“If people like you, they will listen to you, but if they trust you, they will do business with you.” – Zig Ziglar
Whether you run your own business or work independently, customer reviews can make a big difference. They make you look good on the internet and help people find you easily through search engines. In simple terms, what else could you ask for?
A while back, we talked about how Google My Business works, focusing on the most practical aspects of the topic. So, before you keep reading, if you can’t recall how to set up your account, we suggest you check our blog for a refresher.
What is Google My Business
Google My Business is a free tool that Google provides. It helps you control how your business appears on Google, including in local search results and on maps. With it, you can create a business profile, add pictures, share information like your opening hours and address, and even reply to user reviews.
The main goal is to get potential customers interested and make it easy for them to connect with you quickly.
Using Google My Business can make your business more visible, improve its reputation, and engage with customers. Plus, you can manage your online presence without needing to make changes to your website. When people leave positive reviews, it tells Google that your business is real and trustworthy, which can boost your website’s search engine ranking.
The importance of reviews on Google My Business
Paying attention to Google My Business reviews is crucial because they can significantly impact how users experience your business. They affect things like how often people click on your business and what others think of it.
To prove this point, we’re sharing data from the 2022 Local Consumer Review Survey. This information will make it clear:
- 77% of people now read reviews for local businesses, which is up from 60% in 2020.
- 89% of consumers are more likely to choose businesses that respond to online reviews.
- 40% of consumers pay attention to reviews written in the last 2 weeks.
- On average, people read 10 reviews before they start trusting a business.
- 57% of consumers will only give a company a try if it has 4 or more stars in its reviews.
- An impressive 91% of people aged 18-34 trust online reviews.
Reviews are like a quality check for a business. That’s why Google includes them in Google My Business listings. They show up prominently in search results. If you get good reviews, they can help you shine and beat your competitors, making your business show up higher in search results.
How to Get Reviews on Google My Business
There are some good ways to get more reviews:
- Make sure your business is verified, so it appears on Maps, Google search, and other services. This way, you can also reply to reviews.
- Encourage your customers to leave reviews by telling them how important it is and how quickly they can do it.
- Respond to reviews to build a direct and trusting connection with your customers. When you’re active in responding, your customers will notice and feel appreciated.
- Remember that every review matters. Aim to have a mix of honest reviews, no matter what they say. Respond to reviews actively, and only ignore them if they don’t follow the rules for posting. In that case, you can ask Google for help, and we’ll explain more about this soon.
How to Request Google My Business Reviews
How often have you been asked to write a review? Sometimes, even happy customers forget to do it, so they need a little reminder.
To make your online reputation better, you can:
- Just asking the customer in a friendly way.
- Making it easy with a QR code that leads to reviews.
- Using a special system that sends an SMS when you’re near the customer’s phone.
- Sending a personalized SMS with a direct link to reviews.
- Giving small rewards like bonuses or discounts to those who write a quick review (although this isn’t the best approach).
- Sending a professional email asking for reviews, and include a link to your Google My Business reviews or add it in your email signature.
To find out which and how to include the link to the review, scroll some more..
How to Get the Direct Link to Ask for Reviews from the Google Listing
Let’s get this done quickly.
To find the direct link for asking reviews on your Google My Business listing, do the following steps:
- Look for your business on Google.
- Click on the link in the search results that says “Reviews” to open the reviews.
- A pop-up window will appear with the reviews. Click on the “Request more reviews” button.
- In the next window, you’ll see the link under the heading “Provide your customers with a link to review your business on Google.” Copy this link. It’s the direct link to ask for reviews on your Google My Business listing.
- Now, you can paste this link wherever you want to invite customers to review your business.
Important Note: You can only use this feature if your business listing is verified. If it’s not verified, you won’t be able to use the link to request reviews.
If you follow these tips to boost your online reputation, you’ll start getting lots of great reviews. You can proudly showcase the ones with lots of stars on your website.
How to insert Google My Business Reviews on your site
For simplicity, we’ll focus on how to add Google My Business reviews to a WordPress website.
Some website owners take screenshots of reviews and put them on their site, but we’ll show you a more professional method using a WordPress Widget Plugin.
With this plugin, you can display customer reviews and opinions on different parts of your website, like posts, home pages, and individual pages. This helps build trust with your audience.
We recommend using the “Widget for Google Review” WordPress plugin. It shows Google reviews on your site in a sidebar widget. It saves the reviews in your WordPress database, so you’re not relying on Google for them.
To add Google My Business reviews to your WordPress site, follow these steps:
- Log in to your WordPress admin panel.
- Go to the “Plugins” section.
- Search for the “Google Reviews Widget” plugin and click “Install Now.”
- Once it’s installed and activated, go to the “Google Reviews” section in the “About” tab to create the code for the Google Reviews widget.
- Click on the “Get Code” button.
- Copy the code that’s generated and paste it onto the page on your site where you want the reviews widget to show up.
Be careful where you put the code to ensure the widget shows up nicely, and check your site to make sure it looks good and there are no display problems.
How to Delete Negative Reviews on Google My Business
If we had a few euros for every time someone asked, “Can I remove bad reviews on Google My Business?” we’d be rich by now.
But to be clear, the answer is no. Google My Business, like most online review platforms, doesn’t let you delete user reviews.
However, there’s still hope…
After a setback, there’s a way to make things better, and here’s how:
- When dealing with negative reviews, you can try a diplomatic approach: talk to the person who left the bad review and ask them to remove it.
- For fake reviews, you can ask Google for help. You can report these comments to Google, and they’ll check if the review is genuine or not. Then, they’ll decide whether to remove it.
While Google is looking into your request, it’s a good idea to respond thoughtfully to the review. You can ask for more information and stay open to clarifications.
Report a review to Google My Business
If you believe a Google rule has been broken, you can report or dispute the review, and Google will check it. But when can you report a review?
Here are the 10 cases:
- Spam or fake content
- Comments off topic
- Promotion of illegal actions
- Publishing illegal content
- Terrorist threats
- Sexually Explicit Language or Content
- Blasphemous or Offensive Content
- Harassment, Intimidation or Incitement to Violence
- Impersonating Another Person
- Dishonesty or Prejudice
Google My Business and Local Search
Local Search, or Local SEO, is all about making a website show up on search engines in a particular location. Unlike regular SEO, the goal here is to be visible in a specific area.
Google My Business is a crucial tool for Local Search because it helps businesses (especially those with a complete and verified profile on Google) become more visible in local search results.
In what way does it help?
So, when people use Google to search for a business nearby, the results appear on a separate section in Google search results called “Google Maps.”
Google looks at both the number of reviews and the average rating to decide which businesses show up first in Google Maps and in the local results on the search page.
Now, it’s no surprise that Google My Business is a vital part of SEO. It’s a good idea to keep your Google My Business profile updated regularly so that both users and search engines see that you’re active and care about your business.
Having a Google My Business profile helps your business show up in local search results, making it easier for potential customers to find and contact you. This can lead to more new customers.
In summary, it’s crucial to focus on making your Google My Business profile as good as possible to give Google all the details it needs.
Here are some tips to make your Google My Business profile better:
- Use attractive photos with the right size and quality.
- Write a clear and accurate description of your business.
- Make sure the name, address, and phone number (NAP) are in the right order.
- Add your business’s opening and closing hours.
- Ask your customers to leave reviews, and try to get some.
The Advantages of an Optimized Google My Business Listing
If you’re still not sure about signing up for Google My Business, let’s make one final pitch before we finish ????
The benefits of using Google My Business include:
Improved Google Visibility: Google My Business enhances your online presence, making it easier for potential customers to find your business in search results and on Google Maps.
Enhanced Transparency: You can provide essential information such as business hours, phone number, address, and customer reviews. This simplifies the process of customers getting information and reaching out to you.
Strengthened Online Reputation: Google My Business, being a Google service, is a trusted platform for users. Maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction can set your business apart.
Direct Customer Interaction: You can connect with your customers directly through your Google My Business profile.
Geolocation on Google Maps: Your business’s location is shown on Google Maps, making it easy for people to find you.
Analytics and Insights: Google My Business offers statistics and analytics about how customers find and interact with your business online. This valuable data helps you better understand your audience and improve your online presence.
Final thoughts
As we reach the end, we want to clarify that Google My Business doesn’t replace other essential marketing tools like a website, social media, and advertising campaigns. Instead, it complements them and can be managed separately.
Creating a strategy to turn users into potential customers requires knowledge, expertise, and experience. So, if you have specific goals in mind, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’re eager to assist you.
Now, it’s your turn to shine like the stars! ✨
