Want to learn how to get more Google reviews? It’s easy to understand why. With over 8.5 billion daily searches on Google, having a strong online presence is crucial for businesses to succeed in today’s digital age.
Positive reviews are among the most effective ways to establish trust with potential customers. These reviews pop up when someone searches for your business on Google, making them a powerful tool for building credibility and attracting new customers.
To help you earn more customer trust and grow your business, we’ve rounded up 10 strategies to get more Google reviews.
So give them a try, and over time, you’ll see your customer base and online reputation flourish.
How To Get More Google Reviews: 10 Strategies
These 10 tips will bring in customer reviews by helping you develop Google review best practices for your business. This way, both you and your customers are benefiting from positive feedback.
1. Create a Google Review Link Or QR Code
One of the most important factors when it comes to figuring out how to get more Google reviews is the ease of leaving a review for your customer.
Think about it. If you were to purchase a product or service and the business asked you to leave a review, would you go through the trouble of searching for their Google My Business page and then leaving a review? Probably not.
That’s why creating a direct link for customers to leave Google reviews is incredibly helpful for both you and your customer.
So, when you ask for Google reviews, make sure that you have a link ready to go. You can share this in an email, through your website, or on social media. You can also offer your link in person, especially if you have it printed on a handy business card or written somewhere in your brick-and-mortar location.
Make sure your link is easy for your customers to use. One way to do this is by providing a QR code that can easily be scanned.
Another way is by shortening the review link itself. With a shortened URL, your review link becomes more visually appealing and easier to remember, which could ultimately lead to getting more Google reviews.
A program like Bit.ly can help you shorten your link and also provide you with helpful metrics such as how many clicks your link received.
2. Ask For Google Reviews Directly
It may seem obvious, but the best way to get Google reviews is to ask for them.
There are plenty of reasons why an entrepreneur may hesitate to do this. Perhaps they feel like they’re being too pushy or fear receiving negative reviews.
But in the competitive digital landscape, asking for reviews is necessary and can actually bring positive results.
Here are a few creative and non-annoying ways to ask for Google reviews:
- Send out a follow-through message immediately after working with a customer
- Ask for a review in person or on a call if you’re directly working with a client
- Let your clients know before you offer your service or product that you would appreciate it if they left a Google review later
Remember, the key is to be genuine and polite when asking for reviews. Highlight how much you value their feedback and want to know what they really think. Be careful not to only fish for positive reviews, which may backfire and lead to dishonest or biased reviews.
Most people will ask, “What’s in it for me?” So make sure to let them know that honest reviews show you how to improve your products and services, making their experiences even better.
3. Respond To Your Reviews
If you want to take your online reviews to the next level, respond to the feedback that people have already left. People usually only respond to negative reviews, and they often come off as defensive or not addressing the issue at hand.
However, responding to both positive and negative reviews can help build trust with potential customers. When someone sees that you value what they say, they’ll be more likely to establish a relationship with your business.
When responding to reviews, make sure to:
- Thank them for their feedback when you receive positive Google reviews
- Address any concerns or issues mentioned in negative reviews
- Explain how you’ll improve your products and services based on their review
- Ask if there’s anything else you can do to enhance your customers’ experience
Your responses should showcase your dedication to customer satisfaction, and it could be the deciding factor for someone considering using your business. When new customers take a look at your reviews on Google, they’ll appreciate your active participation in addressing customers’ concerns.
4. Offer Incentives For Reviews
There’s nothing wrong with incentivizing customers to leave Google reviews as long as it’s within Google’s guidelines. By giving them discounts, freebies, or other rewards in exchange for their review, you create a win-win situation where both your customers and business benefit.
Note that it is against Google’s policies to offer or accept money in exchange for reviews. However, you can still encourage honest reviews with incentives like:
- A discount on their next purchase
- A free service or product upgrade
- Entry into a giveaway or contest
Just make sure to disclose any incentives you offer in public responses to reviews. This shows transparency and honesty, which can also help establish trust with potential customers.
It’s also important to remember that you can’t solicit positive reviews. Asking someone to leave a review that is falsely positive is against Google’s guidelines. So, make sure to focus on encouraging honest reviews, regardless of whether they are positive or negative.
5. Leverage Email Marketing
If you want to learn how to get more Google reviews from a broader customer base, consider using email marketing. Email marketing is a simple yet powerful way to engage with your audience and encourage them to leave reviews.
You can send a mass email or personalize each message according to the specific service or product your customers received.
Popular tools such as AWeber or Mailchimp have functionality that can help you specifically target customers who have recently made a purchase or used your services. You can create automated email campaigns, making it easier to ask for reviews without constantly sending the same message manually.
If you’re unfamiliar with these programs, check out our AWeber vs Mailchimp review to decide which email marketing software is best for you.
As with all methods mentioned on this list, make sure to use it in moderation. It’s a good rule of thumb to make sure your email provides value to its readers before making an attempt to ask for a Google review.
This ensures that your email isn’t seen as spam and adds to your customer’s experience with your business.
6. Add a Call-To-Action To Your Website
If your clients are regularly visiting your website, why not provide them with a direct link to leave a review? This is easily done by adding a call-to-action, which is a prompt that encourages visitors to take a specific action.
They work because they’re quick and easy for your customers to follow through on. They also give you the opportunity to guide the browsing experience in a certain direction, such as leaving a Google review.
Here are a few examples of how you can use call-to-actions to get more Google reviews:
- Create a pop-up box with a link to leave a review when someone visits your site
- Add a banner or button on your website’s homepage directing people to your Google My Business page
- Offering an incentive (as mentioned above) directly on the site in exchange for Google reviews
Whatever method you choose, make sure it’s easily accessible and clearly communicates the action you want your customers to take.
If your site gets a decent amount of traffic, this is one of the best passive methods to increase organic traffic to your Google My Business page.
7. Showcase Your Positive Reviews
Seasoned entrepreneurs know to focus on more than how to get more Google reviews. They also make the best of the positive reviews they’ve received by sharing them with the world.
There are many angles you can frame your success stories to get people more engaged with your brand, such as
- Letting the community know that you’re the top-rated business in your local niche
- Showing readers how you respond to and implement solutions for negative reviews
- Sharing the main benefits that countless customers have experienced thanks to your product or service.
When you showcase your positive reviews, don’t be shy! This is a time to demonstrate your strengths and willingness to grow as a business and improve your customers’ experiences.
Incorporating customer reviews into your marketing strategy can also lead to more referrals, as current customers may be more likely to share their positive experiences with others if they see that you value and appreciate them.
8. Engage Your Audience On Social Media
Social media is a powerful avenue to encourage customers to leave a review on your Google business profile. It can work like a funnel if you place your review link on each social media platform you have.
Spark engagement regularly, encouraging followers to write a review on your Google reviews page.
In addition to helping you get more reviews, actively engaging on these platforms helps build a community around your brand, leading to more brand loyalty and word-of-mouth promotion.
Remember, every review, whether on Google Maps or your Google review page, contributes to your online reputation and customer trust. Social media is one of the best ways to get traffic flowing from your followers to your Google My Business page.
9. Post Updates on Your Google Business Profile
Your Google My Business profile is a dynamic tool that lets you engage with existing and potential customers by posting stunning pictures and helpful business updates and stories.
Not many people take advantage of this method, meaning that it can help your business stand out to both Google and potential customers.
By posting announcements, offers, events, or popular products, you’re not only improving your customer experience but also boosting your online visibility.
You can also offer more personal insight into your business, such as behind-the-scenes photos or videos, to establish a more personal connection with customers.
Posting regular updates makes it easy to:
- Foster direct communication with local customers, leading to Google reviews
- Promoting sales, events, and special offers
- Enhancing customer engagement through photos and videos
Remember, posts older than six months get archived unless specified otherwise. So the key here is to stay consistent, so you’re constantly on the radar of customers and keeping Google reviews on the top of their minds.
10. Embed Your Google Review Page in Your Email Signature
Another very simple way to add a Google review link to your customer touchpoints is by embedding it in your email signature. An email signature is a non-invasive way to provide recipients with additional information about you and your brand.
It’s automatically included at the end of every email you send, making it a simple and easy way to get more Google reviews without any additional effort.
You can customize your email signature with a link directly to your Google review page or add a call-to-action button that leads to the page.
Either way, this ensures that all of your emails are working towards the same goal – getting more Google reviews from your satisfied customers.
Bottom Line: How To Get More Google Reviews
Getting more Google reviews can seem daunting at first, but with the right strategies, it can boost your business.
By incorporating these tips into your marketing and customer engagement efforts, you’ll not only increase your online reputation but also create a stronger connection with your customers and potentially attract new ones.
So start implementing these strategies today and watch as your Google review count grows.
Do you sell products on the Amazon platform and want to build a solid reputation there as well? Read our guide on how to get more reviews on Amazon to help you start building your reputation there as well.
