The first thing customers do before making any purchase or connecting with the brand is check out their reviews and customer experience. Google reviews are like word-of-mouth advertisements. Every brand needs to focus.
More positive reviews mean better visibility, increased credibility and trust, and more opportunities to connect with the target audience and increase sales.
Almost 95% of customers check out reviews before making a purchase, and 49% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
That shows the importance of reviews for businesses that significantly drive customer decisions. But how do you get legitimate Google reviews?
In this blog, we will share some quick ways to help you boost your reviews and enhance your online presence.
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Understanding Google’s Review System
Google Reviews allows people or customers to share their experience using a product or service. Other customers can see these reviews when they search for a relevant brand, product, or service and make decisions accordingly.
The Google review system prioritizes genuine and customer-driven reviews. Businesses that actively engage with their reviews are rewarded with better visibility.
Start ratings and review content influence search rankings, making reviews a key factor in local search results.
Here’s how the Google Review System works.
- Customers can leave reviews and star ratings on your Google Business Profile.
- Reviews impact search rankings with factors like review quantity, quality, recency, and keywords in reviews.
- Google has guidelines to remove spam, fake or inappropriate reviews.
- Engaging with reviews improves customer trust and signals to Google that you are an active business owner.
Claim & Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Before optimizing, you must claim your Business on Google to manage details, respond to reviews, and improve local SEO. Here’s how to optimize your Google Business Profile.
- Create a Google My Business Account – The Google Business Profile Manager, search for your business, and click “manage now” to claim it.
- Complete every section of your Google Business profile, including business name, address, service area, phone number, website, business hours, category, business description, and attributes.
- Add high-quality photos and videos and respond to feedback.
- Keeping your profile updated helps customers find your reviews section easily and encourages them to leave feedback.
7 Proven Ways to Get More Google Reviews Quickly
Let us look at some proven ways to get quick Google reviews for your business and customer feedback.
➲ Ask Customers at the Right Time
Timing is everything when asking customers for Google business reviews. The best time to ask for feedback is when customers are most satisfied after a positive experience with your brand.
Whether they’ve received excellent service, enjoyed a product, or interacted with your team, these are the moments to ask for reviews. Ask your team to identify these moments and politely ask for reviews as part of the customer experience.
Another great opportunity is after a repeat visit when customers show continued trust in your business. Train your staff to identify these moments and politely ask for reviews as part of the customer experience.
➲ Make It Extremely Easy to Leave a Review
The easier you make it, the more reviews you’ll get. To reduce friction, provide direct access to your review page.
Creating a direct Google Review link and sharing it in emails, SMS, and social media makes it seamless. Moreover, you can use QR codes on products, websites, or emails to allow customers to leave feedback instantly.
Embedding a Google Review button on your website and email signatures makes it even easier. Tools like WiserReview automate review collection, making it super easy for customers to share their experience.
Related post: 5 New Ways to Add Google Reviews to Your Website
➲ Use SMS & Email to Request Reviews
Customers might forget to leave a review, so a friendly reminder via SMS or email can make a difference. You can craft a personalized thank you message with a review link, making it easy for customers to act.
Automating follow-ups for customers who haven’t responded ensures you don’t miss out on potential reviews. Many tools can help you automate and manage those reviews, reaching out to the customers and reminding them to leave a review and share their experience.
Moreover, you can A/B test different messaging to determine what works best to increase Google reviews and connect with your audience.
➲ Using the Best Automating Review Tools
Automating review tools can help you reduce the manual time needed to manage and collect reviews. It streamlines the tasks and performs tasks like review requests, responding to reviews, notifying you when you receive a new review, etc.
Automating, collecting, and managing Google reviews can benefit local businesses by improving their online visibility, attracting consumers, and driving growth and success.
It also helps to maintain a consistent and professional online reputation and provides a simple and convenient way to get valuable insights and analytics.
➲ Use Review Reminders in Customer Interactions
Review reminders are extra emails sent to customers who haven’t completed the full survey evaluation after the follow-up email. You can also share follow-up messages on WhatsApp and Messenger, which is an easy way to remind customers.
Moreover, you can send printed cards in product packaging with a simple “Leave us a Review” message. Loyalty program members receiving periodic review reminders via email ensures consistent feedback collection.
Keep reminders subtle but consistent so they don’t feel pushy while still encouraging engagement.
➲ Offer a Gentle Nudge Without Breaking Google’s Rules
Seeing positive reviews influences others to leave their own. Using a Google reviews widget to display top reviews on landing pages increases credibility.
However, there are ethical ways to encourage feedback. Express gratitude and tell customers how reviews help your business and make them feel valued.
Creating an engaging community where customers naturally want to share their experiences fosters organic reviews.
Running referral or loyalty programs that increase engagement without directly tying incentives to reviews is within Google’s guidelines. Featuring happy customers in social media posts subtly reminds them to leave a review.
➲ Showcase Testimonials on Your Website to Other Influence
Additionally, you can add links to blog posts and social media to showcase real customer satisfaction and existing Google reviews. Highlighting positive reviews in email marketing campaigns further encourages engagement.
The more visibility your existing reviews get, the more social proof they generate and the more customer confidence and conversions.
Incentivizing Reviews: What’s Allowed and What’s Not
Google has a clear policy regarding review incentives designed to maintain the integrity and authenticity of its review system. You can offer customers something in exchange for leaving a review, but directly offering incentives for positive reviews can violate Google policies.
You can collect more Google business reviews from your customers.
- Asking for reviews: You can ask potential customers to leave a review on Google in person, by email, or through a simple reminder.
- Sharing a review link: You can create and share a link for customers to leave a review, include it in your thank you email and chat interaction, and include it on your receipt.
- Reply to reviews to build trust: Read and reply to your customer’s reviews to build trust and attract attention to your business values.
- Verify your business profile: A verified business can help you respond to a review. It also helps your business information appear on Google Maps, Google searches, and other Google services.
Here is what is not allowed:
- Offering direct rewards: You can explicitly offer discounts, gift cards, or other benefits in exchange for positive Google reviews.
- Using fake reviews: Generating or buying fake reviews to boost your rating is a violation.
- Directly asking for positive reviews: You cannot explicitly ask customers to leave only positive Google reviews or incentivize them with rewards.
Leveraging Social Media and Website to Get More Reviews
Social media makes it easy to reach customers and is a powerful tool for encouraging them to leave Google reviews. Share positive reviews of your satisfied customers on your social media channels and provide a link to your Google review page.
Add a review link to your social media bios and website footer so customers can easily leave honest feedback and experience. Moreover, we run engagement-driven campaigns that encourage customers to leave feedback easily.
You can also engage with your audience by responding to their comments and thanking them for sharing their feedback and experience. This will convey that you are invested in your business and value your customers’ opinions.
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How to Handle Bad Reviews Without Harming Reputation
Bad reviews happen, but how you respond matters. Responding effectively to negative reviews requires a strategic approach and showcasing that you value customers’ feedback. Here are some ways to handle negative reviews.
Bad reviews happen, but how you respond matters. Responding to negative reviews requires a strategic approach and showcasing that you value customers’ feedback. Here are ways to handle negative reviews.
Be Professional: When responding to negative reviews, make sure to be professional by not being defensive or confrontational. Reacting calmly and respectfully shows that you take feedback seriously and are committed to resolving the issue to enhance their experience.
Respond Quickly: Timely responses are key when addressing negative reviews. Respond within 24 to 48 hours of receiving the review. This shows that you prioritize customer feedback and are actively working towards resolving the issue.
Offer Solutions: When responding to negative reviews, offer solutions and concrete steps to address customers’ concerns. This proactive approach shows that you are committed to finding a solution and enhancing the customer’s experience.
Follow-up: After responding to the negative review, follow up with the customer and ensure they are satisfied with the solution. The additional step shows you are committed to resolution and provides an opportunity for further engagement and improved customer experience.
Highlight the positive: Acknowledge negative feedback but highlight your company’s strengths and unique value. This balanced approach minimizes the impact of negative reviews and amplifies positive sentiment.
By following these tips, you can turn negative reviews into opportunities for improvement and growth.
3 Best Automate Review Collection Tools Recommendation
Now, let’s look at the three best-automated review collection tools and explore them.
1. Wiser Review
An automation review app that helps you collect and display customer reviews efficiently and makes it easy to manage reviews.
It automates review collection by allowing quick scans to be shared via QR, SMS, or email, making it easy for customers to share their reviews. Moreover, you can set auto-reminders for customers to share their reviews through photos and videos.
Additionally, you can create a dedicated space for reviewing products, equip product pages with real reviews, show review nudges, and curate carousels.
2. Birdeye
Birdeye is a top-rated tool for tracking, collecting, and responding to reviews across multiple platforms. It helps businesses maintain their reputations. Its simple, user-friendly interface makes it easy to find what you need.
Generating and managing reviews has become easy thanks to AI integration. This helps boost brand image and revenue and deliver outstanding customer experiences in one place.
3. Podium
Podium is a reputation management tool that helps attract and convert new customers. It has an AI-powered assistant that simplifies online review management, lead management, and customer communication.
It has features like automated review invites, AI-powered response suggestions, an interactive dashboard to manage reviews, and multi-site management.
You can respond instantly, send personalized text messages, and stay ahead of the curve with sentiment analysis.
Conclusion
Google reviews are powerful, but only if you consistently collect and manage them. Collecting and managing customer feedback can create a strong online reputation that differentiates you from competitors.
Engaging with positive or negative reviews builds consumer trust in online reviews and shows your business values its customers.
Try these out today and watch your Google reviews grow fast and organically!
Boost Conversion Instantly
Add Social Proof & Urgency to your website
