Discover easy and effective strategies to dominate Google reviews, driving more 5-star ratings for your business success.
Local businesses across the country have had to change their marketing efforts over the past few years as the internet can make or break their business relationships. Those who own small businesses know that word of mouth is the best and most inexpensive form of advertising and the internet has made it easier than ever to have customers share the experience they had at your place of business with the masses. Almost half (49%) of consumers report needing at least a 4-star review before they choose a business. This is huge when it comes to drawing more consumers to you.
Review sites own the internet search results, and it is imperative for businesses to make sure that they get as many REAL 5-star Google reviews from happy customers as possible. We emphasize REAL because there are companies out there that offer local businesses the ability to buy 5-star Google reviews. Don’t buy Google reviews! Google invented the review game, so they know when a company is receiving fake reviews. Buying reviews could result in your business flagged by Google, and then your rankings will plummet. Best practices are to get real and accurate reviews.
Google makes it difficult to get these reviews, but we are here to help you untangle the red tape and ultimately, get you 5-star reviews on Google for your business to increase your overall average star rating.
Here are the topics we’ll cover in this article:
- How to generate a Google review link the right way
- How to ask customers for a 5 star Google review
- How to keep bad Google reviews private
How to generate a Google review link the right way
Creating a Google review link is a pretty simple process. And it will provide your customers with easy, direct access to your review page. Follow this link to learn how to get a Google review link the right way. Although extremely reliable, we do recommend you test the link after creation before you start giving the link to your customers.
Google review links are a great way to give your customers quick access to your Google business page. In our fast-paced society, it is necessary when attempting to get a review, that you make the process as easy as possible for the customer. Remember you want good reviews from customers who have received exceptional customer service or found a great product at your local business, but more than 3 steps and they are likely to give up and move on. If you have a Google review link ready for them, then you are more likely to get that 5-star Google review.
To get a link URL to give to customers, just use our Google review link generator.
Getting a Google review link the right way and setting it up so you can distribute it to your customers is necessary, but utilizing the link is mandatory. Why even go through the trouble of creating it if you are not going to give it out? So, if you want to maximize how many customers click the link and leave a review, see this.
How to ask customers for a 5 star Google review
We have created a guide for you on how to get Google reviews, so we suggest you use that for a reference, but we will also break it down for you below.
Customers who have come to your local business do so to purchase a product or service that you provide.
When they receive what they were wanting, coupled with exceptional customer service, getting a 5-star Google review is a simple request.
The problem is that many businesses don’t ask.
The idea of not asking for reviews in this day and age is baffling, but all too common.
We suggest that all customers be asked to write a Google review after being pre-screened.
Below are a few ways to increase your 5-star Google reviews without being pushy….
#1) Strike while the iron is hot
The best time to ask a consumer for a review is immediately after you have provided them with their goods or services. They still remember the experience they had while conducting business with your company. And if you’ve pre-screened them, then you know they are happy and are more likely to leave a 5-star review. Make sure you do this at minimum weekly, but best practices would be daily.
#2) Set weekly review goals
Set goals for your team to meet in regards to how many reviews you want in a given timeframe.
The ultimate goal is to get more than your competition.
Start by attempting to get 1 new review every week.
You want to get as many as possible, but too many at one time can send a red flag up to Google. So gradually increase your goal until you are beating the competition, rather than trying to get too many all at once.
#3) Follow up
This is the most effective and underused process by local businesses.
The ultimate goal of any business is to have repeat customers, so following up with those who recently purchased from you is essential.
Following up with requests for ratings on their experience can increase your Google reviews, often by 100%.
People get busy and may have read your text or email requesting a review, but they just forgot. That doesn’t mean they weren’t happy. It just means they need to be reminded. So follow up and increase those 5-star Google reviews.
How to keep bad Google reviews private
To get enough 5-star Google reviews to boost your average star rating, you need to keep bad reviews from watering down all your 5-star Google reviews.
Negative Google reviews are a thorn in the side of all business owners, and they are virtually impossible to get off the site, but they are manageable.
Here are some ways to keep your bad reviews from bringing down the average of all your 5-star Google reviews.
#1) Respond to bad Google reviews
It is crucial for you to make sure you respond to every bad Google review just as you do on all 5-star Google reviews.
#2) Avoid a bad Google review in the future by pre-screening customers
Now that you know to respond to negative reviews, let’s try to avoid having them in the future.
To accomplish this, it’s important to pre-screen your customers.
The pre-screening process should be done via email or text. If a customer isn’t happy, they’re unlikely to tell you to your face. Customers feel free to express the real truth about their experience if they’re able to put it in an email or text.
Pre-screening your customers will also give you the opportunity to fix any issues they had that you were not aware of while they were at your business.
On the flip side, pre-screening also identifies the customers who loved their experience and are likely to give you a great review.
Knowledge is power, and if you know ahead of time how a customer perceived their experience at your local business, then you are in the driver’s seat on how to move forward with that customer. This is crucial to customer retention. Be PROACTIVE!
Here’s a quick video to show an example of how we help local businesses pre-screen customers for positive reviews….
#3) Benefit from a bad Google review
Having a negative review on Google is frustrating, but it adds credibility to your business. People don’t believe a 5-star average if the business has nothing but 5-star Google reviews.
It’s impossible for a company to make every single customer who comes into their establishment happy. So when you receive a negative review, use it as a teaching moment for you and your staff.
#4) Drown out bad reviews with lots of good reviews
Typically, you are unable to delete negative reviews on Google. The only exception is when you see that the reviews may be what Google considers “Fake” or against Google’s guidelines. Then it’s possible to flag as inappropriate to Google and attempt to have it removed.
Although you cannot erase a negative review on Google, it is possible to keep your star ranking high by making sure that you have a great mix of quantity and quality of your reviews.
Asking every customer to write a review will accomplish this goal. It is just that simple. The more customers who write 5-star reviews, the higher your rating.
When you do get a bad review (everyone does) then, as you continue to get new reviews, that negative review will not appear as often to people who are searching out your company.
If you want to know more, learn how to delete a Google review.
So again… Pre-screen EVERYONE for positive reviews.
Our Google reputation management software is easy to use and offers a variety of features to help businesses get the most out of their online reputation. One of the most useful features is the ability to track customer sentiment. This allows businesses to see how their customers feel about their products and services.
Summing it up
Getting 5-star Google reviews is an important business strategy and can be the best form of advertising for a local business.
Just make sure you set up the process the proper way, consistently utilize the process daily, and do not forget to monitor and respond to every review.
Some businesses find the management of their reputation to be time consuming and restrictive, but we are here to help. So, if you’d like to get started today pre-screening customers, following up automatically, and boosting the quantity and quality of your reviews, just sign up for our free trial.
