Most business owners know having positive online reviews attracts new customers. People often look online to figure out what others have to say about a company before they choose to buy from someone new. Knowing how to get more Google reviews helps you know what is ethical and what isn’t. You also don’t just want reviews for the sake of hits.
Google for Small Business estimates two out of three customers say positive reviews are one of the reasons they buy from an online store. Glowing reviews carry far more weight than negative ones when it comes to attracting new leads.
Why Is It So Hard to Get Google Reviews?
Businesses sometimes find it’s challenging to get as much feedback as they’d like. Customers are busy. They may have every intention of shouting your praises but get sidetracked with other tasks of daily living.
Many companies don’t think through their reviews strategy. It’s something they try to get after-the-fact, sending out a cursory automated email, for example. When you create a plan for gaining more reviews, you’re much more likely to get feedback.
How to Get More Google Reviews for Your Business
Create a strategy to get more Google reviews by adding the following activities. You may already do some of these or none at all. Add the ones that make the most sense for your brand’s image and remove what doesn’t work.
1. Improve Local Rank
Many searches start with a “near me” command. If you improve your local rank in search engines results pages (SERPs), you’ll also reach more customers in your area. They’ll be more likely to add a review on Google as it is a simple tap of a few buttons.
Ways you can improve your local rank in the SERPs is by making sure you have everything updated, including your hours of operation, location and any other relevant data customers need to decide if they want to contact you. Target the best keywords for your industry and add some local search terms.
2. Create Strong Branding
Get more Google reviews by making your brand highly recognizable and relevant. People should remember you when they see you listed in a SERP and want to tell others what they like about your company.
Around 90% of consumers are influenced by their impression of a brand. Improving your company’s image attracts raving fans who’ll shout your praises to the rest of the world.
3. Plan Reviews Into Promotional Materials
Coming up with a strategy to tie reviews to your promotions will help you gain more of them. Remember you can’t offer rewards when people review your products or company. It is against Google’s terms of service (TOS) and can get you booted from their platform.
However, you can ask. For example, you can share that people are giving you rave reviews and include a link to those reviews in your promotions. You can point current customers to your Google Reviews page in the hope they’ll share one of their own.
Think about how you might request a review in a variety of ways. You might send an email after a purchase, ask for reviews via your checkout process and even send out a reminder that you need more reviews.
4. Update Google Business Profile
Make sure your Google Business Profile is updated. People will have an easier time finding you and thus reviewing your company if you rank well in search results. Learn how to get more Google reviews by updating your business profile and creating a shortlink to send customers directly to your page.
You also need to verify your business so you can reply to any reviews. Showing you’re highly active on the platform encourages people to leave a few words. If customers see you respond, you’ll gain their trust. They’ll feel heard and they’ll see your business policies in action.
5. Ask for Reviews
It might be tempting to get the ball rolling by buying a few excellent reviews. However, doing so is not only unethical but it violates Google’s TOS. There’s nothing wrong with reminding customers you’d like reviews.
One example might be a dentist’s office sending a text message reminding people they’d like to improve their Google rank and to please leave an honest review if they would. Include a link to your business page so they can easily find the location to leave a review.
Add a link at the end of an invoice, when you send a follow-up email and on your social media pages.
6. Share Reviews
Seeing what others had to say may encourage your customers to leave their own reviews. Add clips on your website, on social media and when you send out marketing messages to your current customers.
Show them you care about your reviews and rank on Google and they’ll be more likely to click on the link to the full review and possibly leave one of their own.
The Importance of a Multifaceted Approach
When seeking more Google reviews, the key is to reach customers on several different platforms and levels. The more often they see a reminder to leave feedback, the more likely they will.
Reviews are like a snowball rolling downhill and picking up speed. As you add to the number you have, more people will see them and want to add some thoughts of their own. Over time, you’ll have a nice collection of words about your products and brand.
By keeping your business’s hours, location, and other information that potential consumers would need to determine whether or not to contact you up to date, you can boost your local ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). Aim for the most relevant keywords in your field, and don’t forget to throw in some geo-specific phrases.