In the age of speed and fierce competition, a company with no digital reputation is a company that doesn’t exist.
Online reviews are the oxygen your brand needs to get ahead. They’re the only possible way to outperform the competition and gain a firm position in the market.
And of all the online review platforms, Google is the one to offer the greatest visibility.
But…
What makes Google reviews so crucial for your brand? And what can you do to gather more Google reviews and get your brand noticed?
Let’s find out in the rest of this article.
Why Are Google Reviews So Important For Your Brand?
Here’s something every business owner must know:
According to TrustPilot, 89% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase decision.
And that should come as no surprise…
Before anyone decides to hire your company, they’ll first want to know that you’re a reputable brand with real experience in the field. They’ll also want to see what your customers have to say so they can set realistic expectations.
And what’s the first place we all go to when we have the slightest of problems in our lives?
You guessed right… It’s Google!
A high number of positive Google reviews attracts a lot more quality leads to your business and takes your conversion rates through the roof. That helps you edge out the competition while showing your brand’s impact in the industry.
As a result:
Google puts a heavy emphasis on reviews and relies on them as a primary factor when ranking businesses. Reviews are also a key indicator when it comes to local SEO and Google Maps results, which are the main sources of traffic for many companies.
10 Essential Ways to Get More Google Reviews For Your Company
1- Ask For Reviews Directly
What’s a better way to ask for review than to reach out directly to satisfied customers?
This is the most efficient, straightforward way to get more Google reviews for your company in less time.
The key to your success here is this:
Know when to ask.
As soon as finish working on a successful project with one of your clients, ask them to leave a review on Google to help your brand. You can do that in a real-life conversation or reach out via phone or email.
Also:
You can always follow up with busy clients a few times until you get a response. Business owners often have a lot on their plate and may not have the time to respond instantly.
2- Get a Review Link
Getting your review link comes first if you want to apply most of the other tricks in this guide. For instance, without a link, you can’t create a review page on your website or ask for feedback via email.
Here’s the deal:
The review link must be short and easy to type — that’s in case you have to include it at the end of a chat or in printed receipts. That’s also why you should avoid using the PlaceID method because it generates long review links that aren’t user-friendly.
To get your short review URL quickly:
Enter your Google My Business account.
Wikipedia Commons
From the Home tab, click on “Get more reviews.”
You can then copy the short URL and use it anywhere you want. It will look something like this:
https://g.page/r/CUhhT92eXM_HEAg/review
3- Create a Review Page
A review page on your website is a huge plus to your marketing strategy. It allows you to feature all testimonials in one place while it encourages newer customers to leave reviews.
Not sure how to do that?
It’s easy.
Create a web page specifically for reviews, then make it easily accessible to all visitors. For example, you must link to this page in your header and footer section to increase visits.
Here’s what all impressive review pages have in common:
- Engaging copy to inspire new clients to leave a review
- Existing Google reviews
- Direct “leave a review” link of your company
- A short how-to section explaining what the client needs to do
- Review templates or structures to save the customer’s time
Now, listen…
You have to integrate the review page as a key step in your customer journey. And they must all move through it at some point in the process.
That way, it will first encourage new prospects to hire you and then leave a review once the project is complete.
4- Ask For Feedback Via Email
Email is one of the most effective ways of communication between businesses and their clients.
If you already have an email marketing strategy in place, you might want to include a “Leave a Review” email for your customers somewhere in the sequence.
If you don’t, you can start using email to ask for a Google review when the timing is right.
Now:
Every successful “Give Us Feedback” email needs to show how a simple review can help your company grow and provide a better service in the future.
On top of that, it must be:
- Concise (100-200 words long) to ensure maximum readership
- Personalized using the client’s first name, company name, etc
- Instructive by explaining what the customer has to do
Also, make sure to always include the short review link to make the process as easy as possible.
5- Include a CTA in Your Footer
The site’s footer gets a lot of attention from your web visitors. Because it’s a gold mine that provides them with all links they need when browsing your website.
So…
One creative way to get more Google reviews is by including your review link in the footer. You’ll be surprised how many testimonials you can get if you just added a call-to-action in your website’s footer.
Of course:
It’s better to use a visually appealing image instead of a simple link to grab attention and increase clicks.
6- Add Pop-Ups on Your Site
If you’ve ever shopped online before, you might have gotten a lot of pop-ups asking you to leave a review for the brand. This method is also popular on apps and online tools.
A website pop-up is a very direct way to ask happy customers to leave you a review. It gets a lot of attention and delivers awesome results when used right.
How to make it work?
You must include your pop-ups on pages where your customers in later stages visit the most. Also, put them in small, simplistic tabs and make them easy to close for those who aren’t interested.
7- Respond to Existing Google Reviews
This might be the missing key to gathering more Google reviews. Simply because it gets a lot of recognition both from Google and your potential prospects.
And do we even have to say why?
Google considers replying to reviews a direct reflection of the quality of your company’s customer support. It views these responses as crucial for maintaining a positive business-to-customer relationship.
More importantly:
Genuinely responding to reviews gives prospects a hint as to what to expect in terms of quality of communication and customer service.
Responding to negative reviews is also vital to conserving your brand reputation. It shows that you care about your clients and gives you a chance to repair any damages that could result from negative criticism.
8- Emphasize How Easy it is to Leave a Review
Want to know the biggest obstacle between you and getting more Google reviews?
Procrastination.
Humans are too lazy to do most simple things if they don’t know how easy and critical they are. Let alone a seemingly complex task they’ve never done before — such as writing a review for a company.
Therefore…
The best way to encourage your clients to leave a review is by showing them how simple the process is before your ask.
You can do that with a short video that explains the few simple steps it takes. Then, provide a review structure or short template to inspire the clients on what to write and how.
You may also do this with a few how-to paragraphs on an email or your review page.
9- Use Physical Cards
Some old ways of doing business are everlasting and using physical cards to get reviews is one of them.
Physical cards will make a lasting impression on your clients who are mainly used to pop-ups and promotional emails. Thus, this is certainly an excellent way to stand out in your interactions.
Once you’re done with an in-person meeting, for example, hand your client a “leave us a review” card. You also explain briefly why reviews are essential for your business and how much you appreciate that.
10- Exceed Customer Expectations
This is the ultimate advice for getting more reviews anywhere on the internet.
Human beings have a natural tendency to show gratitude to those who help them. They feel a social responsibility to give back and serve others.
So…
The biggest hack to getting more customer reviews is to go beyond customers’ expectations.
A satisfied customer will always want to support your brand back. And they’d often consider a two-minute review nothing compared to how much you’ve helped them.
The point here is:
None of the previous tips will matter unless your brand deserves positive reviews. The techniques listed above won’t work unless you meet customer expectations and go beyond.
Act in your client’s best interest and assist them in every step in the process. Provide excellent customer service and flawless communication.
And the reviews will come!
Final Thoughts
With the rise of reliable business review platforms, customers are more willing to trust each other on the internet. They want to know what everyone has to say before making a purchase decision or trying out a service.
Consequently:
Gathering customer reviews is a huge must if you want your company to grow.
Try to apply the tips we shared with you in this guide to gather more Google reviews and get your business the reputation it deserves.
Need help getting your brand to the next level with SEO?
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