Before we buy the users, we do a little research. We take the time to analyze whether it’s worth doing, looking at reviews from other users, among other things. And here is the Google reviews to tip the scales in our favor (or against us).
But Google reviews are not only a necessary channel for working on your social proof, they also bring you many benefits.
Today we’ll learn why they’re important to your project, what you can do to get customer reviews on Google, and how to eliminate negative reviews. Discover the answers below.
What are Google Reviews?
Google ratings are the ratings and comments that customers leave about a company’s services and products. This is so that other users who are interested in the company and do not know it can also get an idea of the quality of the product or service and the shopping experience.
In order for customers to be able to leave these reviews, the business must be registered in Google Business Profile (now Google Business Profile and formerly Google My Business).
It is a platform of the major search engine where companies create a profile so that users can learn more about their company. This is particularly interesting for local businesses, since geolocation plays a role.
Benefits of Google Reviews
Having reviews of your business on any web portal (TripAdvisor, Trustpilot, Yelp…) is good, but why is it almost mandatory to have them on Google? For the following advantages and reasons:
1. They lend more credibility
While there are many highly reputable review sites, none can match the credibility that Google bestows. In order to be able to publish a review in the Google company profile, the user must confirm his identity.
In other words, Google ensures that the review comes from real people.
Because of this, reviews have become one of the most solid ways to work on social proof or your brand’s social proof.
If your business has a lot of positive reviews, your potential customer will rate you positively. On the other hand, if the trend is negative, you are likely to be discarded immediately.
There is one more point to consider: Only positive reviews can also inspire suspicion, as there is no real company that does not have a customer with whom they have not hit it off. A business with only positive reviews is suspicious, don’t you think?
2. You are more visible
Results from Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) appear above the organic results in the SERPs, in the so-called Google Local Pack.
Your target audience can easily find you with organic local search.
Therefore, you don’t just have to rely on the content for your audience to find your business.
3. Improve positioning on the platform
In order to appear on the results page, you need to do some sort of SEO within the platform. One of the aspects that will help your business rank better is getting a good number of reviews.
90% of people consult and value the opinions of previous buyers. When that information is relevant to users, Google gives visibility and position to the companies working on that opinion space.
4. Helps improve brand authority and reputation
The more your brand is mentioned on Google, the greater your authority in the network will be, since you will naturally generate more interaction with your target group.
This makes you “more important” and Google can increase your organic positioning.
Why are Google reviews important for your business?
Regardless of whether you run a physical business or exclusively online, you need to grow your digital presence on as many platforms as possible.
For example, in addition to having your own website for your business, you probably also need to create profiles on social networks or, depending on your project, on marketplaces such as Amazon, Mercado Libre, Shopify, etc.
Adding Google Business Profile to this list is essential to improve your business visibility in terms of marketing and SEO. By unifying all of these profiles, you can create a connected network that shows your business can be trusted.
In addition, you can increase traffic to the different profiles and get more users to interact with each other or at least see the reviews you have on these platforms.
Google reviews and local SEO
Once you’ve signed up for the Google Business Profile, your business will be visible when people search on Google Maps. This allows users to know that your business exists and what you offer based on their own location.
But the more reviews and other interactions you get, the higher your GMB listing rank will rise, which means you have a better chance of appearing in search results.
This is especially important when users are using local keywords, as it gives you an even better chance of appearing in the top spots.
Optimizing your Google Business Profile is a key factor in boosting your local SEO.
Reviews verified by Google
Verified ratings are a service offered by Google for online shops (eCommerce) with which authentic ratings and comments can be collected. What happens is before the end of the purchase, a survey is sent to the user asking for a review.
Unlike the reviews left on the Google profile, these are left by those who made a purchase, so they are called “verified” because the algorithm only sends the survey to those who made a purchase. Therefore, these reviews are more valuable to the company.
How do I get Google reviews?
In order to get good and sufficient Google reviews, several strategies must be applied. Let’s see what they are.
1. Ask your customers
Don’t wait for customers to give you a review. Ask buyers directly. You can do this immediately after purchase or when you feel you have received and tested the product or service long enough.
A good economic incentive can motivate users to leave you reviews. For example, you could offer discounts to those who dare to comment on your Google profile and share on other platforms. Another option is to raffle prizes for those who leave reviews.
3. Improve your services and products
In order to receive ratings that improve your brand image, you must provide reasons for doing so. Therefore, try to improve the services you offer, from customer service to the purchasing process and optimizing the quality of the products you sell.
4. One of them is email marketing
Email marketing is a great channel for asking your buyers for reviews.
Once a reasonable amount of time has passed for the customer to try your product or service, send them an email to rate their experience.
Keep your query short and easy to answer.
With texts, you can persuade him and give him a little push by offering him an incentive.
How do I create a direct link for customers to leave you reviews?
To direct customers to your Google Business Profile, you can’t wait for them to search for you in the browser. It is best to leave them a link that will forward them directly and thus increase the chances of reviews.
To create this link, do the following:
1. Enter your Google Business Profile company profile.
2. On the main page, look for the Get More Reviews box.
3. Click the Share Profile button in the box.
4. When a window opens with the link, copy it or share it directly on a social network or via email using the available options.
Can Google reviews be removed?
Yes but no. Deleting a Google review is not an easy task as you can ask for it, but the final decision is up to the search engine.
In fact, there is no direct way to delete a comment or rating, even for account profile owners. However, there are two ways to process the deletion of a review by Google:
- The first option is report a review. You can do this through your profile by logging in, going to reviews, finding the review in question and marking it as inappropriate. You can ask acquaintances to do this as external users too, so Google will give more prominence to the topic and remove it as soon as possible.
- The second option is Fill out an evaluation form. You need to log in again and find the form in your profile. Then all you have to do is complete it with the requested data and wait for Google’s response.
How do I deal with a bad customer rating?
Although there are both ways to delete a review, it shouldn’t always be the first reaction to a negative comment.
Typically, a negative review is due to a poor customer experience. Therefore, you should listen to your customer and take responsibility accordingly.
It is important that you understand your customer and are agile (solvent):
- Respond to a complaint as quickly as possible. This shows that you care about the opinions of your customers and that you are aware of them.
- Use polite language that reflects calmness and empathy and can calm the situation. And if it turns out that the customer is wrong, the others will notice.
- Don’t avoid responsibility and apologize honestly if the fault lies with you or your employees. This way users see that you are transparent and don’t lose trust in your company.
- If necessary, offer compensation so that you can retain the customer and attract others.
- Use this type of assessment to improve your project and identify potential weaknesses that you are not covering. It can also be a good source of inspiration for your content strategy.
Diploma
If you’ve been at an online business or with a digital presence for a while, you know how important user interaction is in improving web positioning. Today you learned what Google Reviews are and what they can do to help cement your business in the top spots in local searches.
To get those dream results, use good strategies like the ones I’ve shared with you here. And be sure to incorporate this platform into your marketing plan to increase your business’ reach and authority, and earn the trust of your future customers.
Are you promoting Google reviews in your project?
I read you in the comments.
