How to Get More Google My Business Reviews for Your Local Business

Today we are living in a world where prospective customers search their local businesses using their smartphones. Often times, your online reviews makes the difference between sales or no sales. Below you’ll find insights whereby you can get more reviews on your Google My Business (GMB) profile.

How to Get Even More Google My Business Reviews

Easiest way to get reviews is to share the link with your customers so that they can write a review. And since I’ve thoroughly detailed how to do all that and also increase Google ranking for Local Businesses. How to Rank in Google Local Business Results How to Rank in Google Local Business Results Today I’m going to share bit more insights perhaps along different lines.

Thoroughly Edit Google My Business Profile

The most important first step to getting more reviews on Google is complete your Google My Business profile.

In order to edit and complete your profile, you’ll first need to claim it. You can simply search for your business address in Google or Google Maps and then click “Claim this business”.

Once you’re logged in to Google My Business make sure you spend time to provide as much information as possible including photos. This is the first step for getting more feedback from your customers.

Go The Extra Mile for 5 Star Reviews

No business today can survive without going the extra mile. Whether you operate an eCommerce site offering products or whether you operate a local business offering Pest Control Company in Hamilton Ontario, or Laptop Repairer in Brisbane or whether you offer other services nearby your location.

Although leaving a review requires effort on the part of your customer, they’ll no doubt be glad to do so especially when most businesses neglect the core principles of going the extra mile.

You are Human Right? Ask for Reviews

As the saying goes, animals communicate through scent and we humans through language. Ask and you shall receive it. Research shows that when asked, customers leave review more so than if not asked? But don’t just ask, politely ask by letting them know how their online reviews help your business to continue serving others in your local community.

• In store: you can train customer service staff to get them into the habit of asking customers to leave a review at the checkout. Another great idea is to encourage the process with a discount or something of interest.
• On your Website: simply create a link to your Google My Business listing to make it easy for customers to leave feedback. You can always further entice customers
• Via email: easiest ways to get more Google reviews is through an email. Simply provide a link to GMB listing review section. Google makes this easy.
• Social profiles: Facebook or other social platforms are becoming even more popular by the day, your followers do so for a good reason. Ask them to provide a feedback on Google My Business Listing.

Sample Review Reply

To be able to serve you even better next time, we love to hear about your experience with our company. If we’ve served you well, please share your experience by following this link (provide link to GMB review).

If you believe we could further improve your customer service experience, please do tell us how here (provide link to your website feedback page).

Offline Marketing?

Not only you can highlight the 5 star reviews your business has through offline marketing to get new business as reviews act as social proof, you can also showcase your business’s previous reviews allowing your customers to see that they too can leave a review because you’ve highlighted the option for doing so.

Reply to Get More Reviews and Google Rankings

You get reviews not just because of social proof but to improve your business and its customer services. Are you replying back quickly? If not, do so as quickly as possible.

Another critical aspect of replying to Google My Business reviews is that you can use your reply to further guide Google about what your business offers. On internet, words are the only true currency. That means, learn to naturally use your important keywords within your review reply.

Do NOT Buy Reviews

As with all things digital marketing, there are many services out there offering quick and easy ways to get 5 star reviews. As in, they sell reviews. Not only this is against Google My Business Guidelines, its just bad business decision. Avoid at all costs buying reviews.

Positive AND OR Negative Reviews

Mark my words, unfortunate as it may be, all businesses will inevitably get negative reviews. After all, its natural part of operating a business. By the nature of humans, despite everything you do right, we’ll end up getting that 1 star review from that one off a$$hole of a customer or even competitor sneaking in hiring fake reviewers (it happens). When this is the case, and you’ve done all that you can to satisfy the customer. Simply move on, focus on providing a great service for the next customer. If the review is fake or is from some you never served, you can flag reviews or even contact Google My Business.

Whatever you do, never neglect replying back to remedy the issue as that is also part of a great customer service. Best thing to do is to approach any negative reviews with calm mind and reply strategically not emotionally. For example, instead of:

• Hello Mrs Margaret, our records do not show that we served you.
• You do something like this if not your customer: Hello Mrs Margaret, we are sad to hear that you had a negative experience. All our valued customers experience is important for us. While checking your details, our records do not indicate that we served you. Please do provide more details and I’ll resolve this matter as quickly as possible.
• OR, you do something like this if your customer: Hello Mrs Margaret, we are sad to hear that you had a negative experience. As our valued customer, we are here for you, and we are ready to remedy this issue as quickly as possible. Simply reach me personally here (CONTACT DETAILS) and I’ll make sure to resolve this matter. Once again thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We are looking forward to serving you exceptionally.

Surely this is just a sample reply for you to consider. Whether you are a small business owner or a large company, if you do out-source your online marketing or have hired social media managers, make sure they are on the same wavelength as your business mission and customer service policies. The worse thing I see is businesses trying to save money hiring those who can not speak English properly OR can speak but do not understand the culture.

G’Day Mate, are you fair dinkum? Bob’s your uncle/Fanny’s your aunt. These aren’t just slangs but rather deeper understanding of your customer if they are located in Australia or UK. Either train your social media managers better or hire professionals like RankYa.

Reviews Provide a Social Proof for the Next Potential Customer

Regarding online reviews, always do your best while understanding the lifetime value of a customer, as well as lifetime value of a review.

Getting more Google reviews is the best way to improve your local business review rating to increase to 5 star reviews. That means, if your review rating is below 5 stars, then, to get it back up to 5 stars requires more reviews that are higher in rating value.

Did you know its proven fact that sprinkling the reviews throughout your own website will increase your conversation rates. That means, you can and should copy/paste the reviews throughout your website at strategic positions.

Local Business Review Schema Markup

You can add structured data to your website which includes review count. To learn more visit Review snippet and also see Local Business Markup example for using review markup.