Best Practices for Google Business Review Management

Did you know that 60% of consumers use Google search to peruse a business’s reviews before ever visiting that business for the first time? Or that 85% of consumers are willing to leave a business a review, especially after a positive interaction or experience?

In this article, you will learn about how to avoid common missteps made in managing a law firm’s local Google presence in 2022, as well as what steps you can start taking today to improve your own.

However, before we begin, we should take a moment to quickly walk you through the process of creating and claiming your Google Business Profile, as it’s a fundamental and necessary step to all that follows in this article.

If you have already created your Google Business Profile, feel free to skip on down to the “Dos, Don’ts, and Best Practices” header below. If not, let’s get started setting up your Profile:

Why Are Google Reviews So Important?

Research shows as much as 98% of customers read online reviews for local businesses — and they’re mostly turning to Google.

But reviews do more than just attract and convert potential customers. They’re also excellent brand awareness, SEO, and market research tools.

Here’s why you need to pay attention to Google reviews:

Gain Trust and Credibility

Positive reviews of your business tell newcomers “Hey, this place is great!”

They’re excellent tools for building trust with potential customers as they’re proof you’ve succeeded in delighting past clients just like them.

But it’s not just about praise. By responding to negative reviews promptly — and graciously — you’re able to build credibility and improve your social media reputation. Even dropping a simple apology to a disgruntled customer shows you care about their experience.

Generates New Business

Google reviews work wonders in driving brand awareness. They help you attract new customers by boosting search visibility and capturing interest.

Plus, reviews help potential customers learn more about your business and products. This motivates leads to take the next and convert.

Improves Local SEO

Reviews prove you’re a reliable business with a history of delivering great customer experiences. For Google, this acts as a signal to boost your rankings.

The more good reviews you get, the higher your business listing shows up in local search results, such as on Google Maps. This encourages more local customers to connect with your business and check you out in person.

Gain Valuable Insights

You know what’s better than surveys and focus groups? Raw, unfiltered feedback from existing customers — AKA reviews.

Reviews provide tons of insight to help you grow and improve your business. Dig deeper to uncover customer challenges and preferences, analyze competitor strategies, assess your customer service, and understand your product’s strengths and weaknesses.

Here Are the Tips: How to Increase Google Business Reviews

How to Manage Google Reviews

Managing Google reviews is no easy feat, especially for large businesses operating in multiple locations. It can be tough keeping track of hundreds of reviews, responding timely and continuously analyzing all of that data.

Here are some strategies for managing Google reviews more effectively:

Update All of Your Business Locations

First, ensure all your business info is accurately listed on Google. You don’t want to lose business opportunities or confuse leads with incorrect or outdated data.

Regularly check and update your Google Business Profile with the correct addresses, phone numbers, and operating hours.

Make this a routine part of your business’s monthly maintenance. This simple step can make a huge difference in how easily customers can find and connect with you.

Automate Google Reviews Using Software

Automation tools can be a game-changer in managing reviews efficiently.

For instance, you can set up automated responses for common queries and alerts for new reviews. This reduces response times and ensures no feedback goes unnoticed.

A retail store, for example, could use automation to send a thank-you response to all positive reviews and flag negative ones for immediate attention.

Analyze Feedback

Don’t just read reviews and respond to them. Study them carefully to extract insights that can help you improve your business.

Customer feedback can help you uncover trends, spot opportunities for new products and features, and identify areas for improvement.

For example, you might find that a significant number of customers are complaining about a certain feature missing in your SaaS product. Introducing that feature can help you reduce the number of negative reviews, retain more customers, and improve satisfaction.

Use Feedback as a Marketing Asset

Did you know Google reviews work as social proof? And yes, you can leverage them to attract new customers and convert leads.

For example, you can showcase the best reviews on your website, use them in your ads, weave them into sales conversations, and even proudly share them on social media.

Solicit Reviews

Don’t be shy about asking for reviews. The more feedback you get, the more data you have to analyze and use.

Encourage customers to review your business by sending them follow-up emails, such as after a purchase. You can also offer incentives like discounts to motivate them to leave feedback.

Don’t forget to make the process as easy as possible. Add CTAs and links that take customers directly to your review page.

Risk Mitigation

Negative reviews can be damaging. But responding promptly to a bad review can help you turn a poor experience into a good one — or at least cushion the blow.

Using review management software lets you enable notifications for negative reviews so you can address them as soon as they pop up. When potential customers see you’ve solved the issue or apologized to frustrated customers, they’re less likely to look the other way.

Further Reading: Can Google Reviews Improve your Sales?

Conclusion

Whether you like it or not, reviews influence your customers. How you manage those reviews can determine the success of your business.

GBP Cheap is a powerful yet easy-to-use Google review management software. With GBP Cheap, you can manage reviews on multiple platforms, social profiles, locations, and languages all from one place. You also get access to other tools like social listening, sentiment analysis, advanced analytics, and more to help you understand your customers and grow your business.