Getting more Google Reviews is the #1 marketing tactic all small business owners need to be working on. Once your business gets a certain amount of Google Reviews, it can help you persuade potential customers into current customers.
I recommend to my clients that they have a specific goal of how many Google Reviews to get.
How many G Reviews should you get?
Keep hustling and collecting reviews until you DOUBLE your closest competitor in amount of Google reviews.
Remember…
Implement the strategies below to collect Google Reviews until you’re on a path that will DOUBLE your closest competitor in reviews.
Here are my 7 tips to get MORE Google reviews:
1. Order A Google My Business Marketing Kit
Formerly called Small Thanks From Google, the Google My Business Marketing Kit is a free package of materials from Google to help market your business and GMB.
The most important part?
The marketing kit is FREE!
It started as a test, but it became so popular, that Google has revamped it with more customizable materials.
When you order a package, you’ll receive a few different items. You'll get a Google Review sticker to put up in your business. You'll get a customizable poster (displaying info such as a positive review). And you'll get digital materials that can be promoted on social media such as Google Posts, Facebook, and Instagram.
Click here to order your customized Google My Business package: https://marketingkit.withgoogle.com
2. Create A Graphic To Encourage Reviews
In addition to the free sticker you receive from the marketing kit above, you may also want to create your own signage encouraging customers to leave you a review.
For example, you may want to have a sign by your check out counter or a TV in your business encouraging customers to leave your business a Google Review.
Pro tip: Never encourage Google Reviews through compensation or giving a discount. If Google finds out, it could suspend your listing.
To create graphics you can use a free design program like Canva.
If you’re not savvy with design or online design software, you can use fiverr.com to find and hire a Freelancer to create your graphic.
3. Get Your Free Google Review Link
(Updated method since video was created)
In mid-2019 Google released a feature called the “short name”.
This feature allows businesses with a Google My Business Listing to claim a “short name” that is specific to their business, which is typically the name of the business.
One the short name is claimed, you can use a unique URL that will take customers directly to your business's Google review page.
You may be wondering why this new method is better than the previous method by Whitespark?
Well, the new short name provides a clean link to your Google Review that looks great on a card that can get handed out to potential customers.
You can claim your short name under the “Home” section on the back end of your Google My Business Listing (see image above).
Here is the video I created showing you step-by-step how to claim your business’s short name and get a Google Review link.
4. Hand Out Physical Materials For Reviews
When you have a great interaction with a customer, consider giving them a card with explanations of how to leave your business a Google Review.
Additionally, consider printing the card on a thicker paper to look more professional.
I had a client who started putting cards in her to-go orders and she quickly doubled the amount of Google Reviews she was getting every month.
A little work and creativity goes a long way with getting more Google Reviews!
5. Follow Up With Every Single (happy) Customer
It’s wise to create a strategy that follows up with every customer to elicit a review from them.
How you implement this depends on the type of business you have.
If you own a small consultancy business, you may want to email clients.
If you own a tutoring business maybe you want to text customers.
If you own a dentist office, you may want to purchase a software that automatically sends a text or email after a customer has an appointment.
Regardless of your strategy, remember the more customers you politely remind to leave a Google review, the more likely they will leave a review!
6. Use a Paid Service To Follow Up With Your Customers
In the previous tip I recommended purchasing a software to assist your business getting reviews. If your business has more than 50 new customers per month, it may be a wise investment to purchase this software.
Using a Google review gathering software, such as GatherUp, will be more professional than sending an email, especially if you didn’t provide a service to that customer.
What’s great about GatherUp is that it will send a branded text with a review link to a branded website where the customer will leave you a review. It’s a much preferred customer experience when compared to a plain email.
7. Reply To EVERY Review
When customers see you’re an engaged business owner, they are more likely to leave a review.
People who tend to leave reviews also read reviews. It’s likely that many of your future Google reviewers are reading reviews before doing business with you. If they hire your or purchase your products, and they have a great (or not so great) experience, they are likely to leave a review for the next person just like them to read.
Additionally, replying to every review does several things:
- It shows that specific customer you care.
- It shows potential, future customers you care.
- And you can reply to negative reviews, which is a character defining moment for the business.
Additionally, when you reply to a review, don’t just say “Thanks for the review.” Make your response as personal as possible. Mention the type the product or service they purchased. And if they were great to work with, say it!
Bottom Line - How To Get More Google Reviews
Getting Google Reviews is a long-term marketing strategy that pays off when businesses stick with a strategy.
Think of getting more Google Reviews like this:
Every additional review you get, the likelihood that a potential customer in Google will do business with your biz just went it up. It may have went up .01%, .5% or 1%, but it definitely went up.
Now that you’re armed with the tips, keep hustling and get those Google Reviews!