Google business reviews can be among the most important assets that your company can have. Customers are continuing to turn to these reviews to make decisions for purchasing goods and services, and Google reviews are a way for businesses to showcase their points of differentiation and magnify customers’ experiences with their company.
What Are Google Reviews?
If you’re unfamiliar with Google reviews, you’ll be happy to know they’re fairly straight forward. Within Google, and integrated with Google My Business and Google Maps, the platform provides customers the opportunity to publicly post a review of their experience with a business. Best of all, the more reviews a company receives, the more it will help with your local SEO rankings.
As you can see in the example above, by optimizing your Google My Business profile, you can leave a spot for users to leave reviews for your company. Previous reviews are clearly displayed for undecided customers to peruse. These reviews could be the deciding factor for them to click on your site and choose your business.
Why Are Google Reviews so Beneficial?
1. Influence Purchasing Decisions
Increasingly, people refer to Google reviews for recommendations on products and services, which ultimately determines how they view and feel about a business. The reviews provide proof of previous experiences with a company’s products and services that an undecided consumer can take into consideration.
2. Improve Local Search Ranking
Another reason for your company to obtain more Google reviews is that they can boost your search engine results. The reviews your company receives can play an important role in your website’s local search ranking in comparison to your competitors. Generally, Google favors sites that generate more positive reviews, allowing you to appear higher in the search engine results.
3. Boost the Click-Through Rates and Generate Direct Leads
If consumers are seeing positive reviews connected to a business, they are more likely to click through to the website, making their final decisions about your company based on the site itself.
Since most people will go directly from a positive review to your website, it’s vital to have as many positive reviews as you can acquire. These clicks will in turn increase your return on investment (ROI) which is vital for your business to continue growing.
4. Increase Trust and Credibility
According to a Bright Local Survey:
- 86% of consumers read reviews on local businesses
- 91% trust reviews as much as personal recommendations
Most of the time, Google is the first place that consumers learn of your company. A set of strong reviews shows some social proof of how the products or services that your business provides helps people, leading to a sense of trust on the consumer’s part.
The more trustworthy and credible your business appears, the more likely you will be to generate sales for your company.
5. Content Is Created by the Users
Because the users are the ones creating the content, the review is considered unbiased. When a consumer reads reviews to determine their purchasing decisions, an unbiased third-party writer is more reliable in their eyes. The potential customer is more likely to consider your business because they aren’t just getting information from an employee looking to promote a business.
6. Customer Feedback Improves Your Company
Whether positive or negative, any customer review provides feedback for your company. Negative reviews can help highlight areas that need to be worked on and developed. Also, replying to negative reviews with sincere apologies can go a long way to mend the relationship with your customer and show potential customers how you operate.
Positive reviews reinforce what your business is excelling at, letting you know what to keep doing. If something is working well within your company, it is beneficial to have that knowledge so you don’t disrupt or discontinue a factor that gives consumers a positive feeling about your business.
How You Can Generate More Google Reviews
Now that you know how vital Google Reviews are to your company, how can you generate more to increase traffic to your site? Good news – we have some tips!
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- Make Your Listing Stand Out – You need to make sure your listing is attractive and enticing. Add relevant information on the business, incorporate hours, upload photos, and more.
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- Ask for Reviews – Studies show that people are more likely to write a review if they are asked for one. Be proactive and ask for feedback, especially with long-term clients you have a good relationship with. Most of them would be happy to write a few sentences telling of their experiences.
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- Engage with Your Reviewers – Use the opportunity to comment and reply to your reviews to show how you genuinely care about their feedback. Consumers will notice your replies, which can go a long way in demonstrating that your service to them is your top priority.
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- Eliminate Any Barriers – You have to make it as simple as possible for consumers to leave reviews. Users are turned away by inconvenient and lengthy processes and will not leave reviews if it looks to be a hassle. Google’s platform is quite intuitive, but if you’re reaching out to get reviews be sure to include a link right to your Google My Business profile to streamline everything.
- Offer Excellent Service – In the end, the service you provide your customers will stay with them well after your interaction. To generate more natural positive reviews, impress them with your company, offerings, and customer service. This way they will feel compelled to share their thoughts.
As you can see, Google reviews can be greatly beneficial to your company. Be sure to follow our tips and start reaping the rewards!
Need More Info?
Check out some of our other blog posts for more information on Google My Business and search rankings!
- How Google My Business Is Influencing Your Rankings and How to Take Advantage
- 4 Tips for Improving Your Local SEO
- How to Really Tell Where You Rank in Search Engines
And be sure to reach out to our team if you have any questions or need help!
