Those little yellow stars on your Google Business Profile are as valuable to a customer as they are to the business itself. Stars and reviews play an important role on both ends of the supply chain – so if makes sense to go out and actively pursue them!
To the customer, Google stars and reviews are an instant – and credible – insight into a business or product. People want help in validating their choices and reviews can have a major influence on their buying decisions. For online searchers, reviews often dictate whether they choose to delve further into a website or whether they abandon that site and continue trawling.
To a business, reviews are a hugely valuable asset. They can drive site traffic, encourage conversions, improve their SEO, enhance their reputation and their credibility and ensure that their location features more widely in search results. What’s not to love?
Consider this:
Basically, every business, large or small, needs to push hard to collect Google reviews. Because they matter. But remember, 85% of consumers don’t trust reviews that are older than three months and 40% will only consider reviews posted in the past two weeks, so collecting reviews is an ongoing commitment, not a one-off effort.
Generally, people will leave an unsolicited review if they’ve had a bad experience. That’s just human nature. And while negative reviews can actually provide a good opportunity for a business to set the record straight or make amends, and can be a useful resource in identifying ways to improve a business, the ultimate goal is to have a positive stream of glowing reports! There are plenty of ways of collecting Google reviews and the more effort you put into the process, the more you’ll get out of it. A well-planned strategy which includes multiple touchpoints which encourage customers to leave reviews can have a really positive impact on your business itself and on your digital marketing strategy and your SEO. Different methods will have different results, so it’s worth trying out the various options to see what works best for your customers and your business.
Ask through email. A direct email is the easiest – and often most rewarding – way to get Google reviews. But you don’t want to simply send out a blanket request. Your best bet is to target the right customer at the right time with a personalised message so that you increase the likelihood of getting a positive response.
As obvious as this sounds, don’t forget to include a Google review link in your email! The trick is to make it as easy as possible for customers to give feedback.
Ask in your newsletter. You don’t want your request to be front and centre of your newsletter, but make sure it’s visible with a clear call to action.
Send an SMS. People tend to open SMSs and so if you communicate with customers using text, you should consider including a review link.
Ask in person. Although many may baulk at the idea of fronting up and actually SPEAKING to someone about a recommendation, face-to-face communication can actually yield a really positive outcome.
Use social media. If you use channels like Facebook and Instagram to communicate and engage with your customer base, these can be excellent vehicles for asking for reviews. Google My Business posts are another good opportunity. Include the link in your bio or create a specific post which encourages feedback.
Use your own website. It should go without saying, but be sure that requests for reviews are included on various pages throughout your site.
Remember to respond to all reviews. Yes, ALL reviews, even the ones that hurt. A personal response shows the customer that they mean something to you and that you value their opinion – even if you don’t like it or you think they’re wrong.
Karen Dauncey has been working in SEO since 2003. She specialises in helping businesses get found online through Google using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Karen's wealth of SEO knowledge and practical digital marketing experience comes from running her own SEO and Google Ads agency, Blue Cherry Online Marketing since 2008. Karen has optimised over 1000 websites, managed millions of dollars' worth of spend on Google Ads and has a solid understanding of the constantly shifting industry of digital marketing and SEO. This gives her a unique advantage when it comes to being able to recommend the right online marketing strategies for your business.
She is the founder and creator of The SEO School an online SEO Course to help teach business owners how to do their own SEO. She regularly delivers educational programs for both Local, State and Federal Government and was an advisor for the ASBAS Digital Solutions Program. Karen’s passion and commitment to help small business owners get found online is the driving force behind her online school, making SEO advice accessible to all with free resources and online courses.
Karen has attended search engine conferences in London, Stockholm, Adelaide and Sydney, and was also invited to attend a pilot Business Coaching Course at Google’s Head Office. She has a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the UK.
She is also the co-owner of the Digital Experts Directory, an online directory for female serviced-based businesses to promote their business (with a great backlink for SEO).
To keep up to date with the latest in SEO, join her Facebook group The SEO School Community or follow her on Facebook
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