In modern times, the perception of the brand in the eyes of the customers is of prime importance. Their opinions carry weight and can affect the growth of your brand tremendously. Prospective clients look forward to reading customer reviews before going in for final purchase. Since these customer reviews are gaining importance, Google has incorporated them into the local business ranking algorithm. It is the quality of these reviews that helps to gain the Numero Uno position.
These Google reviews help to acquire new customers, increase the rank, and build a great brand value. It is the reason why businesses tend to buy Google reviews and gain the desired position. We will discuss various effective strategies that can help you get Google reviews for your business. The entire article will cover:
- The benefits of Google reviews for your business.
- The requirement to get Google reviews.
- How to get genuine Google reviews to enhance your brand value.
- How to implement these strategies from scratch.
So these Google reviews will help build your brand reputation, enhance the ranking, and help you achieve the revenue targets. Word-of-mouth marketing was treated as the best marketing style earlier. In today’s modern time, this word can spread much faster with the help of these customer reviews. Google is one of the most used review sites for local businesses. The quality and quantity of reviews help you get a higher rank in Google. Though, getting these reviews is not a cakewalk, so let us understand some simple tricks to get genuine Google reviews.
The Benefits of Google Reviews for Business
A Google review is an effective technique to build brand value. Its benefits are numerous and long-lasting. The number of people who leave a positive Google review about your brand will help you in achieving your business goals. It is the right time to start focusing on getting Google reviews for your brand. It must be a part of your digital marketing strategy. Here are some key reasons why Google reviews are important for your business:
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More reviews would lead to more leads
Almost ¾th of the customers look forward to reading online reviews to make their purchasing decisions. They always seek these online reviews along with personal recommendations. Building up on Google reviews will enhance the brand value, attract more clients, and help you get a better engagement for your business.
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More reviews will lead to more conversions
Consumers read the reviews and research about the product before making the final purchase decisions. As per research, the consumer tends to read at least 10-12 reviews before making a purchase decision. Therefore, the higher the number of Google reviews for your product, the greater is the chance of conversions.
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More positive reviews would result in an increase in SERP rankings
Google algorithm rewards the brands with a higher SERP ranking if they have more positive reviews. It depends on not just the quantity but also the quality of the reviews. These reviews greatly influence the SEO ranking, and the Google algorithm definitely takes this into account. Google’s search algorithm takes into account a lot of factors pertaining to the reviews:
- Quantity or the number of reviews is a matter of concern.
- Google analyzes velocity or the speed with which you receive these reviews.
- Diversity or the sources of these reviews are also taken into account.
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More the reviews, the lesser will be the costs
No charges are applicable to leave or respond to a review. Positive reviews about the brand enhance the brand value and trust factor and act as a free Google advertisement. Google is the most trusted platform for reviews and thus, buying Google reviews lures a lot of businesses.
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Build the Brand Awareness
Local SEO is the best way to enhance online exposure. The more the customers come across the brand’s name, the more they start recognizing the brand. It helps to improve brand awareness as you remain on the top of the mind of prospective customers. Google reviews can be of great help as these reviews improve your brand awareness.
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Gain better Customer Insights
Getting reviews for your business, either positive or negative, helps you gather better insight into the valuable feedback from the users. You’ll gain insight into their experience and let you make the desired improvements in the business. You can enhance your brand’s online reputation by taking it positively and treating it as a chance to improve. Responding to the negative reviews will also help you gain better trust.
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Better Transparency
You create a level of trust and loyalty by responding to the Google reviews. It proves that your brand is transparent and that you take both positive and negative reviews seriously. It gives the customers peace of mind and helps you get better conversions.
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Establish Trust
80% of customers trust Google reviews as these reviews have the ability to build trust in their minds. It is like social proof of being transparent and trustworthy. It is a portrayal of a happy customer experience that further leads to getting better conversions and revenues.
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Improve Online Traffic
Google reviews will encourage potential buyers to visit your page. It will greatly enhance your site’s traffic. Google reviews are a credible resource that enhances the SEO ranking. Visitors to your site may further convert into loyal customers.
The Requirement To Get Google Reviews
There are a few key points that must be kept in mind before getting the Google reviews:
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Understand Google’s policies
Google’s Terms of Service need to be followed when you wish to go for Google reviews. The policies include the fact that you must seek no reviews by offering any lucrative rewards and never ask the customers whether they had a negative or a positive experience.
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Business needs to be placed on Google maps
This is a prerequisite for Google reviews. A place on Google maps makes it easier for any customer to leave their reviews about your brand.
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Verified Google business profile
A business profile is created for your business once placed on Google Maps. But, this mere listing will not give you the desired controls. You have to generate a Google My Business account and then further verify the ownership of this Business Profile using the account. It provides you with a dashboard to enhance and manage the brand’s Business Profile.
These steps are the prerequisites to get your review strategies correct. They will help you respond to and manage the reviews and implement a good marketing strategy to get the most out of these Google reviews. The Google review policies are not very complicated. All they need is the reviews, to be honest, and simple. However, some essential policies for Google reviews need your attention.
- You can request your customers to submit reviews, but you cannot solicit the reviews in bulk.
- Google review policies explicitly express that a brand cannot select positive reviews and ignore the negative ones.
- Google and other review sites forbid paying the clients for reviews.
- Google review policy does not allow you or your employees to review your own brand. It is considered a conflict of interest.
- Google detects spam reviews and removes these spam reviews from the site. Google can even ban businesses for not adhering to these policies.
How to Get More Google Reviews?
We have clearly understood the kind of impact a Google review can create on the brand’s ranking and reputation. There are a few simple tactics and strategies that can help you get more Google Reviews easily:
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Understand the process
Writing a review may be simple and not very time-consuming, but getting to writing the review needs the customer to go through a few steps. First, the customer needs to open up Google Maps and then search for the brand. Once done, they will click on your verified Google business profile. Once the profile gets opened, they will scroll down to reach the reviews page and then finally write a review.
A Google review is the easiest and the simplest way for a client to leave a review. They can search your profile on Google Maps and scroll down to write a review. You may also create a shortcut tab on your website that directs the customers to the review section.
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Google review link shortcut to be created
It can be tedious for the customer to go online, search for the review section, and then scroll down to write the review. It will be great if you create a shortcut link for writing the review and publish it on your website. When the client opens your Google My Business account page, the Home tab must blink a button to write a product review.
- Review shortcut further shortened
It is a great option to create a shortcut in the form of a button on the brand’s website. You may even create a hyperlink using the anchor text. A lot of offline methods can also be used to get Google reviews. You can take the help of free link shorteners which help you shorten and customize this review link. Once this crisp review shortcut link is ready, it’s time to present it to the customers and get the desired Google reviews for the brand. -
Link from your webpage to Google reviews
Your website is the most important place where the client would look to post a review regarding the products or their experience with the brand. Your website needs to be a one-stop solution for the clients. Have a call to action button on the website that clearly directs them to the reviews page. Clicking on the call to action button must take them to the review section of the Google Business Profile in the SERP.
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Create a Google review page on the website
The above-mentioned call to action button is of great help, but what can work even better is a fully dedicated website page for Google reviews that the clients can access through the main home page. The page must display the existing reviews and provide a dedicated space to write new reviews. Reading the existing reviews will instill confidence and trust and can also help you get more leads and generate better revenues through better conversions. It also encourages the existing customer to write a review.
You can have a screenshot of previous reviews if it goes well with the aesthetics of your website. The reviews include many keywords, so displaying them on the site can help the potential users search for the products in a better way and enhance your SEO strategy in a better way. You may even have a predefined template where the clients can enter the text. You can link these Google reviews to the website automatically.
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Footer should have a Google review CTA
As discussed, having a separate page for Google reviews on your website can be a great option, but including them as a footer can also be a great solution. Placing them as footers will relieve you of the stress of deciding where you need to include the CTA.
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Leave us a review card is a must
Apart from the above-mentioned online methods to get more Google reviews, leaving a review card is an effective offline method to get more Google reviews. You can hand over physical cards saying that your reviews are precious for us and that the client can review your services on the below-mentioned link. Then, slip the review card in their shopping bags or leave these review cards at the counter from where customers can grab them on their way out.
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Ask for in-person Google reviews
The best way to get more reviews from people is to ask them for reviews. You may even take the help of your friends and family to get those Google reviews. However, be sure you ask for reviews from genuine clients who have tried your products and services. Your interactions with the customers provide you with an opportunity to ask them for Google reviews. You could explain that their views and opinions matter a lot to your business, and you would be grateful if they wrote an honest review for your brand. And then, you can hand over the small review card having the link to the review page that will make it easy for the customers to write a review.
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Simply tell your customer the process of Google reviews
You understand that the process of posting a review is easy and simple. You need to communicate the same to your clients. The customers may be of the opinion that Google review is time-consuming and tedious. They may even feel that they are not able to pen down the feelings in words. They may not understand what they wish to write.
So you may explain to them that they may simply rate the business without writing much and tell them that even writing a sentence or two will be of great encouragement for your business. You must always be polite while asking for reviews from the customers.
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Create an email campaign for Google review
Email marketing has gained widespread importance as it helps create beautiful email campaigns to engage clients effectively. Emails can get the most effective results. It is very effective in getting you more Google business reviews. Create a crisp presentation to be sent out as mailers and ask the clients to leave a review for the products.
Let the customers know that their opinions matter, and it will help the prospects to make informed decisions. Your happy customers will feel delighted to receive your mailers and will be pleased to write a review for the business. You will surely get a positive response through the mail sent by you.
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Create surveys
The customers feel loved and pleased when their opinions are valued. You can also create a survey or poll to get it filled by your clients. These surveys or polls can also enhance your Google rankings and benefit the long-run revenues.
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Use social media to get Google reviews
Businesses promote their products and services online because social media significantly influences purchasing decisions. As per studies, customers are 70% more likely to buy a product based on their social media influences. Social media has generated a lot of interest amongst people to research among the various brands available online and select the best-suited one as per the needs.
The convenience of searching on an online platform has led to the social media networks rapid growth. Social media platforms provide a lot of transparency. You can post your best review and as for the client’s feedback. You may even post the Google review shortcut link. Social media platforms have a separate review system, so take care of the individual requirements while asking for reviews.
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Indulge partners and vendors
Your partners and vendors know about your business in-depth. They work and interact with you on a regular basis. They may also help you with the Google business reviews and write about your business in a way that attracts a lot of leads for you.
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Respond to all the reviews
Responding to all the client’s negative or positive reviews lets, you create a sense of trust and transparency among the customers. It portrays that you value the customer feedback and motivates them further to write reviews for your brand. You must be grateful for any positive review posted on the page. You must respond in time and thank the client for the positive reviews. You must also respond to the negative reviews politely and promptly as it helps resolve the issue and create a sense of belief in the customer’s mind.
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Use videos to simplify doing Google reviews
The customers may not understand the steps involved in writing a review when they see a web page’s call to action button. To simplify the process, you may create a small video on the process that needs to be followed to write a Google review. This can act as a marketing video that may tell about your brand in short and then request the clients to leave a review on the link mentioned in the video.
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Include Google reviews link in an email signature
A simple link to the review page on Google can be added as an email signature. It is a great way to instigate people to write a review as the link is easily visible as a part of the email signature. This is an effective way to communicate to your clients that their reviews matter a lot. Tell them that you love their feedback and thank them for choosing you as a partner. Ask them politely to write a review on Google by clicking on the link mentioned in the email signature.
Conclusion
It is a truth that reviews have a long-lasting impact on the minds of consumers. They trust the feedback given by other customers and feel that Google reviews provide a reliable recommendation. Therefore, you must make optimum use of the Google reviews to your advantage. You must not hesitate in asking for Google reviews about your business.
The process needs to be as easy as possible, and you can get numerous Google reviews on your site. It will enhance the site’s ranking and enhance your revenues. To sum it up, implementing the strategies mentioned above will help you get Google reviews easily and benefit your brand immensely.
