If you are a local business owner, the importance of Google reviews showing up on GMB cannot be overstated. Not only does having a presence on GMB lend credibility to your business, but it can also increase your visibility to potential customers and drive targeted traffic to your website.

Source: GMB

In this article, we will review the importance of Google reviews displaying on your GMB and the reasons why they may not be appearing during Google searches. 

It should also be noted that Google My Business is phasing towards the terminology of Google Business profile. You will find both terms used interchangeably throughout this article. 

Google My Business Listing Issues

For example, if you contact a plumber to have them fix some issues in your house, you would expect a prompt response. It is a similar expectation that customers have regarding Google reviews. They want to see what others say about your business. 

However, Google My Business reviews can sometimes be a little mysterious. Why do some reviews show up and others don’t? What if someone leaves a review but you can’t see it? 

Below are some explanations for navigating the nuances of Google My Business reviews.

1. Review marked as spam.

If a review is marked as spam, it will not appear on your listing. 

The cause of this could be due to the fact that Google’s algorithm may mark certain words as spam. Also, if there is too much keyword stuffing in the content of the review, Google might flag it. 

The review may also disappear if users mark it as inappropriate.

2. Review had a link with a URL.

Another common reason why online reviews may not be appearing is if the review contains a URL. Google may flag this as spam or a promotional content meant to detract loyal customers. 

The Google’s support team has a eye for detail on such areas and will automatically remove reviews, no matter the high star rating, if this occurs. 

3. The review is not authentic.

It is important to ensure that all Google reviews are authentic. This is because some businesses exploit the review process by offering incentives to customers in return for positive reviews. This is a breach of Google’s terms and conditions, and the business may lose access to their Google account if they post fake reviews.

This can be done in many different ways, but it is a very common occurrence in industries where there is a lot of competition. For example, an electrician might offer a discount or some other incentive to customers who leave them positive reviews. The problem with doing this is that the reviews are not honest, and this could result in problems for the business in the long run.

In order to prevent this from happening, Google has introduced new algorithms into its search engine which will filter out reviews that it determines to be fake or not genuine.

4. The review is from a third-party site.

In the past, Google would import reviews from other platforms like Yelp and Facebook. If you are looking to display reviews from another website, this is no longer a possibility as Google has stopped importing them. 

However, you can sometimes find customer feedback from other sites in the section of the Google panel called “Reviews around the Web.” However, these are determined by the algorithm and it is unclear the impact it has on local SEO as well. 

5. The review is private or has been deleted.

If a customer’s Google review is private, it won’t show up in the business listing at all. If it is public but has been deleted, the content of the review will be removed from the business listing itself. Deleted and private reviews do not have an effect on the star rating for the business, nor do they affect a listing’s position in local rankings.

When a review is left as “private,” this means that only the person who left it can see it unless they share their profile with someone else. Reviewers often choose to make them private if they believe that a negative review could come across as too harsh, or if they want to go into more detail than allowed in a public review.

If a customer has chosen to delete their Google review, then there is no way to recover it or any of its content. Even if a reviewer chooses to change their mind and re-publish their deleted opinion, there is no way for business owners to restore their original thoughts and edit out the replacement text so that both versions are visible. No matter what, there will only be one visible version of that review.

6. Google disabled reviews temporarily.

This can happen in several situations, including if Google suspects there is spam involved with the reviews. It can also happen due to violations of Google’s terms of service.

Most recently, Google disabled reviews during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic since the company itself had a smaller team working on review management. Reviews posted beforehand still showed up, however. 

If this happens for your business, no need to worry! You can always give your business proper attribution by adding a local page to your website or business listing. This will let customers know exactly how to find you and what services you offer. 

7. Listing information was inaccurate or outdated.

It’s important for local business owners to keep their information up-to-date on their Google My Business platform, and if the information is incorrect or out of date, it can cause issues with how your customers see you. Your listing may not show up on Google Maps or other search results and may not be updated in real-time.

This can happen if your business name has changed since you created your listing and you haven’t updated it yet. Either way, it’s integral you review your listing information periodically and make sure it is correct correct so that customers will be able to find you when they conduct local searches.

8. New location of the same business.

If you have a new business location, a Google review may not be showing up on the map. The old reviews will still show up under your name on the business listing, but new reviews won’t display until you verify your location.

This can make it look like previous reviewers are talking about a different company than yours, so it’s important to let previous customers know that they’ll need to leave another review once they find you in the new area. Don’t worry, previous reviews will still count toward your overall rating!

9. The listing is inactive.

Like most things on the Internet, business information is subject to change. Operating hours could vary or you may have new updates about the services you offer for customers. Forgetting to update your GMB listing with these details could lead to inactivity and have a negative impact on your reputation management. 

A Google listing can also be inactive for many reasons: if there was an error associated with the original submission (such as a typo in the address), if it was reported for violating Google review policy, or if the business itself deleted it—or shut down altogether.  

10. Duplicate listing.

One common reason for missing reviews is if you have a duplicate listing for your business.

When two or more businesses have the same name in the same city, Google will often create a new listing just for those duplicates. This happens because they assume that they’re dealing with different businesses. 

If your business has duplicate listings, you can delete them directly from your GMB dashboard or report them on Google Maps to the support team so they can be removed. You can prevent this from happening altogether by verifying your Google business.

11. Brand new listing.

If you are a brand new business that has only recently created a Google My Business account, missing Google reviews is completely natural. 

A customer may be excited to leave a review for you on your Google My Business listing, but it will deter them if they cannot find your listing.

In such cases, you should know that their positive feedback may end up being invisible until the number of ratings and reviews for your page are high enough. Ensure that the listing has had time to gather some reviews and ratings so it will appear in search results. 

Normally, this will happen after a few weeks. If you’re in a rush to appear in search results, consider asking customers who are happy with what you’ve done to write a review on their own listings so it shows up more quickly.

12. Google outages.

Although this is incredibly rare, it’s possible that Google itself had an outage or server errors at the time of a review being submitted. This could lead to a delay in reviews going live and the review may not show up right away. 

In this case, the best thing you can do is wait before a star review becomes visible. The Google Support team sometimes examine the review from their end during these instances. 

Manage your Google Business reviews with Signpost

Looking to manage reviews on your Google Business page, but sick of combing through them one by one? Signpost is here to help. 

With Signpost, you can take control of your online reputation, separate the real reviews from the fake ones, and respond to reviews in a timely manner—all from your business’s dashboard.

If you need review management software for your business without the headache, Signpost is a cost-effective solution. Request a demo today.

Customer reviews are becoming increasingly important for companies that have a lot of sales online. The more Google reviews your business has, the more likely you are to appear organically in search results or Google Maps when someone searches for your service or company name. 

As a business owner, you know that word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most effective ways to get new clients. It’s also true that you can’t control what people say about you—good or bad. That’s why it’s so important to know exactly how much information your potential customers are finding from online sources like Google reviews. 

In this article, we will review how to make those Google star ratings visible on your website. We will also explain why it’s important for you to do so and which pages customer reviews should appear on.

Signpost is used by thousands of small service businesses to build a trusted online reputation with reviews. Let us show you how our review software works.

1. Sign in to the Google account related to your Google Business listing.

The first thing to do when you’re ready to add Google reviews to your website is to sign in to the Google account related to your business’s listing. 

It’s important that this is one specific account (usually the Admin account for that Google My Business listing). 

2. Load your Google business page.

The next step is to load your Google business page. 

If you don’t already have a business page, you can register one from your dashboard. You’ll be asked for some information about your business, including a name and address.

You can load your Google business page directly via the Google Maps search result. Identify the review that you want to display on your website. 

3. Click the “share” icon on the lower right-hand corner of the review.

Once you’ve found the review you would like to display on your site, click on the Share button at the bottom.

4. Click the options arrow on the top right corner.

Since you’re signed into your Google My Business, you will see a menu pop-up. In that menu, click on the options arrow on the top right corner. 

5. Choose “Embed Post” from the menu.

You will get a number of options displayed on how you can go about sharing the business review, such as sharing directly onto social media. 

What you need is the embed code. Click on the option to “Embed Post.”

6. Copy the header code.

Keep in mind that the API for your website works differently compared to directly sharing onto social media platforms. As such, you will need the CSS code which will allow you to embed the testimonials directly onto your homepage or any other page of your preference. 

Copy this code.

7. Open the review page of your website in the editor of your choice.

You can choose from a number of webpages to display your positive reviews, but it’s a good idea to have them displayed on a dedicated webpage that already displays reviews or discusses them. 

Depending on what website design platform you used (like Wix of WordPress), the interface may be different, but no matter the editor, you will need the code. Keep the shortcode handy and open the editor of your preference. 

8. Paste the header code between <head></head> HTML tags on this page.

Once you’ve designed the page on your website (or other site editor), find the place where you would like to display reviews. 

There, make sure you insert the header code you copied between header HTML tags.

9. Copy the content code.

Next, copy the content code. 

This will copy the actual content of the online reviews you want to showcase on your site (the crux of the customer’s feedback).

10. Paste this code wherever you want to display the review.

In the editor that your website uses to publish content, paste the content code into the area of the webpage where you’d like the review to be shown. 

This can be directly under the relevant header code or elsewhere, depending on your design preference. 

Save and publish your work and then you’re done! The codes that GMB gave you will be embedded into your site’s editor and visible to all customers visiting your site, in the hopes of making a purchase decision. 

How to Embed Google Reviews in WordPress

WordPress is a popular website platform, and many WordPress users would like to be able to show their Google reviews on their website. The good news is that you can! 

Just know that the process for embedding is a little different from what you may be used to on Wix, Squarespace and other platforms. 

Here’s how you can go about embedding them into your WordPress website.

Using a WordPress Plugin

1. Look up a Google Reviews plugin of your preference. There are many you can choose from but you can get started with a fairly simple widget like this one by RichPlugins.

2. Download the plugin you’ve identified. It will get downloaded as a WINRAR file.

3. Upload this plugin onto your WordPress website. You can do this by going to the Plugin section on the sidebar. Once it’s uploaded, click on Activate to enable the plugin on your site.

4. Depending on the plugin, the process for creating the widget will change. For example, you may have to create the widget on the plugins page of your site. Some plugins also have their own templates or enable you to add social feeds or display the search engine Maps page.

5. After designing the plugin’s widget as per your preference, you can integrate the widget/plugin on your website by inserting it using the shortcode or directly integrating into the site using WordPress editor’s + option.

6. Publish the changes after confirming them on the page and you’re good to go! Your reviews linked to your Google My Business account will now be visible on your site.

Without a WordPress Plugin

If you don’t want to use a WordPress plugin to embed reviews onto your site, you can use a third-party tool. Each tool will have their own algorithms used to showcase your business profile reviews. 

For example, you would have to manually input your Google Place ID into some of them to retrieve the reviews associated to your business name. 

Some third-party tools for this purpose include TaggBox and EmbedSocial.

Why Businesses Should Display Google Reviews on Their Website

Whether you’re a local business or an eCommerce business, Google Reviews are an immensely valuable resource. Consumers trust other customers’ opinions and feel more confident in purchasing goods and services from companies that have a high rating. Yet many small businesses don’t display their reviews on their website—and as a result, they’re missing out on an opportunity to capture sales they’d otherwise be getting.

There’s no shortage of reasons why local businesses might choose not to display Google Reviews. Many don’t realize that there’s even an option to put Google reviews on their website, or perhaps they don’t know how to do it. Some businesses may feel worried about inadvertently leading customers to negative reviews too.

Here’s why you should consider Google Reviews on your site: 

Google Reviews widget is effective social proof

Have you ever noticed that businesses that have a lot of Google reviews tend to have a larger number of people on their website? The reason behind this is simple: websites and Google reviews work together as effective social proof.

It’s one thing for a business to say, “We’re the best, come check us out.” It’s another when customers can say it for them. Reviews on a business’s website is equivalent to having a large number of your friends telling your potential customers how great you are.

SEO Performance

When people read your business’s Google reviews, they’ll get a feel for whether your company produces good work. 

Additionally, Google reviews help increase traffic to your website by boosting its SEO performance.

Businesses who have taken advantage of this have seen their online presence improve dramatically, and Google is actively encouraging businesses to do it more. Your business will definitely benefit from displaying your Google reviews on your website.

Increase conversions

Having positive reviews on your website can be the difference between a site visitor saying “Yes!” and “No thanks.”

By displaying these reviews on your site, you’re making it that much easier for new visitors to learn about your business and what you have to offer, and giving them a chance to interact with people who’ve already been through the experience. 

Customers want to know about your company’s reputation and experience before they spend their money on you, and Google Reviews give them a great way to do that.

Automate gathering Google reviews with Signpost

Whether you run a plumbing, electrical, contracting business, or any other type of home service business, the last thing you want to worry about is bad reviews. If you’re like most business owners, you don’t have time to comb through your reviews on a daily basis and respond personally to each one.

That’s where Signpost comes in. We’ve taken all the hard work out of collecting Google reviews for local businesses by automating the entire process. By integrating our software and enabling just a few features, we take care of everything from start to finish—from asking customers for reviews via email or text message, to making sure they rate your business on Google. 

We even provide you with analytics about your performance over time so you can see which marketing strategies are working and which ones aren’t.

If you need review management software for your business without the headache, Signpost is a cost-effective solution. Schedule your demo today.

What is Google My Business?

Did you know that the average business is found in over 1,000 searches per month? Google search and local SEO are absolutely integral to a business’s marketing strategy. This is where Google My Business comes in.

Google My Business is Google’s free tool for businesses of all sizes, including large corporations and local businesses. With a GMB account, businesses can make the best of their online presence by creating better local search strategies, tapping into Google reviews, and displaying their business location on Google Maps. 

How Does Google Determine Local Ranking?

Google’s algorithm incorporates several ranking factors for search engine results. Whether you’re looking to rank higher by showcasing customer reviews, pop up in relevant searches to prospective customers, or ramp up your digital marketing game, understanding how Google determines local rankings is important. 

Here are the three main factors that Google takes into account: 

• Relevance: How relevant is your business to the keywords? Does it fit what the customer is looking for? If yes, your business name and other business information will appear in local search results.
• Distance: If customers in the vicinity are looking for a nearby business to fulfill their needs, you can link your GMB listing to Google Maps. This will allow new customers to find you. This strategy is especially beneficial for local home service businesses such as plumbers, electricians, and HVAC contractors.

• Prominence: The more social media presence and online PR your business has, the higher Google will rank it. This doesn’t mean using a trick like duplicate listings. If you want your business to rank in a search query, making your brand and offering prominent will improve your search engine optimization.

GET MORE GOOGLE REVIEWS

Uncover 20 hacks to get more reviews for your listings in a flash!

How to Improve Your Google My Business Ranking

Are you ready to make the best of your Google My Business page? Here are seven easy ways you can optimize your GMB listing and improve its ranking.

1. Enter complete data and regularly update key information

You have to keep your Google My Business profile up to date in order to really reap the platform’s benefits. Ensure that all your information is prominently displayed on the local search results panel for your business and take special care to keep it updated through your Google My Business dashboard. 

This includes your:

• Business name
• Phone number
• Address
• Website (linking to your homepage)
• Hours of operation
• Business categories

2. Ensure your GMB listing is on Google Maps

Did you know that U.S. businesses get 26% of their views from Maps-based results?

Your GMB listing(s) are automatically added to Google Maps! Potential customers may be searching for your business through Google Maps, and having it listed (and with the most updated and accurate information) can help them find you easier.

3. Verify and claim your business listing(s)

Continuing from the previous step, you should ensure you verify your business listing. Google usually requests verification during account creation as well as when any critical information updates are added. 

Verifying your business will automatically make it more authentic among its competitors and help boost its appearance on SERPs (search engine result pages).

As an added step, consider getting your business Google Guaranteed. This is not a free opportunity, but getting that green badge helps gain customers’ trust and gives you that extra credibility.

4. Add high-quality photos to your business listing(s)

Business listings that have photos are considered doubly more reputable and can drive 35% more clicks than those that don’t. 

The average GMB listing has 11 photos. This can significantly help local businesses or home-service businesses appear more legitimate and trustworthy to local searchers. 

By fostering authenticity, you can motivate more potential customers to engage with your business. After all, every picture is worth a thousand words. 

5. Set up a Q&A section

Through the GMB tool, you can also invite anyone to submit questions about your business listing. Both business owners and the general community can answer these questions. 

Pro-tip: Always check in for new questions, and answer them as soon as you can. This also helps avoid the risk of someone else answering the question with false information. Furthermore, the more actively you answer these questions, the stronger the ranking signal you’re feeding into the Google algorithm. 

6. Regularly post on your business profile (announcements, offers, events, etc.)

As with social media, you can provide updates to your customers through your Google My Business profile. This can be anything from a general announcement, seasonal offers or discounts, blog posts, and more! 

To make the best of your posts, make sure you: 

• Post consistently (certain post types expire every week, so regular engagement is vital)
• Align your marketing campaigns with your posts for better traction
• Include links and calls to action (CTAs) to drive more customers to your business

Posts appear as “Updates” at the bottom of your Business Profile panel. They can also appear on Maps-based results. 

7. Generate reviews and respond to them

90% of your customers are out on the Internet, reading reviews before engaging with a business. Google is also aware that reviews are the primary influence on consumer purchases.

There is no better publicity than the positive word-of-mouth your own customers can give you. Your listing can show both positive reviews and negative reviews. It’s up to your business to drive as many 5-star ratings as possible. 

You learned how to improve your Google ranking. Now what?

Uncover the top 20 hacks to get more reviews for your business in a flash!

Signpost is used by thousands of small service businesses to build a trusted reputation online with reviews. Let us show you how our review software works.

Maximize Your Business’s Reach with Signpost

Creating a Google My Business profile is a one-stop-shop for managing your business visibility on the world’s most popular search engine. 

Through GMB, you can maximize your online presence, attract more customers, and engage with your existing customers through a steady flow of reviews. 

Sounds too complicated? We have you covered. 

At Signpost, we help small businesses drive engagement and customer loyalty through automated marketing campaigns and also by making the best of their reviews. We can help you boost your business’s online rankings and get you to the spot you deserve. 

Get started with us today!

The competition is high in today’s digital environment; this is true even for small and local businesses. Business owners today have a lot more to worry about than local advertisements and spreading word-of-mouth. 

Online reviews are just as important to look into and prioritize.

In fact, 9 out of 10 customers read online reviews before ever deciding to make a purchase. These negative and positive reviews can drive a significant impact on a small business owner’s bottom line.

Two platforms that help businesses generate online reviews and improve their reputation are Google My Business and Yelp. 

In this article, we’ll break down the different features of these review platforms and what you can do to make the best of them both!

If you need review management software for your business without the headache, Signpost is a cost-effective solution. Start a demo today.

Yelp in Review

What is Yelp? How powerful is it? 

Consider Yelp the “Facebook” of review sites. Yelp is considered one of the most popular review sites for service-based businesses like plumbers, electricians, and contractors. (This Yelp report shows that local home service businesses are tied for the most reviewed category on the platform!)

Yelp has a hyper-focus on local businesses, allowing nearby customers to find and patronize businesses.

Its community users, called “Yelpers”, can post good reviews, photos, ratings, and engage with other potential customers to help them find a suitable business for their needs. 

How does Yelp work?

Yelp is fairly straightforward to navigate and use. As a business, you can set up a profile on Yelp for free and start engaging with new and existing customers. 

You can display your business information on the platform, including details of your services, hours of operation, contact information, and where you are on the map! Customers that are interested in your business or have already engaged with it can then contact you directly for questions, rates, and provide business reviews of your services. 

Don’t forget to claim your business listing on Yelp if you haven’t already!

Ad potential and costs

On Yelp, you also have the chance to boost your online reputation and awareness by buying Yelp ads. You can display your business more prominently on the site by choosing an ad package with the review company. 

Yelp ads start anywhere from $150/month and can get up to $1,200/month, depending on your business’s needs. Yelp reports a reach potential for 3x more customers when your business spends $200 to $1,200 a month.

To make the best of a Yelp ad campaign and really nail your audience targeting, some users report spending a higher budget.

Removing and managing reviews

If you feel that your business has received fake reviews that are damaging your business’s reputation, you can flag them for removal by clicking on the flag icon at the bottom of the review. 

Select the reason for removal and submit your request.

If valid, Yelp moderators will accept your removal request! It’s that simple.

Yelp Pros and Cons

Thinking of getting those five-star reviews on Yelp? Here are the pros and cons:

Pro: Yelp is #1 platform customers use to view reviews 

Today, reviews are practically synonymous with Yelp. Yelp is the go-to platform for customers seeking reviews, boasting over 224 million reviews on the platform!

Pro: Customers can order services directly on the platform

Customers can directly get in touch with your business through the Yelp platform, driving more sales engagement. Customers can schedule appointments directly on the platform or even view your business’s certifications and licenses.

Con: Paid presence on Yelp is a long-term commitment 

To make the best of your Yelp ads, you have to be willing to invest more time and money in your ad campaigns.

Con: Businesses can collect negative reviews without ever being claimed on Yelp

The review algorithm tends to be unpredictable and may display fake and negative reviews at the top of your business’s page. Even if your business page isn’t claimed, it may still gain negative reviews from Yelp users, making it more challenging for your overall reputation management.

Sign up for a demo today, and see why thousands of local contractors love Signpost!
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All About Google Reviews

What are Google Reviews? How powerful are they? 

As the world’s most powerful search engine, it’s no surprise that Google dominates not just in the effectiveness of its Google search and optimization features, but also in its review platform for businesses. 

Google is one of the top review sites for businesses of all types, attracting monthly traffic of nearly 160 million users per month. 

If you want to make the best of your digital marketing efforts, creating a Google My Business profile is essential. 

How do Google Reviews work?

Once you create your Google My Business profile, create your business listing. This process includes connecting your business with Google Maps in order to make your services more accessible to potential customers in your community. 

Through both Google searches and Google Maps results, both existing and new customers can view your business’s reviews, read feedback left by customers, and even view related pictures and comments. 

If you wish to respond and interact directly with these reviews, it’s necessary to claim your listing and have your business verified on the GMB platform. 

Ad potential and costs

With Google, you get a lot more variety and choice for your ads. You can choose from many ad formats, including text and video ads, responsive ads, app promotion, and more! Yelp has less variety in comparison, but may be more effective with regard to user intent and targeting.

This comparison is driven by Yelp users who already represent a specific demographic that may be more relevant to local businesses. Google, on the other hand, is a universal and global platform.

Google ads, however, are more affordable. Its ad campaigns are designed so that your business pays the lowest cost per click by adopting a smart pricing system. If a click/ad is less likely to convert a customer for you, it’s priced lower. 

The average CPC you can expect to pay is $2.69 for searches and $0.63 for display ads.

Removing and managing reviews

Similar to Yelp, businesses have the option to request the removal of Google reviews they feel are fake, aggressive, or malicious. You can request removal by flagging the review through your GMB account. 

It’s important that you only flag reviews that violate Google’s policies and not simply ones that you disagree with (for example, containing negative but authentic feedback).

Google Reviews Pros and Cons

Before you get started with Google reviews, here are the benefits and disadvantages to know!

Pro: Advantageous for local SEO/Google Maps integration

A search engine and review platform in one, you can drive more value from your GMB profile. Two birds with one stone!

Pro: Google exposure and high traffic 

Google targets a global customer base and has high volumes of traffic due to its prominence as the top search engine. This can provide your business comparatively more exposure. 

Con: Users don’t have to leave any comments with their star rating

Users aren’t required to provide text-based comments or feedback on their reviews. This can lead to misleading reviews or ratings without any context, altering customer perceptions more easily. 

Con: Reports of difficult/challenging user interface (difficult to edit business profiles)

It’s not as easy for both customers and businesses to navigate through reviews. It can also be more difficult for customers to find your business listing on Google, as compared to Yelp. This is especially true if you have more than one business location.

Signpost is used by thousands of small service businesses to build a trusted reputation online with reviews. Let us show you how our review software works.

Our Final Verdict 

The debate of Google vs. Yelp reviews rages on. Our opinion?

Leverage both.

As a local business, you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket (or in this case, a review platform). Your local customers may be looking to connect with you across a multitude of platforms. Remaining accessible to them across these can drive customer engagement and maximize your chances of landing a new customer.

It’s time to embrace review sites and claim your listings, grow your 5-star reviews, and engage with your customers head-on!

If this sounds challenging to you, don’t worry. We’ve got your back. 

Work with Signpost and leverage our trusted review management service. We’re here to help you take your business reputation to the next level. By working with us, you can better track your reviews, reply to them on a timely basis, and grow your online presence by leaps and bounds. 

Book a demo with us today!

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Did you know that the average business is found in 1,009 Google searches per month?

Business owners who aren’t leveraging a Google My Business listing are missing out on a goldmine opportunity when it comes to their digital marketing efforts. 

Google My Business allows businesses, whether they’re local businesses or even big corporations, to better position themselves online in front of both potential customers and existing customers.

By creating a Google My Business account, you can display valuable business information, including your business name, business location via Google Maps, your online reviews, and important contact information.

Small businesses, in particular, can take advantage of their GMB listing to not only boost their search engine optimization (SEO) ranking through Google’s algorithm but also take their customer engagement to the next level. 

Keep reading to find out how to make the best out of your Google My Business profile!

Service businesses of all sizes use Signpost to win more business, communicate with customers, and drive loyalty. Start your demo today.

Here’s Why Businesses Everywhere Should Be Using Google My Business

• Increases your business’s visibility: People make over 3.5 billion Google searches every day. By creating a GMB account, you can tap into a market of customers that are online and gain more exposure.

   

• Keeps your customer base informed about your business: You can use your GMB account to provide potential and existing customers relevant information they need to get started with you. With GMB, customers can find your location, phone number, special promotions, and more.

• Boost local SEO: Creating a GMB account allows your business to be found by local users searching for your service(s). Take it a step further by tracking what people are searching for, how they got to your listing, and target relevant niches through Google My Business Insights.

   

• Engage with new and existing customers through reviews: Be it negative reviews or positive ratings, you can directly navigate feedback and conversations with your target audience, allowing you to better manage your online reputation and customer retention.

   

• Improve business practices with gained insight: Through Google Analytics, you can sift through valuable data on the customer journey, their desires, and even how you fare against competitors that will guide your overall business strategy.

   

• Gain more leads and boost sales: Online marketing optimization is made possible thanks to GMB. Through your GMB profile, you can target the kind of customers you wish to attract and gain more high-quality conversions.

How to Get Started on Google My Business

Google My Business is a free tool to use! You can claim your business and manage your listings at no cost by signing up here. 

Google also released a mobile app to make it easier for businesses to manage their listings and other functions on the go through a mobile device. This is available for both iOS and Android devices.

So, how can you get started and make the best of search engine results, online reviews, and get in tune with new features? Follow these steps:

1. Sign up for an account

First things first: Head to the homepage for Google My Business!

You can easily sign up by clicking the blue “Manage now” button.

If your business is already listed on Google, the first thing you want to do is to claim it and link it to your own GMB profile.

2. Enter your essential business details and information

The next thing you want to do is enter all the critical details about your business. This includes the industry, business category, contact information, location, business hours, and more.

You can do this by navigating through the Google My Business dashboard. On the left-hand side of the screen, click on the “Info” tab.

Ensure you are verifying and cross-checking all the information you enter. Make sure your GMB info and website info is accurate, up to date, and match. This is especially the case for your contact information—your business name, address, and phone number (NAP). 

The last thing you want is a prospect dialing a dead-end number or for their phone call to go to the wrong business. 

Pro-tip: A business’s NAP is more important than you may think. Consistent NAPs not only help solidify your business’s credibility, but improve your organic search rankings.

3. Verify your business

Once your account is created, it’s time for you to verify the listing. 

For Google to know that your business is up and running and legitimate, Google requires verification. You can go about this in a few different ways (email, a phone call, video chat, or even by mail).

Google sends a verification code to you through the opted medium, which you are required to enter into Google My Business. If you opt for a slower option, like mail, it can take up to 14 days to receive and verify. 

4. Optimize your profile by adding images, generating reviews, and more.

Google My Business goes beyond just providing the basic contact information for customers to find your business. GMB provides the opportunity to really showcase your work, your reviews, your authority, and more! 

Here are some ways your business can optimize its profile to perform better on Google:

• Add pictures of your location (if applicable), work, storefront, and even staff. These will show up on Google searches and Maps, adding authenticity to your business online. 
• Answer questions from your customers! (A Q&A section can also free up your phone lines by providing quick and accessible answers online.)
• Respond to all online reviews (yes, even the negative ones). 
• Run Google Ads or Google Local Services campaigns.
• Enable SEO optimization to drive improvements in local search.
• Publish regular Google posts to your profile to stay relevant and connect with your audience.

Bonus: Get Google Guaranteed/Google Screened

Want to go the extra mile? Get Google Guaranteed!

Google Guarantee is a special service, specifically catering to local and service area businesses, such as plumbers and contractors, to support and verify their growth while helping customers steer clear of fraudulent providers.

Keep in mind that getting Google Guaranteed is not a free opportunity, but tied to an ad program. If your business decides to get Google Guaranteed, your listing will receive a green check-mark next to its name when it appears on search results, including on the local packs, as shown above.

Why is this beneficial? It can improve your lead generation, boost your rankings, and attract more customers who build trust in your business from the get-go. 

Using Google My Business on an Ongoing Basis

Google My Business is not a one-and-done task that you can set up and forget about. To really reap the benefits and grow your returns from the platform, you have to be consistent and diligently manage your account.

Here are some tips on how to make sure your GMB account stays up to date and continues to support your business’s growth:

• Keep your business hours up to date (including specialty hours/holidays/etc.).
• Ensure that all photos are up to date and accurate. This includes updates for any brand logo changes, store remodels, new locations or branches, etc. (Take special consideration for your cover photo. This is the first representation most customers will see of your business!)
• Read and respond to all the reviews you receive, even if they’re not positive reviews.
• Leverage Google Insights/Analytics to mine important customer data and continuously transform your digital marketing strategy.
• Update your call to action. Are you having a sale? Is there an ongoing promotion? Do you want more email addresses? Update your CTA according to the specific strategy your business might be undertaking!

Signpost is used by thousands of small service businesses to build a trusted reputation online with reviews. Let us show you how our review software works.

Signpost Helps Businesses Manage Their Google Reviews and More 

So, you’ve created a Google My Business page. What next?

You can manage your profile better and keep those search engine rankings high where they belong by partnering with Signpost.

We can help you manage your reviews, automate your marketing across different platforms, and improve your business’s online presence!

Ready to get started?

Book a demo with us today! 

Sign up for a demo today, and see why thousands of local contractors love Signpost!
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If you promote your business on Yelp, Google, Facebook, or HomeAdvisor, you probably ask for customer reviews to fill out your business profile. Nice to have more reviews, right? It may have been a nice stamp of approval in the past. But today, online customer reviews play a much broader role in how customers find your business and how they think about your company brand.

Why Reviews?

As a general rule, your online business presence is an extension of your business brand. How you represent yourself and engage with your customers online is a great indicator of the importance you give to customer service offline. As a result, the many review sites in which your business profile appears are great opportunities for potential customers to learn more about your business. So it’s incredibly important to make sure that on each of these sites, you’re putting your best foot forward. Great reviews can help you:

• Build credibility and trust through social proof
• Get exposure to new customers who are browsing the review sites
• Show your competitive strength or what makes your business different
• Demonstrate your presence in your local community

We can see that having online customer reviews is an important part of building your business brand. But did you know that reviews are also a key to winning new customers?

Start At The Beginning

Let’s start from the beginning of a customer journey. When homeowners are ready to do a painting project, they usually do an online search to find a local painting contractor.. According to a recent survey, 93% of consumers used the internet to find a local business in the last year, with 34% searching every day. (Bright Local) The review platforms offer a curated list of vetted service providers, but many homeowners start out with Google. You can compare some of the differences of review sites here.

Google Is King

When we search for a local painting contractor on Google and use what is known as a “category search” – like using the terms “house painter” – and we will get the following, from top to bottom: paid ads, the “Google 3 pack,” and organic results.

The Google 3 pack consists of 3 business listings that Google serves up to users, driven by algorithms which remain mysterious to many, but are heavily influenced by customer reviews. In 2015, Google switched from a 7 pack to 3, making it even more competitive for local businesses to be found by consumers. This is just one example of why it’s important to connect with experts who understand these subtle changes in how customers can find you online.

Let’s look more closely at the results, which are in relative proximity to me, the searcher. The first has 11 reviews, with a 4.9 star rating and is closest in proximity. The second has 57 reviews with a 4.9 star rating and a bit further away; and the third which is furthest away, has 91 reviews with a 4.8 star rating.

It’s only when I click on “View All” that I can see that there are many other painting contractors in close proximity to my home that I can choose from. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t take the time or effort to “View All” and may prefer to go with the 3 pack offered up from Google.

Your Google Business Listing

Even in the best scenario when you get a great referral online or even through word of mouth, people still need to find you online. They’ll search by company name and will come across your Google listing. In my search for CertaPro Painters of North San Diego, the business with 91 reviews, I found this:

On the Google business profile, in addition to the Google reviews, it shows “Reviews from the web” which features ratings from other review platforms such HomeAdvisor, Facebook, and Houzz. And immediately below the reviews from the web, Google offers up a sample of live Google reviews for this business. So you can see that reviews are presented at just about every online customer touchpoint.

How Do These Reviews Affect Potential Customers?

Why do reviews take such prime real estate on the Google Business listing? Simply because they play a big role in converting prospective customers into current customers. When we look at how homeowners think and behave, the research shows that reviews are a key factor in their process of selecting a painting contractor. We find that homeowners:

1. Are looking for reviews. A survey found that 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2020. (BrightLocal)
2. Choose businesses based on their rating. (Whitespark Local Search Ranking Factors Survey 2020)
3. Want to see recent reviews. 73% of consumers only pay attention to reviews written in the last month. (BrightLocal)

As a business owner, you need to not only have some customer reviews, but you must have an overall high rating, with a high number of reviews, AND have reviews that are written in the last month. It’s a tall order for many local painting contractors who have enough administrative tasks to deal with already.

How Do Google Reviews Relate to Other Platforms?

As a real-life example, I currently have a home project in which I need to find a local painting contractor. For my own knowledge, I visited HomeAdvisor to see if I would get the same recommendations that I did from Google. After completing the online form, I immediately received one referral that has a total of 12 HomeAdvisor reviews, and it did not appear in my Google search at all. I later received additional referrals which were not easily discovered on Google.

In addition to HomeAdvisor, I also visited Yelp and searched for “house painter.” The Yelp results included one of the businesses shown in the Google 3 pack, with 40 Yelp reviews. And as with Google, the proximity of the business was not the driving factor. Here are the Yelp search results for comparison.

So in my short experiment, it appeared that there may be some natural cross-over on the review sites, but most often it requires intentional planning. As part of a business owner’s marketing plan, they would need to determine where they would like to focus their lead generation efforts by regularly requesting reviews and directing customers to those sites that provide the best business opportunities.

How to Keep a Review Pipeline

Now that we know that you need to get fresh reviews each month to build your online presence, how do you do this regularly? There are a number of ways to do it well, but it takes planning and must be incorporated into your business processes. Our team chatted with an industry expert who shared creative ways to generate more reviews.

You can also download 20 Hacks to Get Reviews which might inspire you to integrate some of these ideas into your operations and make the goal of getting customer reviews into a team sport.

And if you want to exclusively focus on your core business, you can choose to automate the process with apps like Signpost that integrate requests for reviews into regular customer communication.

How to Deal With Negative Reviews

While you may have a healthy number of reviews, it’s not enough to simply collect reviews. Just about every business receives a negative review from time to time. Since reviews are a reflection of your company brand, and your rating influences how customers find you, it’s important to stay on top of and monitor your customer reviews on all sites so that any negative reviews don’t have a serious impact. At Signpost, we created a guide to help contractors respond to negative reviews and help maintain their high ratings.

About Signpost

Signpost is an app built to help local contractors boost their customer communication to get the lead, get the job, and get the review. Our team offers a free assessment of your company’s Google presence and can show you how we’ve helped painting contractors generate more reviews.

About the Author

Christine Stewart-Fitzgerald is a marketing manager at Signpost and passionate about helping local contractors use marketing tools of the trade to boost their business. As the daughter of a builder, she’s no stranger to job sites and in her spare time, she enjoys getting inspired by traveling to faraway places that are full of color and reflect a rich history. Next stop, Morocco…

In fact, customers are willing to spend 31% more on businesses with excellent reviews and five-star ratings.

But what do you when your business receives negative feedback on a public forum frequented by your customers, both old customers and potential buyers?

Believe it or not, feedback removal is an option for your business.

This article uncovers how your business can ask its customers to remove or update negative feedback, so your positive reviews become the main focus on review platforms again.

How to Ask a Customer to Remove a Negative Review or Negative Feedback

Did you know that four out of five consumers change their mind about buying a product or using a service after reading a negative review about it? This is a game-changing statistic for both big and small businesses. Negative reviews can drive a lot of change in customer interactions—and not necessarily the good kind. 

Negative online reviews can not only hurt you financially through the form of reduced sales; they can also cause tension or stress in having to deal with a dissatisfied, sometimes even unpleasant, customer. 

How can your business minimize the damage done by negative or even neutral feedback left on online review sites?

The answer is simple: The best thing your business can do is directly (and politely) ask the customer to remove or update their feedback.

Contact your unhappy customer and be personable. Use their first name and apologize as necessary. You might ask them what went wrong and why they were so dissatisfied with the service provided. Collect insight into their poor customer experience, empathize, and make them feel heard.

Your business’s diligence and extra step to right a wrong may change the customer’s opinion and review. Take advantage of the customers that are willing to engage with you. Assure them that it won’t happen again and politely ask them to update their negative feedback after doing so. Or, your business might “re-do” or provide another (perhaps free of charge or discounted) service that will encourage the customer to update their negative review to a positive one.

Pro-tip: Never make your customers feel pressured to change their reviews or remove feedback. Make sure the tone is friendly and not coercive. Customers should not feel incentivized or threatened to change their reviews.

Depending on the review platform, the strategy and approach your business chooses to take may differ. Keep reading to explore examples of bad customer experiences and how your business can request removal of their negative feedback across these popular platforms: 

• On Facebook

• On Google

• On Yelp

NEED MORE FACEBOOK REVIEWS?

Download our free guide to discover the best ways to get more reviews for your Facebook profile, fast!

Requesting Negative Feedback Removal on Facebook

Facebook has one of the largest online communities and is one of the most popular social networks for consumers and business owners to leverage. A negative review on Facebook can spread quickly and damage your business’s reputation if not appropriately addressed or contained.

Imagine a scenario in which a customer has a terrible experience with one of your business’s employees. The customer then posts about his or her bad experience on your business’s Facebook Business Page. This customer also happens to have hundreds of friends who might see this activity.

Here’s how your business can go about phrasing the communication with them: 

Dear (Customer Name),

We are sorry to hear about your negative experience with our employee. We have taken the necessary action with (him/her) and will ensure this incident does not repeat itself. 

We would like to do everything we can to make this right for you.

We remain committed to our customers and your satisfaction. Please contact us at your earliest convenience so we can find a solution that makes you happy. You can reach us by phone (business phone number) or contact us via email at (business email address).

Following the conflict’s resolution, you can follow up with: 

Hello, (Customer Name),

Thank you so much for being patient with us. We appreciate your feedback and are grateful for your continued business and the opportunity to fix our mistake. Your time is valuable to us, and we would be grateful if you would please consider updating your feedback on our Facebook Page. 

(Insert link) 

Thank you so much, and please contact us any time if you have any questions.

Requesting Negative Feedback Removal on Google

Google is the go-to platform for many consumers who want to find a business and learn more about it. For many, Google is often the first point of research when learning about a business’s location, hours of operation, product pages, pricing, and even if a business accepts specific credit cards.

Needless to say, businesses must manage their online reviews on Google appropriately to ensure their business is being represented positively and accurately.

Imagine a situation where a customer Googles your business in hopes of finding the address and making a visit. (In fact, 86% of customers look up the location of a business online via Google.)

Now imagine how frustrated the customer would be if they found out the Google Maps location is inaccurate or if your business’s hours of operation were listed incorrectly.

(The first thing your business should do is update the information on its Google My Business page.) Right after that, your business should contact the customer who left a bad review because of this silly yet costly business mistake.

Here’s how you can word the email: 

Hi, (Customer Name),

We would like to offer our sincerest apologies for the inaccurate information displayed about (company name) on the Google listing. We have updated the information now and will ensure this does not repeat itself. Our customers’ happiness is our top priority. 

As a gesture of goodwill, we would like to offer you a small discount on your next service. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. We can be reached by phone (business phone number), or you can email us at (business email address).

We look forward to hearing from you!

And as always, don’t forget to follow up with an email kindly requesting them to update their review afterward! That message may look a little something like this: 

Dear (Customer Name), 

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to resolve this issue! We want to again apologize for any inconvenience our mistake might have caused. Your review is really valuable to our business, and we would be grateful if you can please consider updating the review to reflect your most recent experience with our business.

Thank you.

GET MORE GOOGLE REVIEWS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Download our free guide to discover the TOP 20 HACKS to get more reviews for your Google Business profile, fast!

Requesting Negative Feedback Removal on Yelp

Yelp is an online review platform for businesses, both big and small, in all industries. Initially started as an online review platform for restaurants, Yelp has expanded to all industries and transformed the way consumers engage with any business. 

A negative Yelp review scares many business owners. When your business receives a one-star Yelp review and some scathing comments, you have two options to remove them.

The first option only works if the negative review is falsified or from a fake account. If your business determines the negative feedback is false or misleading, the next step is to flag/report the review and allow Yelp to step in. Click on the drop-down menu in the top right corner of the review you want to flag, and click “Report Review”. 

Yelp will determine if the review violates its guidelines and terms of service and may remove the review if so.

If the review is honest but still negative, your business’s second option is to address the customer’s issue and politely request removal or an update.

For example, let’s imagine a customer left a negative rating and feedback criticizing the quality of your business’s service. The customer felt that the service was too slow, disorganized, and felt unheard or taken advantage of.

Here’s a sample template your business might use to address the issue and get the negative online review either deleted or updated to a positive one: 

Dear (Customer Name),

We are terribly sorry to know you are unsatisfied with our services. Your experience and satisfaction are a top priority for us, and we’d like to take this opportunity to correct the situation by offering a full refund or replacement. 

At (company name), we will stop at nothing to make our customers happy. Let us know how we can do that for you. Please contact us at your soonest convenience by calling us (business phone number) or sending us an email at (business email address).

Hope to hear from you soon,

(Your full name)

(Your designation)

(Your company name)

After your customer replies and the situation is resolved, consider following up with: 

Dear (Customer Name),

We hope we met your expectations on resolving the issue surrounding your recent experience.

Your feedback is extremely valuable to our business. If you feel your concerns were adequately addressed, we kindly ask you to consider updating the negative review here: 

(Insert link)

Thank you very much for your confidence in us.

Can Negative Feedback Ever be… Positive?

Negative reviews don’t always mean it’s the end of the world. Ecommerce businesses (those often found on Amazon or eBay) feel similar effects of negative reviews that service-oriented businesses do. Even eBay or Amazon sellers can benefit from the advice offered here. Amazon feedback and product reviews affect buyers’ decision to purchase that product the same way a negative review left on Yelp or Facebook might discourage a customer from patronizing a business.

By mastering how to respond to negative reviews and managing your online reputation in such scenarios, any business will start to see the positive takeaways from the experience.

Here are a few: 

• Addresses the glaring issues of the company that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. Customers often have a keen eye for your business’s weaknesses that you are not aware of. Negative reviews expose or identify a blind spot in your business. This may help your business bridge the gap between you and your customers to avoid the same issue in the future.

• Creates a stronger team by working on concerns together. Through negative reviews and your business’s response to them, you can strengthen team spirit and your collaborative culture. 

• Uses the opportunity to salvage relationships with customers instead of just losing them. When a business or company completely ignores a customer’s negative review, the customer might feel discouraged to ever come back. Ensuring your business’s customer support team handles these reviews in a timely and polite manner can not only turn negative reviews around, but it can also salvage or retain that customer. Keep in mind that business and/or seller feedback is just as important.

• Maintains the reputation of your management team. A professional response to a negative review shows your customers that your business cares for them and that senior management listens.

Let Signpost Help Your Business with Online Reputation Management

Online reputation management can be a tricky business. If your business doesn’t have an around-the-clock feedback manager, addressing online reviews can become overwhelming and stressful. 

Signpost is here to help your business throughout the process, transform your negative feedback into positive feedback, and amplify your business’s glowing star reviews. 

Our review management service can help make the best of the worst by identifying negative reviews and helping your business respond to them. Get started with us today!

You’ve handled your negative feedback. Now what?

Learn more CRUCIAL communication tips with our free guide!

Did you know that positive reviews will encourage up to 68% of consumers to use a local business?

It’s not enough to nail your review request and lead generation strategy. It’s also essential that you learn how to respond to positive and negative reviews to maximize the benefit of receiving such glowing customer feedback.

When replying to reviews, time is of the essence! As a business owner, you must promptly respond to the happy customer with a tone that conveys your brand identity and encourages them to do business with you again through a carefully crafted call-to-action.

Ready to seize the opportunity and capitalize on those positive social reviews?

Let’s get started.

Steps to Respond to Positive Reviews

What do you do when a customer pays you a compliment for your product or service in person? Of course, your natural response will be to say, “Thank you!” The same applies to online reviews.

Whether the review is on Yelp, Google My Business, or Facebook, responding personally to a happy customer’s review is a great area where you can control your online reputation.

Here’s how you can create that positive review response and multiply the perks of that good review you received:

1. Respond Quickly

2. Use the Customer’s Name

3. Thank the Customer

4. Encourage Them to Share Their Experience

5. Invite Future Business

Step 1: Respond Quickly

Think about the timing of the review you just received in relation to the customer that submitted it. 

A majority of the time, reviews are left immediately after a purchase or service has been completed. Your brand and business will be fresh on your customer’s mind, and he or she may choose to give you positive feedback during this time. 

You should adopt a similar practice when it comes to providing replies to reviews. Your customers’ opinions and feedback are valuable to you, and it’s time you show them that. Letting a 5-star review sit with zero engagement or replies from your side will make your customer think their review was of minor importance to you. 

Aim to respond to reviews within one to two days of receiving them. The faster, the better. 

You want your customer to feel appreciated and valued. If you want your business to remain top-of-mind for your customers, then you must extend the same courtesy and reply promptly. 

Step 2: Use the Customer’s Name

The last thing you want to do after providing a stellar customer experience is to make your customer feel unimportant. That can sometimes even change their positive experience to a negative experience.

Shooting your customers a generic, impersonal reply is not a good way to turn that reviewer into a lasting brand advocate.

Remember: Your customer is a real person; he or she has taken the time to share a positive experience. Make sure you respond in a way that views them as individuals and not “just another customer.”

One of the simplest and most effective ways to do this is by addressing him or her by name in your response. Yes, that works!

Responding, “Mary, thank you for the positive feedback! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed our service,” can go a long way. 

Pro-tip: You can take it one step further and drop in a personal comment that tells your customer you remember their business and specific experience. Check out this Yelp review that accomplishes this below.

Don’t sugarcoat them or be too “extra” in your response, but make it a point to show your customers that you’ve read the review and not just skimmed through it.  

LEARN HOW TO WIN THEIR TRUST

Download our free guide to discover the best ways to build credibility for your business so your customers will trust you!

Step 3: Thank the Customer

After constructing a personalized intro to the review response, it’s time to thank the reviewer for the kind words. 

Customers are not obligated to leave a good review, but the ones that do can boost your local SEO and online reputation by way of social proof. 

Thanking the customer is the first thing you should do in your review response. You want to show them that their feedback is invaluable to your business. 

This can sometimes lead to additional reviews from other loyal customers or others who also want to provide positive feedback and help your local business grow. Replying to a positive review and thanking them can create this additional opportunity without your knowledge. 

Sample Template

Here’s a sample template of how you can thank your customer. Feel free to customize it and make it more relevant for your use: 

Hi [CUSTOMER NAME], thank you for taking the time to leave us such a fantastic review! We’re happy to hear that you loved doing business with us. Your satisfaction is our priority, and as affirmed by your review, we pride ourselves on our exceptional service. Thank you again for your feedback, and we look forward to seeing you again!

Step 4: Encourage Them to Share Their Experience

Responding to customer reviews is not just about making the customer happy and feel acknowledged. It’s also an opportunity for you to maximize the social proof you are receiving and build your company name and local brand.

If a customer has gone out of the way to write you a lovely review, he or she might be more likely to share this review on other platforms and review sites, as well as with friends and family. Incorporating this CTA into your response in a seamless fashion can lead to a two-fold impact of that one positive review, leading to future customers searching Google with your business name! 

Depending on your goals, you could ask reviewers to share their feedback on social media platforms or simply by word-of-mouth. But remember to make this request in a way that is not too “sales-y.” Make it a natural request. 

Example of text to add to your review reply

Would you mind spreading the good word about our business and sharing our services with your friends? We would love nothing more than to help other homeowners in our local community. Thank you!

Pro-tip: Don’t make your customers do all the work. If you’re asking them to share, you should be, too! Share the positive online review on your social handles, whether through a retweet on Twitter or a story update on Facebook.

Your existing followers on the platform will see the great review and may even choose to engage with it by sharing it themselves or write their own. Or, they may be reminded of your business and come back! 

You can even add a positive review as a testimonial on your website, attracting more visitors and customers to your business.

There is no harm in sharing good publicity across multiple platforms. After all, isn’t that what social media is for?

Step 5: Invite Future Business

The final step is to view your reply as a lead generation opportunity.

Inviting happy customers to do more business with you in the future has the impact of: 

• Leading them back to your sales funnel and generating repeat sales offline

• Showing potential customers that your business values customer loyalty

• Muting the effect of bad reviews containing negative feedback

Of course, you don’t want to discount the gratitude you have for your customers. That should still be the primary goal. 

To avoid this, make sure you craft the invitation in a casual but smart way. An excellent way to invite more business is by recommending another product or service you think this specific customer might like. By doing so, you are still keeping the focus on your customers and their satisfaction. 

Sample Template

You can do this by including the following review response template in your reply: 

We’re so glad to hear you loved the experience! Since you enjoyed [SERVICE], we recommend you schedule a follow-up with us in [TIME PERIOD]. We’re happy to help you again, whenever you need us!

Managing Reviews Made Easy

Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, is crucial. By responding personally to each positive review you receive, you take your business’s online reputation to a higher level and gain some valuable social backing. 

However, if you have a large influx of reviews, it can be hard to review and manage all of them on time. This is where we can help.

Signpost’s online review management software can help optimize your review process and get the best out of every positive review you receive. 

You know how to respond to positive reviews. Now what?

Learn how to build your customers’ trust with our free guide! Remember, they won’t buy from you if they don’t trust you.

Did you know that 76% of users who performed a Google search for a store nearby visit a related business within a day? What’s more, 28% of those searches lead to a purchase. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially considering the power and influence of the world’s most popular search engine. 

How can you compete with other business owners and start improving your business’s online reputation? First thing first: you have to create a Google My Business account.

Sign up for a demo today, and see why thousands of local contractors love Signpost!
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Benefits of a Google My Business Account

You might be asking yourself, “Is it really worth the trouble of setting up and managing a Google My Business account?” The answer is: Yes! Very much so. 

Your business gains numerous benefits by claiming and listing your location with GMB. When local consumers are looking for a place to grab a bite nearby or searching for an emergency plumbing service once their kitchen sink busts, Google is the search engine they come to. 

Local businesses, especially, have a lot to gain by creating a GMB account. By making your business more visible online, you elevate your chances of attracting potential customers and increasing your revenue.

Source: Chatmeter

Here are three great takeaways from claiming a GMB listing.

1. Your business will appear on Google Maps and local listings

The moment you claim your business listing on GMB and have it verified, your business will start to appear in local searches. Do you see the map that pops up listing a bunch of companies after a search? This is referred to as the Local Pack, and claiming that real estate can do wonders for your business’s local SEO, as pictured below in the example when looking up “electricians near me.”

With one glance, a potential customer can use Google to see the most relevant business for the local search, including the name of your business, contact information, hours of operation, and even be redirected to your official business page. 

If you’re looking to grow your local customer base and connect to a target demographic within your service area, setting up that GMB account can help you achieve that goal.

2. Build trust with potential customers

A Google verified business is already more authentic in a customer’s eyes. In addition to that, it’s a transparent platform for customers to gain insight into your products and services. 

Get more Google reviews

73% of consumers trust businesses with Google reviews. Giving potential customers the option to read the positive feedback about your business is an important part of building that trust and relationships with them. 

Reviews can also help you improve your local SEO while simultaneously boosting your conversions. Even the negative reviews can be transformed into positive customer testimonials if you respond the right way. 

3. A platform for communication with your customers

Using GMB will allow you to bridge the gap between you and your customers by providing you another useful avenue for communication. 

Customers may look up your business, visit your website (driving up traffic) and chat with you directly through your site. Others might post reviews, and this can help you gain direct feedback, also giving you a chance to respond and showcase your customer service priorities. 

On top of that, GMB also comes equipped with a handy little feature called Insights.

GMB Insights enables you to understand how often consumers view or visit your listing, including the number of views, keyword searches customers are using to find your business, and the level of audience interaction your listing receives.

Source: SterlingSky

If you want the benefits of increased visibility and online reputation management opportunities, you have to claim your business on Google My Business. By doing so, you unlock your customer’s ability to reach you, find your business location, and even post great reviews of your service.

What You Need To Claim & Verify Your Business on Google

Excited? You should be! But like any recipe for success, there are some ingredients that you must gather first before setting things in motion. 

There are three crucial components you need to get to claim and verify your business on Google. 

1. Google Account

This one might be obvious, but yes, to have a Google business listing, you first have to have a Google account. This is a free account that you create like any other, granting you access to multiple Google features like Google Drive, Gmail, Google Photos, and the like. 

Depending on your personal preference, you can create multiple Google accounts. We recommend creating a separate account to associate with your business, and keep it professional.

2. Your Business Profile

Your business profile refers to the Google listing that appears when someone looks up your business. There are three places this profile appears: on Google Maps, local search results, and the Knowledge Panel of Google search (which appears on the right side). If you haven’t already, you can always claim your business profile. It’s also crucial that you make sure that there is no incorrect information shown here.

3. Your Google My Business Account

As covered before, this is the free profile you can use to manage your business listing, Business Profile, and operations on Google. The business dashboard, as pictured below, gives an overview of all your activities. 

Source: Search Engine Roundtable

Steps to Claim Your Google My Business Listing

1. Sign in to the Google account associated with your business. If you don’t have one, create an account for your business at www.google.com/business.

2. Head to Google’s home page at www.google.com and search for your business name and city. Click on the “Maps” tab after the results show up.

3. A map of your region should pop up. If you don’t see your business, it means that your business hasn’t been listed yet. Click on the three horizontal lines to the left side of the search bar.

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4. Scroll down the menu and click on “Add a missing place.”

5. A pop-up box titled “Add a place” will appear. Fill in all the relevant details (the more, the better!)

6. After filling in all the information, click “Claim this business.”

And voila! Your business is now added to Google’s listing. It can take up to 24 hours to appear, but once your listing is available for viewing, you’ll receive an email confirmation from Google with a link that directs to it. 

Pro-tip: if your business showed up as a result after Step 3, then all you have to do is click the “more info” link in the pop-up box for your business. From there, dig around for the “Claim this business” option. 

Google is proactive on this front and may already have a listing associated with your business. If so, you can skip steps 4-6 and jump to verifying your business and grabbing that listing!

How To Verify Your Business On Google

You’ve done it! You’ve claimed your business on Google. Now it’s time for one final step before you hit a home run: verification. 

Not to fret, it’s a simple process! If you’ve already created a Business Profile and are logged into your Google My Business account, the verification process may happen immediately.

On the contrary, if you don’t have ownership over the Business Profile, instant verification will not be possible. Google will instead prompt you for a verification code. You may receive this code through several verification options including: 

• A phone call or SMS to the associated phone number

• Email to the business email address

• By mail to the physical location/business address

Source: Blumenthals

Choose an option most convenient for you. Once you receive the code and enter it into the box, the process is complete! 

You now have 100% ownership of your Business Profile on Google! 

Make the Best of Google My Business

Your Google Business activity doesn’t end with claiming a listing. In fact, it’s only just beginning!

After claiming ownership of your Business Profile, you have a plethora of tools to leverage that that can help take your business’s online presence to the next level. 

Ranging from getting more customer reviews to increasing your local SEO, you can maximize the opportunities your listing has given you to increase leads and convert more customers. 

Check out the resource articles we have for you at Signpost to get you started on your GMB journey: 

• How to generate a Google review link 

• Share your Google review link with customers through a killer email 

• Teach your customers to write a Google review without a Gmail account 

• How to respond to Google reviews 

• How to remove fake Google reviews 

• How to remove a negative review from Google search results

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Whether you’re a local business or a prominent service provider, reviews carry weight with your target customers. By proving your customer service through glowing testimonials, great star ratings, and positive reviews, you provide peace of mind to potential customers considering doing business with you.

That said, getting those rockstar reviews isn’t an easy feat. You want to boost your local SEO and rank high on Google, and that aspiration may sometimes tempt you to buy Google reviews.

Let’s nip that thought in the bud: don’t buy Google reviews.

Read on to find out how using this unethical method to boost your search engine results and online reputation can damage your business and ultimately shake your customers’ trust in your brand.

Why You Should NOT Buy Google Reviews

What exactly is this concept of “buying reviews”? This can happen in, broadly, two different ways. 

Firstly, a business that is desperate to get their Google My Business listing flooded with star ratings and reviews may resort to hiring and paying unethical businesses to post a large volume of fake reviews. 

For example, a business may offer free services, a moneyback guarantee, or generous discounts in return for a 5-star review on Google. In this case, the reviews are written by authentic and real customers. Some businesses justify that this is ethical. 

However, the repercussions of buying reviews can wreak irreparable damage to your business. Here are the reasons why you should steer clear of buying Google reviews.

• It violates Google’s guidelines

• Customers specifically mention the incentives in their reviews

• Review sites can detect fake reviews 

• Inauthentic feedback won’t lead to any new business

It Violates Google’s Guidelines

Google’s guidelines are crystal clear on the terms and conditions, and best practices surrounding reviews. After all, a review should be an honest and impartial reflection of a customer’s experience with your business. 

Any suspicious behavior that toes the line of fraudulent representation by convincing your customers or using shady businesses to manipulate your customer ratings through fake reviews is taken very seriously by Google’s customer support team. 

Google may go so far as to penalize such businesses by taking down their Google My Business listing altogether. 

At that point, what can you do to attract more customers on the platform? Absolutely nothing.

It’s even riskier in the USA, where the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has started taking action against businesses soliciting fake paid reviews.

Customers Specifically Mention the Incentives in Their Reviews

Let’s say you’re a local electrician or plumbing business. You offered a happy customer a free referral, or even $20 store credit on equipment if they post a 5-star rating and corresponding review on Google. 

The customer goes and mentions in their review, “Their service is awesome! They rewarded me with $20 credit for just leaving this online review!” 

That one customer may be happy, but it’s a huge red flag for others reading the review. Potential customers may view this as your business bribing your existing customers into posting inauthentic reviews so that you can make more money. 

This is just one way an incentivized review can backfire.

Review Sites Can Detect Fake Reviews

Most famous review platforms like Yelp, Tripadvisor, and Google have tools and support teams that regulate and monitor the high quality and authenticity of the reviews being posted. Once a review is identified as fake or suspected to be fraudulently acquired, it can have disastrous consequences for your business’s online reputation. 

Your business may be flagged, and customers may receive warnings on these platforms when visiting your Google listing; warnings that stipulate yours is not to be trusted. 

Is this long-lasting damage to your business credibility worth buying reviews? Certainly not!

Inauthentic Feedback Won’t Lead to Any New Business

Last but not least, let’s not forget the actual purpose of a review. You won’t only be fooling your customers if you buy Google business reviews, you’ll also be fooling yourself.

Without real reviews and honest feedback on your products or good service, how can you expect to grow your business? A dissatisfied customer has every right to point out what went wrong in their customer experience. As a business, it’s your responsibility to take that feedback in stride and focus on improving your services. 

If you incentivize this very customer to praise your business online with falsely positive reviews, you will never know the root cause of your operational or service  opportunities. In return, that customer may never return despite posting a ‘happy’ review on the surface. 

In the long run, this strategy is not sustainable for managing your post-sale customer relationships.

How To Earn Real Google Reviews!

We have established that you should not buy positive Google reviews. So, what’s the alternative to business owners seeking to boost their number of reviews and grow their social media footprint? That’s an easy one: you could earn reviews the right way!

There are several ways you can go about attracting more Google reviews. Here are a few tips on how to get started.

Set Up Your Google Business Account

The first thing you should do, if you haven’t already, is to set up your very own Google My Business account.

This free Google account will become your one-way portal to managing all things business-related on Google. Ranging from tracking and monitoring customer reviews to viewing engagement insights, this free feature can help with your online reputation management. 

By managing your business profile, you can also provide consumers with valuable information about your business opening times, contact information, etc.

Customers are more likely to connect with you and leave Google reviews if you have an optimized Google business profile.

Pro-tip: you can encourage reviews by leveraging Google review stickers made available through the GMB Marketing Kit. These attractive and visual marketing materials can attract the authentic reviews you want.

Create Google Review Email Template

Using email marketing campaigns to generate new reviews might seem old-school, but email remains a proven method for customer engagement. When asking for reviews, most businesses send a post-purchase email, and studies have also shown that as much as 70% of reviews originate from these emails.

Creating a Google review email template can help make this process easier for you by having a go-to, customizable template to leverage every time a sale or service is complete. 

You can even go a step further and create specific mailing lists with varying Google review templates dependent on the customer category. For example, you can personalize templates for customers based on whether they are: 

• New customers

• Returning customers

• Long-time and loyal customers

Check out other Google Resources

There are a number of resources out there to consider during your efforts to boost your Google listing on local search results and attract more reviews. Listed below are links to other blogs posts and helpful resources you can reference during your digital marketing journey on Google’s business platform: 

• Claim your Google business listing if you haven’t already

• Invite customers through a direct Google review link

• Invite customers to write reviews (even if they don’t have a Gmail account)!

• Respond smartly to and turn around your bad reviews

• Remove negative reviews from Google search results

• Get rid of unwarranted fake Google reviews

Conclusion

Incentivizing your customers through underhanded means or paying businesses to flood your Google listing with fake reviews is not a healthy practice. It is a recipe for disaster and can backfire significantly, leading to an online reputation crisis if you aren’t careful. 

Rather than coerce or manipulate the system to get the reviews you want, focus on more proactive approaches to earning the praise you deserve from real customers. 

By providing a 5-star service and encouraging happy customers to write Google reviews through more organic ways, not only do you generate positive reviews, but you also keep your business’s image untarnished, strengthening your relationships with customers old and new!

Signpost’s review management service can help you get there. By automating the process of managing and tracking reviews, you don’t have to waste time considering buying reviews. We’ll help you get the honest, most relevant, and positive reviews you deserve.