review page. Make sure users have to click as few times as possible to reach the review page. Consider each additional step a point of failure where you may lose some percentage of your possible reviews.
4. Avoid Buying or Faking Reviews
Veteran internet users know what a legitimate review looks like. More importantly, they know how to spot a fake review. Several signs can give away purchased positive reviews or manipulated negative reviews. Writing reviews of your own business from personal accounts or buying reviews from low-quality accounts can signal that your business has something to hide. Fake reviews hide the truth, and the truth is what you want to promote.
5. Get Reviewed Elsewhere
Bringing in reviews through Google is one thing, but you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket. Plenty of users prefer to find reviews through Yelp, Angi or other business review platforms. If you have no reviews on any of these sites but plenty on Google, your review profile can look less natural. When asking for reviews, allow customers to choose the site they prefer.
6. Address Negative Reviews Quickly and Personally
You will inevitably get a few bad reviews. One- or two-star reviews should be addressed as they appear, which means you need to monitor your reviews frequently. Don’t delete bad reviews. Instead, address each negative review in the comments. Ask the reviewer to get in touch with your customer service team and work with them to make things right. If you can satisfy the customer, ask them to update their original review.
7. Use QR Codes to Link to Review Pages
Mobile devices are common among shoppers today, which means many consumers can quickly scan a QR code and visit the site it links to. Printing a QR code on promotional material, receipts or other visible locations is a great way to link directly to a review page. This can passively encourage users to leave reviews after they scan the code.
8. Encourage Public Testimonials
Nearly every business will receive an unsolicited review at some point. These comments, when negative, present an opportunity to provide customer service. When they are positive, you can reply and ask the customer to post their feedback on Google or another review site. This allows you to bring private praise into a public spotlight with permission.
9. Add a CTA via Your Newsletter
The footer of your newsletter is a great place to add a link to your Google Business Profile with a clear call to action. The users on your mailing list generally like your products or services and may be willing to leave reviews when prompted. A simple review request at the bottom of the newsletter can be effective.
10. Review Partners and Other Businesses
You don’t have to get all of your reviews from customers. Many businesses have partners in the industry. One approach is to leave thoughtful reviews of those businesses on their pages. Occasionally, those businesses may reciprocate by leaving their own reviews on your page. This helps build your business relationship and can support your review profile at the same time.
11. Provide Review-Worthy Service
You can use every tactic available to bring in reviews, but they won’t help if you don’t provide a service or product worthy of those reviews. If customers are not satisfied with your service, they will not want to leave a positive review. Make sure your customer service is strong and your products or services meet expectations. You’ll begin bringing in reviews organically, and the rest of these tips can help you encourage more.
Need help building a stronger review strategy for your business? Contact Thrive Local today to learn how our team can help you generate, monitor and manage customer reviews with confidence.
