Competition amongst businesses today is not only rife but stiff. Every day, brands embark on different digital marketing strategies to stand out. One of the areas that remained untapped is Google reviews.
It is a special service that allows customers to write unpaid reviews about a business or place they’ve visited for others to read. It’s a unique service that allows customers and clients to publicly share their experiences when they pay to visit a business or pay for a product or service online. These are typical examples of Google reviews.
Google Reviews is integrated into Google Maps and Google My Business platforms. Thus, if your brand doesn’t have a Google My Business page, you can’t get google reviews.
This article covers all you need to know about Google reviews for business and how to set them up.
Reasons Why Google Reviews Matter
If you have ever asked, “Do google reviews matter?” the answer is a resounding yes. We are going to explore why it does below:
1. It Boosts Local search engine optimization
One of the best ways to boost your local SEO is through google reviews. Search engines like Google always give users the best answers to their search queries.
While your on-page optimization is relevant in ranking higher in SERPs, google also considers what people are saying about your brand. These reviews help Google put those brands with excellent reviews before potential customers.
If you ignore the relevance of this, it will cost you the opportunity of expanding your local SEO. People who search google reviews by keywords can find and see reviews made by others.
2. It Increases Brand Credibility and Trust
According to research, 70% of people trust online reviews more than brand ads before patronizing said brand. Thus, google my business reviews helps improve your brand credibility and boost loyalty.
Google is a trusted search engine, and people are willing to extend that trust to their reviews. Trust and credibility are essential to generating more leads and sales.
3. Influences Buying Decisions
Most internet users are skeptical about buying stuff online. Google reviews can be that convincing nudge to make up their decisions about buying a product online. From the experiences of others who have used the same product or service, they’d get all the validation to patronize that brand.
How Do Google Reviews Work?
From what we’ve explored, you can see that Google reviews are crucial to digital marketing. If you ever wondered how to set up google reviews for my business, here’s how:
● Create a Google My Business Page. If you don’t have a Google My Business page, you need to create one and optimize it. You should input the following details on your GMB page: business name, contact numbers, address, URL, photos, and FAQs. Once it is approved, it will go live during SERPs.
● Send a link for your customers to review. After creating the GMB page, click the ‘Get More Reviews’ and copy the link. Send the link to your customers and ask them to leave a review for your business. You can also ask your customers to search your brand name and leave reviews.
Write Google Review
Apart from get google reviews from your customers, you can also write a review after visiting or purchasing products from a brand. Your reviews on such pages can help the business improve its visibility, make more sales, and help prospective customers make informed decisions.
After searching for a local business and looking it up on the Google My Business, you can scroll down to the Write A Review panel. You can set a rating and leave a review.
Edit Google Review
You can also edit a google my business review after posting it publicly. You can edit a review for several reasons. Your reviews could be posted in error, and you might need to correct a few things.
Maybe you’ve had a mixed experience with a brand and might need to update your new experiences, then an edited review might come in handy. Simply locate the review you made earlier and click edit to edit and publish it.
Delete Google Review
Businesses looking to outshine others may deploy fake and negative reviews on your Google My Business page. These reviews may damage your reputation if you’re not careful handling them.
If the review is negative and you know the customer, you can go under it to appreciate them for their response and promise to give them excellent customer service the next time they pay a visit.
If you suspect a review, you can flag it as fake, promoting a competitor, or inappropriate. It will be investigated and removed by Google. You can also report the negative review to Google Small Business Support, who will decide to remove it.
How To Improve Google Reviews
There are several methods on how to improve google reviews for business. Some of these methods include:
● Ask your customer for feedback after the purchase. During employee meetings, train your staff to ask happy customers to leave a rating on the GMB page.
● Include a link to a GMB page in the receipts. Another creative tactic is to include a link to your GMB page for customers to leave a review. You can also include a QR code for customers to scan directly on their devices, which will lead them to the review panel.
● Showcase your ratings on your website. If you’ve got a lot of positive reviews on your GMB page, you can display it on your website to grab your prospective and new customers.
● Offer a discount to your customers if they leave a review. Everyone loves a discount, including your customers. You can offer them a discount on their next purchase if they leave a review. They’d happily accept it.
These google review tips will improve your ratings and reviews in no time.
Set Up Google Reviews For My Business
Setting up a google review for businesses is quite easy. Follow these simple steps on how to set up google reviews for my business:
Using A Computer
● Sign into your Business Profile Manager and select the profile for your business.
● Locate the Home button and click on it.
● Click the ‘Get more reviews’ and copy the unique URL.
● You can share that link with your customers to drop a review.
Using A Smartphone
● Download the Google My Business app available on Android and iOS devices.
● Select the profile for your brand
● Proceed to Customers > Reviews
● Copy the URL to share with your customers.
How To Embed Google Review On Website
In one of our suggestions on how to improve google reviews, we talked about displaying them on your website. But how do you embed google reviews on google?
● Create an account with an embed creator. Some of them include Tagembed, Embedsocial, Taggbox, etc.
● Navigate their accounts to add your Google My Business URL and wait for the widgets to be created.
● Copy the widget code and paste it into the website HTML code and run it. It will appear on the web design.
Google My Business Reviews Guidelines
Google reviews are regulated by the search engine. It has released a google my business reviews for all brands and customers to follow. Some of the general rules include:
● Reviews should be free from restricted or prohibited content
● Fake, spam and illegal reviews will be removed
● Sexually explicit, offensive, and dangerous reviews will be removed when flagged.
● Off-topic, repetitive, and gibberish reviews will be removed.
You can check the comprehensive Google My Business Review Guidelines for more information.
Google Reviews Tips
To stand out and thrive beyond your competition, you need to practice the following digital marketing via google reviews tips.
● Ask your customers at your physical premises for a review after item purchase
● Send your customers a follow-up email with a link to review your brand directly.
● Add a review link on your website to direct users to your GMB page.
● Respond respectfully to bad reviews from your customers.
● Report fake, offensive, or inappropriate reviews to google for removal.
● Include a QR code on your payslips.
These google review tips will improve your web analytics and make your rank higher in SERPs.
Conclusion
Google reviews is a fascinating digital marketing strategy to get your business in front of your customers and generate more sales and social clout. Try out the best practices as explored in the article for great results.