3 simple ways to get more Google reviews

If you're here, you know that Google reviews are important for any local business. Potential customers compare your business to others in your area, and reviews are a great way to stand out. The Google My Business platform has stood the test of time and has become an important part of any local SEO strategy. Furthermore, Google reviews are not losing their importance in 2020 and are an important factor in attracting new customers.

You may be asking yourself: How do I get more Google reviews? Where should I even start?

Here's how it works...

The three most important and easiest ways to get more Google reviews are:

• Ask for a Google rating
• Show how you can leave a review
• Remind them to evaluate you

Think about it: when you shop on Amazon, what do you do before you check out? I bet you read the reviews.

Before I click on a product, I look at the star rating, as you can see above. This way, I can see at a glance whether other people like the product and can immediately decide whether I want to find out more about it. If the star rating is low, I can assume that the experience or the product itself is not worth my time.

I also look at the number next to the stars. I want to know how many people have rated the product. And why? If only one person has rated it with five stars, I don't know if the product is really that great. One person is not enough to convince me. I need at least 3-5 people to confirm that the product is good or bad. If there are dozens or even hundreds of reviews and the rating is still 4 or 5 stars, then I know I can trust the company.

The same applies to Google reviews.

Google ratings as a decisive factor

To really understand what we're dealing with here, let's do a quick test. Let's assume that I am in Bremen looking for a plumber. These are the first two results and a map showing that they are about the same distance from my location.

If you were looking for a plumber, which one would you call? Both have a high score, but I see that the second has a slightly lower score and fewer reviews, while the first has more reviews and a better score. I'll probably call the first option because I can see in a split second that they have a good reputation. (That's also why they come first - more and better reviews are one of the indicators that help you outshine your competition!)

As we have already discussed in this blog, Google has changed the way we interact online. Through web search, we now have tools at our disposal that allow us to make a decision before we even click on a company's website.

We can read reviews, call the company, see its location and pictures - all on the SERP. That's why Google reviews are the first deciding factor for local businesses. If your star rating and reviews are positive, more people will pick up the phone and call or click through to your website.

You can have the most beautiful logo or the best profile photo for your business. If your ratings and reviews are poor, the likelihood of customers contacting you is very low.

When it comes to your local presence on Google and your local SEO, must you focus on getting recommendations from peers in the form of reviews. This is the number one deciding factor from the very beginning when it comes to gaining traffic through Google-Traffic attract new customers.

How do I get more Google reviews?

There's no magic formula, but there are three steps you can take to get more:

Ask for Google reviews

You can't avoid asking your customers to rate you; it's that simple. You have to ask someone to leave a review if you want to get a review. You can ask for a review in several ways:

• Ask after you have completed a job
• Ask the last customer you dealt with
• Question in an email
• Ask when you send an invoice
• Ask at the end of a phone call

Take every opportunity to ask a customer to rate you. Although it may seem easy to say, it can feel uncomfortable to ask a customer for a review. Find customers you have a close relationship with to get used to it and make it a normal part of your business, and soon it will feel natural.

Show how to leave a review

Some will know how to do it, no problem. Others will have no idea how to leave a review on Google. Remember that the process is as follows:

1. Sign in to Google (Gmail account)

2. Search for your company on Google

3. Click to leave a review

4. Choose a star rating, write a review and submit it.

The most important thing here is to show the customer that they need to log in to Google and navigate to your business listing on Google to leave a review. Sometimes this is difficult, so show them how to do this. You can also give them a direct link to your Google Maps listing where they can open the review box.

Can I link a customer to rate me on Google My Business?

Yes, you can. Follow these simple steps to find the web link to your assessment area:

1. search for your company on Google (you may need to do this outside of your location for the GMB information to appear on the right-hand side)

2. click on the "Ratings" section in your GMB information

3. click on "Write a review".

4. now select the entire link above and copy it. You can make this link available to people.

Of course you can also use the link with a URL-Service like bit.ly shorten

This is the gateway to more Google reviews - the link that takes someone straight to the reviews section of your GMB (Google My Business). Otherwise they might get lost on the way there, and of course we don't want that.

Remind them to leave a review

Remember that we are all busy. We all forget a few things. When you ask someone to do a review, remember that they probably have 10 other things on their to-do list.

It may take a week before they get around to writing the review. They may even forget about it altogether. Make sure you get back to them within two weeks and remind them to write a review. We all need a nudge from time to time.

Where are the Google ratings displayed?

If you're new to Google reviews and your business/organization isn't on Google yet, you may be wondering where reviews actually show up.

Google ratings are displayed in two prominent places:

1. in Google search results

If you search for a business/organization that has a Google My Business listing, you will see the listing and any reviews directly in the search results. You can also search for something local, e.g. "hamburger store", and see the Google reviews for that business in the search results. We call this section of Maps listings in Google the "Local Pack", and you can immediately see the star rating that results from the Google reviews.

2. within the Google Maps results

Google reviews can also be displayed directly in the Google Maps app. Since Google My Business listings are connected to Google Maps, you can see the Google reviews when you search for a location or click on a location. If it doesn't have any, this will also be displayed.

If you think about it, your business/organization's reviews can be seen by millions of Google Search and Google Maps users, which is why it's so important to have Google reviews to stand out from the crowd.

One way to determine if you're ahead or behind is to see how many reviews your competitors have. If they have more, you still have some work to do. If they have fewer, you should pat yourself on the back, but don't stop there. Keep trying to get more Google reviews.

Why are some Google reviews not displayed?

There are various reasons why you don't see Google reviews. Check out these possible reasons and what you can do:

Display delaySometimes it takes Google a few hours or even days to check reviews and then show them for a company. So, chill out and check back later.

Against the rulesIf a review is not cool, for example if it contains insults or spam, Google will not show it. Check whether your review is really okay according to the Google rules and change it if necessary.

Stress with your Google accountIf something is wrong with your Google account, perhaps because it has been restricted or temporarily deactivated, then you won't see your reviews either. Just check that everything is OK with your account.

Wrong place or company: If you have left a review for the wrong store or in the wrong place, it will not be shown. Check again whether you have really left a review for the right company and in the right place.

What you can do now:

• Just wait a bit and check back later.
• Check your rating and adjust it if it violates the Google rules.
• Check that everything matches your Google account.
• If you need to, go back to the review and make sure you've got the right store and the right location.

If none of this helps, just contact Google support and ask what's going on. They can certainly help you!

Can I control the Google ratings for my company?

In short: no.

While this is sometimes frustrating because you'll get an incorrect review that completely messes up your star rating and public appearance, it's an important step to ensure Google provides accurate information. Imagine if the plumbers above could delete any review that wasn't positive. Their reviews would be biased and lead to many more bad interactions with no path to improvement or accountability.

But for honest and reliable companies, there are measures you can take.

What can you do to dispute a fake or bad Google review?

1. mark the evaluation as inappropriate

2. claim via your Google My Business Dashboard Support to

3. legal removal by Google

What do we recommend you do?

Firstly, if it is a fake or malicious Google review, you must flag the review. Second: Respond to the review anyway, on the same day if possible. Even if it is a fake review, offer to rectify the situation. This will reflect well on your company and help those who see the bad review.

Thirdly, if the review hasn't been removed by Google after a week or more, you can contact the person via the support section of your Google My Business dashboard. Try to bring the issue to the attention of the Google My Business support team by email or phone and state your case.

How to list your business on Google - Set up:

If you realize halfway through this post that you don't have a Google My Business profile, don't worry. We'll walk you through the process here.

First of all, setting up Google My Business is completely free.

All you need is a Google account (usually a Gmail account) and the sign-up process here: https://www.google.com/business/

Step 1: Click Start now

Step 2: Add your company name and address

Step 3: "I supply goods and services to my customers" - if you don't do business with customers at your address (if you use a residential address), you need to check this box because then you can hide your address and still be listed in the area. This is called a "service area business".

Step 4: Add the rest of the information about your company and make sure your contact information is correct.

Step 5: Go through the verification process - this can be a quick verification call or a postcard sent by post. Follow the verification method in any case, as you must be verified for your company entry to be activated.

Step 6When you receive a verification postcard, don't forget to go back to Google My Business and enter the code.

Step 7: Once you are verified, fill in as much information as possible in your listing, including opening hours and subcategories.

Step 8: Rejoice, because you are now registered.

Dealing with bad reviews on Google

It can happen that you receive a bad review on Google. Even if we wish that a bad review would not appear, it can still happen. And although we wish we could remove bad reviews, we can't do that on Google.

So how do you deal with bad reviews? Should you address them?

Yes, you should definitely talk to them.

Don't let a bad review remain visible to everyone on your Google My Business profile.

To be a great company despite a bad review, you need to do everything you can to address it with professionalism and class. Don't shy away from the opportunity to do something good here.

Steps for dealing with a bad Google review:

Sign in to your Google Business account so you can reply

Acknowledge the reviewer and apologize for their experience.

Offer further help and have the conversation on a private channel, e.g. by phone or email.

Let them know that you are trying to do better and that you appreciate the feedback they have left.

It may be unpleasant to apologize to someone who has written you a bad review and with whom you have had a bad experience yourself. But this is not the time to get emotional. Be empathetic and apologize for how they feel. That will go a long way.

Offer to right the wrong. I'm sure you already offered to right the wrong before the rating showed up, but offer it again here for everyone to see.

When bad Google reviews are used dubiously

1. Check guidelines: Before you even think about taking legal action, take a look at the Google review guidelines. Is the review really against these rules? For example, personal attacks, hate speech and misinformation are not allowed.ExampleIf someone writes "The owner is a thief" without any basis, then this could be a violation of Google's guidelines because it is defamatory.
2. Talk to the authorSounds simple, doesn't it? But sometimes the direct way is the best way. If you feel misrepresented, try to get in touch with the person who left the review. Sometimes misunderstandings can be cleared up and the person will change or delete the review.
3. Professional answerIf the author does not cooperate or cannot be reached, reply politely and objectively to the review. This shows other users that you are open to criticism and are making an effort to solve problems.Example"Hey Max, we're sorry that you had this experience. Can we perhaps resolve the problem together? Feel free to contact us directly."
4. Consider legal stepsIf a review is demonstrably false or defamatory and the author does not respond, you could consider taking legal action. But beware: this can be expensive and time-consuming. You should also make sure that you really have a legal basis.ExampleIf someone deliberately makes false statements about your store, such as "There are rats in this restaurant", and you can prove that this is not true, you could take legal action against this false statement.
5. Legal advice: Before you take legal action against someone, you should definitely consult a lawyer. A lawyer can inform you about the chances of success and show you the best way forward.
6. Contact GoogleEven if Google usually stays out of it, in extreme cases it can help to contact support, especially if you can prove that the review violates Google's guidelines or contains false information.

To summarize: There are various ways to combat negative Google reviews but legal action should be a last resort. It is always better to try to solve the problem first without taking legal action.

Advantages of Google reviews

Google reviews offer businesses the opportunity to boost their reputation and show their customers that they are providing them with a quality experience. It is an effective and complete tool to measure and monitor customer satisfaction. Reviews can also help businesses make better decisions by giving them insights into their customer surveys.

Other benefits of Google reviews:

1. Confidence buildingGoogle reviews can help to strengthen the trust of potential customers in a company. If many customers leave a positive review, this can help to gain the trust of other users.
2. Improve visibility: Google reviews appear in Google search results, which can help a business be found more easily in search results.
3. Customer feedback: Google reviews offer companies the opportunity to receive customer feedback and learn from it how they can improve their services.
4. Local SEO: Google reviews can help a business to be found better in local search results. This is especially important for businesses that target a local audience.
5. Stand out from the competitionIf a company has many positive reviews, this can be an important purchase criterion for potential customers and help them to decide in favor of the company.

Let's go: Get Google reviews

At this moment, you need to see how many reviews you have in your Google business listing. Google your business and see. Set a goal to get 5 or 10 reviews. Create a list of customers you can ask for a review.

If you can't think of 5 satisfied customers, ask someone in your company who deals with customers regularly. Make a list and then ask them, show them and remind them. You'll get reviews and be well on your way to bringing more customers to your business.

Conclusion

Google reviews are like the salt in the soup for companies that have an online presence. Imagine you want to find the best burger joint in your city. You type it into Google and - bam - there they are, the stars and other people's opinions. You'd be more likely to go to the place that has 4.8 stars and where everyone raves about the "juiciest burger ever", wouldn't you?

Here is my conclusion on Google reviews:

1. confidence booster: You build mega trust. New customers rely on what others say. It's like word of mouth, only digital.

2. SEO-PushThe number and quality of reviews can help you rank higher in local search results. If you have a lot of positive reviews, Google sees this as a thumbs up!

3. feedback for youNot all ratings are always top. And that's okay! Negative reviews (as long as there aren't too many) can help you to improve. The important thing is how you respond to them. Show your customers that you take their opinions seriously.

4. influences the click rateIf you had to choose between two similar companies, you would probably choose the one with the better reviews. More clicks also means better visibility on Google.

But, and this is importantYou must not manipulate the whole thing. Fake reviews are a no-go and can backfire. So always stay honest and get real feedback!

ConclusionGoogle reviews are worth their weight in gold, both for SEO and for your company's image. Use them wisely, respond professionally to criticism and be happy about everyone who takes the time to write something about you. It's like a digital guestbook that the whole world can read. So get started and make the most of it! 🌟🚀