What is a Google review?
A Google review allows a previous customer to rate their experience with your brand. To leave a review, the reviewer must have a Google account and then they can give a star rating between 1 and 5. Reviewers can also add text to their rating, but this is optional. These reviews are shown on your Google business profile for everyone to see. The purpose of Google reviews is to help the end user make a better-informed decision.
Why reviews are worth your time
Google reviews give the first impression of a business. When someone searches for a service using Google search, your business will appear in a listing along with a map and other local companies supplying a similar service. Part of the information on this list is an average star rating and the total number of reviews.
With Google being the most used search engine globally, we trust the reviews on their platform. As seen in this example, these reviews are associated with your business. They are always displayed for anyone to see. Having 5-star reviews will reassure potential customers and give them a reason to trust your business over other companies with lower ratings.
Good Google reviews are a stamp of approval for any organisation. In 2021, around 81% of consumers reported reading Google reviews (source brightlocal.com). Everyone wants to be as quick and efficient as possible and having a high average rating could potentially win over a customer.
Research also shows that reviews left on Google impact SEO rankings. Although never confirmed by Google directly, this is something that should still be considered. This idea is pertinent for local organisations trying to climb the regional ranking.
How to create a Google Business Account
For people to leave reviews on your business, you will need a Google Business Profile. Creating this account is simple. To do so, sign in to an existing Google account or create an account with your business e-mail. Having a dedicated Google account for your business will make it easier to manage your personal e-mail and business e-mail. After creating an account you will then need to fill in some details related to your business.
- The name of your business is what they ask for first – For example, Framework Digital
- The next part of the process involves selecting the type of business you have – Online retail, Local store, or Service business. You can select all three options if it applies to you, but you must select at least one
- You will then need to add a business category – the type of business, for example, a Coffee shop
- Then you will need to enter an address for your business – Country, City, Street name, Post Code
- After this, you can optionally add a contact phone number and or website
- The last step will be verification. Google will choose from a few different options depending on certain factors such as – Business type, region, and support hours. Verification methods include phone or text, e-mail, video recording, video call and postcard
If you have already gone through this process, you can use Google Search or Google Maps to manage your Google Business Profile. Sign into an account with administrator permissions for your business.
After you have signed in, search for My business on Google Search. Alternatively, you can search for the name of your company. In our case, this would be Framework Digital. You can search for this in Google Search or Google Maps.
A Google Business Profile allows you to use many functional features, including adding photos, checking performance, and enabling reviews. It will also give you a location on Google Maps. Users will be able to see reviews as well as your address on your Google Maps page.
How to ask for Google reviews
If you do not have a system for getting reviews or have a small number of reviews asking people to leave a review could be an option. The best time to do this is after supplying a service or product.
An effective method to request is via e-mail. You can easily share a link to the review page in a follow-up e-mail. If you want to share your link, follow the steps below:
- Search your business on google – For example, Framework Digital
- In the result widget on the right, press Google reviews
- A box with your reviews will open. Look in the top right of this box for a button. It is labelled “Get more reviews”.
- Press this button and another box will open. In this box there is a link, copy the link provided.
You can share this link through any platform you like, but as previously mentioned, putting it in a follow-up e-mail after purchase is an effective way to use this tool.
One thing to consider when asking for reviews is authenticity. Google is particularly good at detecting reviews that are paid or look like spam. It is wise to keep the text relevant to the user’s experience. Speaking about off-topic subjects can mark the review as a spam post preventing it from showing on your page.
Conclusion
To summarise, the reviews on your profile matter more than you might think. Reviews are reliable. People trust a review more than the company trying to sell you their product. Keeping on top of these reviews makes you a trustworthy business in the eyes of a potential customer; you will be more appealing.
Points to take away:
- Google Reviews do not only impact how people see your company, but they are also part of deciding where you appear in search results
- Establishing trust with your clients before they have even made a purchase is one of the top benefits of Google Reviews
- Make sure to ask for reviews, building a Google Business Account with a collection of authentic reviews will positively impact your business.
With us, you can gain competitive advantages by seeing your site from Google’s perspective.
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