Reviews are an excellent way of improving your business’ local search presence. Reviews provide social proof and can potentially sell your business far more effectively than ad copy ever could. However, getting the right quantity and quality of reviews can be a challenge. Here we will detail the best places to go for quality reviews.
The first port of call for any local business should be claiming your Google Business Profile (previously Google My Business).
https://www.google.com/business/
Once claimed, customers can submit reviews which will determine the star rating that your business receives. Your star rating and accompanying reviews are visible to potential customers in Google Search and Google Maps. Your business’ star rating and total number of reviews play a crucial role in determining your business’ local SERP (Search Engine Results Page) rank.
There are numerous third-party review sites that provide customers with the opportunity to review businesses. These review sites vet all reviews for correctness. Securing positive reviews on product review sites is a great way to supplement the reviews on your Google Business Profile. Some noteworthy review sites include:
Depending on what industry your business operates in there may be some industry-specific review sites that you can get reviewed on. Below is a list of some industry-specific review sites:
Knowing that your Google Business Profile needs reviews is only half the battle. How does one go about procuring the necessary reviews? Of course, it is essential that you provide great product/service with superb customer support. Then, you will need to persuade your customers to leave you a review. The best way of doing that is to give them a direct link to your Google Business Profile.
There are various ways of getting the link in front of customers. One way is by supplying the link within emails. Another way is by supplying business materials (e.g. business cards, pamphlets, etc.) with the link printed on it. You should also train customer-facing staff to ask for reviews from customers. It helps to have some sort of incentive for customers to give you a review. For example, entering anyone who reviews your business into a raffle to win some sort of prize.
If a customer makes a public complaint, then you can resolve their issue publicly as well. Google Business Profile and other review sites offer businesses the opportunity to respond to reviews publicly which can be a great way of limiting the damage a negative review can cause. However, it is important to remember to not share any of the customers personal information when doing so. See the article below for more on responding to negative reviews:
Need help promoting your business online and perfecting your local SEO? Contact Orca Online today via hello@orcaonline.co.uk
Further Reading: https://www.orcaonline.co.uk/google-my-business-local-seo/
