How To Get More Reviews on Google

Marketing is the backbone of any small business. After all, how else are you going to get people talking about your products or services? 

Now, word of mouth is great for the solopreneurs operating locally, but for any small business owner looking to grow, you might want more. As the world digitalizes, virtually every business needs an online strategy — and there’s no better way to build a reputation than Google reviews.

54% of online shoppers in the U.S. read reviews before purchasing anything. Digital.com

Keeping that in mind, reviews are the perfect way to build traction behind your brand because:  

1. They’re user-generated. 
2. They cost virtually nothing.

Jump to:

• 10 Strategies To Get More Reviews on Google

  • 1. Study and Know the Complete Google Review Process for Customers

  • 2. Invest in Review Software To Simplify Reputation Management

  • 3. Create a Direct Link for Customers and Make It Visible

  • 4. Develop a Landing Page or Review Button for Google on Your Website

  • 5. Ask for a Review In-person if a Customer Verbally Expresses Positive Experience

  • 6. Provide Service Incentives to Customers Who Leave an Online Review

  • 7. Send a Follow-up Email to Customers With a Review Request

  • 8. Start an Email Campaign and Reach Out To Loyal Customers First

  • 9. Monitor Your Google Reviews and Reply to Reviews When You Can

  • 10. Flag Inappropriate Reviews or Fake Reviews

• Prevent the Headache of Customer Reviews With an Online Reputation Management Platform

10 Strategies To Get More Reviews on Google

Source: Trustpulse

The benefits of reviews are boundless, but there’s still work to do. Here are the top 10 tips to help you generate positive Google reviews for your website and manage your customer relationships throughout.

1. Study and Know the Complete Google Review Process for Customers

First things first — you need to know how to set up Google reviews for your business.

When people search locally, you want all roads to lead to you. We’ve all been there. Maybe you're looking for the closest coffee shop, searching for “plumbers near me” or the “best landscapers” in areas X, Y, or Z. What you’ll usually notice is that all of the top searches have a ton of reviews.

Is it because these are the best of the best when it comes to your options? Maybe. It's more likely, however, that these businesses simply followed Google’s guidelines and are being rewarded for it.

Source: Honeypot Marketing

Google specifies a few key steps for business owners to get started. The most important of these are to:

• Verify your business profile. This will help you appear on Google Maps, Google Search, and other Google engines to help your local searchability.
• Make sure the business description accurately matches up. It should contain a little about your history, what you do, and what makes your business different than the rest.
• Add a direct link from your website to let customers create reviews easily. If they struggle to find where to leave a review, they're less likely to do so.
• Manage all reviews by responding to each on a continued basis. Customers who leave reviews and those who read them like to see that a business engages with — and responds to — reviews.

Now, on to how to get more Google business reviews.

2. Invest in Review Software To Simplify Reputation Management

Working with specialized software like GoSite Reviews will make managing your reputation as easy as you like. Plus, it’s low cost. For as little as $10 per month, you can start collecting customer feedback and building your credibility.

The aim of any good reputation management solution is to help you attract new customers faster with no technical skills required.

Source: GoSite Reviews

Review software automates tedious processes and integrates with your existing systems. Best of all, you can manage and respond to your reviews from a single, user-friendly dashboard. Thank happy customers for their glowing reviews, troubleshoot issues for anyone who had a negative experience, and establish your reputation as an honest, trustworthy business — without having to hire a full-time customer experience agent.

3. Create a Direct Link for Customers and Make It Visible

As Google summarizes in its review principles, you need to create a link for customers to review your business. Otherwise, why would they make the effort? The job of a good business owner is to remove the pain points customers are experiencing, and the same goes for reviews. Creating Google reviews should be quick, easy, and painless for anyone who interacts with your business.

Luckily, your Google reviews link is easy to find. To generate a direct link for your customers, sign into your Google business account and do the following:

• Select "Home."
• Click on "Get More Reviews."
• Copy and paste the resulting link wherever you want.

Piece of cake! Grab that customer review link and start blending it into your different lines of communication.

There are plenty of ways you can encourage Google reviews. Invoicing a receipt by email? Send your client a message of gratitude and kindly ask them to rate their service and experience. Already using testimonials or reviews as a reputation builder on your website? Add the option for all visitors to give their two cents. Recently ran an ad campaign on social media? Then it’s time to make a post with your review URL. 

4. Develop a Landing Page or Review Button for Google on Your Website

Once you’ve got visitors arriving on your website, it’s time to snag some reviews. A customary strategy is to ask your customers to leave feedback after they’ve made a purchase with you. You can also wait until the products are shipped or the job’s done to redirect your customer and encourage them to rate your service via Google reviews.

Even if you don’t have e-commerce set up, don’t fret. You can still get reviews — and attract more customers. Use your website as a point of information and create a designated page for leaving reviews. Share your Google review link through Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, email, and other active channels. Pick whichever line of communication you feel is most appropriate and go with it.

5. Ask for a Review In-person if a Customer Verbally Expresses Positive Experience

The moment you’ve been waiting for, handed to you on a platter. There’s no better way to start building Google reviews fast than by asking satisfied customers. Even more so when it’s in person. All it takes is popping in a few words of appreciation and letting them know how much it can help your business if they take the time to leave a review on Google. For more info, check out GoSite's template which will help you master how to ask for Google reviews.

Usually, your clients will happily oblige.

A 2019 study by GlobalWebIndex found that 47% of those with access to the internet consistently review products and services online. This means that many of your customers are already planning on giving their opinion online, even before you ask.  

6. Provide Service Incentives to Customers Who Leave an Online Review

Another way to encourage your customers to leave a review is to sweeten the deal. This could be a monetary incentive, say a $5 discount on their next purchase, or an entry into a raffle.

Another method would be simply asking for Google reviews relating to product improvements. If you’re working with recurring customers, they may like to see some aspects improved or a brand-new service developed. 

By no means does this approach need to be crafted as a promotion or sales pitch. Your best bet is to avoid spammy content and keep it short and sweet. It's important to note that this one is not recommended by Google, possibly because the reviews come across as less genuine.

7. Send a Follow-up Email to Customers With a Review Request

Somewhere along the way, it's highly likely that you acquired your customer's email. Let's put it to use. 

Reaching out after your customer has made a purchase with you can set you up for some extra reviews. You can even organize emails so that they’re sent automatically after purchases. You can confirm the details of an order and send a receipt, and it’s a nice excuse to ask for a review. 

Source: Reviews.io

Organize your email template and add a note: “If you could spare 60 seconds, we’d love to hear your feedback! You can leave a review right here,” or something similar at the bottom.

8. Start an Email Campaign and Reach Out To Loyal Customers First

Loyal customers are your most powerful ally. Any communication with them should avoid being pushy or sounding like someone reading from a standard script. 

If you have built up a customer base already or have some first-time clients who were happy with your service, these are great people to reach out to as well. You can ask for reviews and maybe even grab a testimonial from those pleased with the service they received from your business.

The trick is to be honest, express thanks for the business they have given you so far, and let them know that these reviews help you build awareness and improve services for others to come.

This technique is going to be most effective for those that are beginning to grow their businesses to the next stage. It helps with your Google reviews conquest and builds closer connections. You’ll get recognition for care toward the customer experience.

9. Monitor Your Google Reviews and Reply to Reviews When You Can

It's crucial to get reviews, and it's equally important to follow up with your clients. 

The benefits are two-fold. It shows that your business is actually interested in its clients. Potential customers considering buying from you could search for reviews before making a purchase. When they see you have hands-on customer support ready to respond to customers quickly, they're going to view your business more favorably.

Your replies also resonate with those who left the review because it demonstrates acknowledgment and appreciation on your behalf. If there is a case where you have been left a negative review, you can follow up with the client and aim to address their disappointment. See if there’s anything that can remedy the bad experience, and your efforts to manage reviews will be noticed. 

Failing to respond to reviews, especially negative ones, can hurt your business growth. Over 50% of customers will avoid a business that does not answer reviews, while almost 90% of people are more interested in a business if it does respond. 

10. Flag Inappropriate Reviews or Fake Reviews

After putting in the hard work to gather more customer reviews, the last thing you want to see is fake reviews aiming to tarnish your reputation. By actively addressing all reviews that are left for your product or service, you can make sure that no bad actors creep in and reviews are based on actual experiences. 

You do not want your clients running for the exit doors before they even get to know your business. The one fake review that grabs the megaphone can sound alarm bells for potential buyers. Address bad reviews and fake reviews early so that possible customers can see that customer service is integral to your brand. 

Source: Local U

Working to get reviews isn’t easy at the start, but there will be a multiplier effect when you add in a bit of strategy. Soon enough, you will have plenty of positive reviews from customers and see the benefits of that growth.

Prevent the Headache of Customer Reviews With an Online Reputation Management Platform

It doesn’t just get the word out about your business when you have positive reviews. It also improves your SEO ranking. The more bright and cheery reviews, the more likely you are to appear in Google’s top search results. 

Of course, it does take a lot of work — especially when you’re operating solo or with a small team. Using an automated tool like GoSite removes the hassle of these tasks for small business owners and entrepreneurs.