If you have a business, you should have a Google My Business page set up. This page allows potential customers to find you, access your website, learn your operating hours, and see a list of services or products you offer. Your Google My Business page also allows your customers to leave reviews, which are one of the most important ways to continue to grow your customer base and build brand trust. Having a constant stream of reviews will allower potential customers to get a first hand account of what working with your business was like for other customers. Over 60% of buyers read Google reviews before making a purchase decision. Don’t miss out on potential customers by not keeping your reviews up to date.
How Do Google Reviews Work?
Google reviews can be left by anyone with a Google account on any business’s Google listing. Unless they are removed, any potential customer can read the reviews left for your business. They can be sorted in order of date, or star ranking. As a business owner, you can also respond to your reviews and thank customers for their patronage, or clear up any misunderstandings.
Why are Google Reviews Important?
In today’s digital age, the traditional method of “word of mouth” client acquisition has become almost obsolete. People take to social media platforms to share their experiences and get recommendations instead of asking a friend or neighbor more than ever before. Google reviews allow people to skip the crowd sourcing aspect of asking for recommendations and go directly to a search engine. Think about how many times you’ve looked at the rating for a product; shoppers do the same thing for all types of businesses. In fact, 49% of buyers trust online reviews as much as they would a recommendation from a friend or family member.
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Google Reviews Help Build Brand Credibility
The more positive reviews your listing has, the more people will begin to trust your business. Consumers often read reviews before they decide to even visit a business, which means that a high number of good reviews will bring more people in the door.
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Google Reviews Help You Receive Important Feedback
In a perfect world, every review that gets left for your business is a 5 star review. Unfortunately, less than perfect reviews sometimes happen. As a business owner, receiving the feedback on what could have been improved will only help your business in the long run. On the other hand, reviews that reinforce what you are currently doing is working will help you continue to grow your business.
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Google Reviews Will Help Your SEO and Search Engine Rankings
If you have a substantial number of good reviews, Google’s algorithm will match your business to people searching for you, which helps you rank higher. In turn, buyers find your business page before your competitors.
How Are Google Reviews Managed?
You can always manually check your Google My Business account to read and respond to reviews. Or, you can set up an automated review management system that allows you to save time and never miss a review. Automated review systems will allow you to ask customers to leave a review. Sending a follow-up message of thanks asking for a review will help you continue to increase your online presence and build brand trust. An automated review system will also generate responses to positive reviews, since Google also monitors whether you respond to all reviews or not. Requesting reviews and responding to them in a timely manner is the best way to ensure your business’s page performs to Google’s constantly evolving standards, and an automated process is the best way to get this done.
If you’re ready to make your business listing stand out among your competitors, boosting your Google reviews is a great way to start. Not only will it improve your business listing’s search engine visibility, but it will help you build trust with potential customers. Integrating an automated review process that is quickly monitored by Kymera’s team of experts will help you maintain your page with ease. Contact us today to get started.
