81% of consumers use Google to review local businesses (Brightlocal). So, what is the key to facilitating online searches and boosting customer acquisition? Collecting feedback! But that’s not all… Getting customer reviews is not enough. You need to publish and share them in the right place, to reach the right customers. Google is the most...
81% of consumers use Google to review local businesses (Brightlocal). So, what is the key to facilitating online searches and boosting customer acquisition? Collecting feedback! But that’s not all…
Getting customer reviews is not enough. You need to publish and share them in the right place, to reach the right customers. Google is the most used search engine, so reviews on that platform are a must. But how can you get positive Google reviews? Follow these 5 steps and reach for the (5) stars!
Boost Your Online Reputation with Positive Google Reviews
Customer reviews have a direct impact on your online reputation, SEO, credibility and growth. Feedback also reassures consumers and adds a human touch to their journey.
But to take full advantage of the benefits of customer reviews, you have to share them in the right place, so that Internet users can access them at the right time:
- Your homepage
- A product page
- Social media
- Google Ads campaigns
- Your Google My Business profile
- Your Google Maps profile
- Your company newsletter or correspondence
- Google search results (Rich Snippets)
Google is the most popular of these online customer review channels. Consumers particularly appreciate seeing satisfaction ratings or positive comments via Google Ads or Google My Business. So, are you ready to find out how to easily get reviews?
5 Steps to Get Positive Google Reviews
1- Verify Your Google Business Profile
The first step to get Google reviews is to create a Google business profile so that your company is listed on the search engine. A Google MyBusiness profile enables users to check where you are based, your contact details, photos, etc., as well as any positive or negative customer reviews!
But before you can exchange with potential customers and get their feedback, Google has to approve your profile. This is a key step to authenticate your company. Check out this Google tutorial to find out how to verify your profile:
2- Prompt Customers In-store
The second step towards positive Google reviews is to reach out to customers after a purchase. You can request feedback in the store to add a human touch to your review collection process. Here are some ways to ask for Google reviews at a sales point:
- Ask consumers to fill out a survey on a tablet in the store.
- Provide a QR code to scan with a phone, to post an online review in a few clicks on Google.
- Share a Google review request link on the customer’s receipt.
Post-purchase requests at sales points encourage customers to be proactive; they are more likely to share reviews immediately after purchase. Remind your staff how important it is to collect feedback, especially if the consumer seems happy with their experience!
To encourage consumers to write and share reviews, we recommend creating a Google review request link (to share on your customer receipts, via a QR code, etc.). Follow these instructions to generate a link (also called a “short URL”):
3- Send SMS Messages to Get Positive Google Reviews
Another way to prompt customers to post reviews on your Google MyBusiness profile is by sending SMS messages.
The easiest way to ask customers to share feedback after an experience is via a redirect URL to your Google profile (see above paragraph). We also recommend following these best practices:
- Personalize your text message: date and day of purchase, product or service, etc.
- Humanize your request: use a customer service employee’s name to sign the SMS.
- Avoid intrusive reminders: SMS is a very personal channel. Don’t overdo it, as this may have a negative impact on your customer experience and satisfaction!
4- Use Post-Purchase Satisfaction Surveys
We strongly recommend sending customers post-purchase satisfaction surveys via email to get positive, reliable and authentic Google reviews.
You can create and send out surveys with our solution, Verified Reviews by SKEEPERS. Customers are particularly receptive to this channel and direct prompt. Post-purchase review requests also impact a company’s satisfaction rating, unlike spontaneous review posts on Google; customers are more likely to share positive reviews when prompted with a survey, for example.
4.34 out of 5 is the average score after a post-purchase request. Whereas unrequested reviews (spontaneous Google posts) average a score of 3.89 out of 5 (Source: ReviewTracker, 2021).
Regularly prompting customers for feedback by email increases your chances of getting positive Google reviews. Ideally, you should use a trusted third-party in partnership with Google to share these reviews in various places.
For example, with our customer review platform, you can display reviews collected by email on your website, certification page, Google Ad or even Google Maps profile.
5- Respond to Google Reviews
The last step to maximize the number of (positive) reviews collected on Google is to respond to all the comments. According to a Brightlocal study, 97% of users regularly read company responses to online reviews. Replying to Google reviews shows that your company is genuinely interested in customer feedback, whether it is positive or negative.
- If the customer review is positive, the company’s response will build loyalty.
- If the review is negative, the company’s reply will identify and solve the problem efficiently.
Either way, responding to reviews will improve your brand image. Internet users are more likely to trust a brand that is active and responsive on Google… and to share feedback after their experience!
Are you ready to collect, manage and share your customer reviews (on Google and elsewhere)? Check out our solution, Verified Reviews by SKEEPERS.