You found this page because you are struggling with getting more Google reviews. You are so excited because you finally got around to creating a google+ account AND you just got your first stellar review from one of your favorite clients. You eagerly type in your business name into google to see the glorious five star rating. And then it’s not there. You feel cheated. Google reviews has tricked you. How could you have been so deceived?
If your business depends on local searches on Google, then gaining and showing your reviews is critical for you to get local search rankings. Google hasn’t made this the easiest process, although I’d argue it has gotten simpler. Here is the down and dirty of what you need to know about Google+ reviews to improve your rankings.
How many google reviews do you need to show your reviews?
First off, going back to that pesky problem with not having your reviews show up. Research shows that the magic number is five reviews before they show up as your beautiful shiny blue stars under your Google+ listing. So now that you know the base number of lucky starred reviews you need, the next question that is naturally asked is:
How can I get more reviews on Google+?
- This answer is not as easy as calling up all your aunts and uncles to get them to review you. In fact, you need to review Google’s guidelines for reviews. I’m not going to sit here and describe the in’s and out’s of it, but I encourage you to read through them extensively, and have whatever minion or poor sop you have monitoring your reviews read them so they know if you are about to violate them. Here are the cliff notes: when reviewing a business a. don’t be an ass b. be who you say you are c. don’t break the law d. don’t be a part of that business. Pretty straightforward if you ask me, but read the fine print to avoid getting you or your company into trouble.
- After you know the rules, you need to know the impact. Google reviews are just one component of your ranking. Having enticing relevant content to what someone is searching for is the first major ranking determination and Google reviews are a second to that. They are still important, but keep your eyes on the prize. You might have killer reviews but if your website looks like amateur night at the apollo you might need to work on that first.
- So if your website is killer and your business is baller, then you are faced with the last major hurdle, which is getting your customers to the right page to review. Now here is the kicker, before Google’s lastest overhaul of Google+ getting reviews was as easy as directing someone to your Google+ page for your business and having them write a review (OK, I was being sarcastic, that is an awkward process, which Google recognized). The evil genius gods of Google are on a warpath to get people using more natural forms of review generation. Now people need to either a. search for your business in Google, click on said business, then click the “write a review button” or b. search using the maps app on Google.
It will look something like this:
Step 1. Search for Your Business
Step 2. Click on the Business.
Step 3. Find the review button.
Step 4. Fill out the review.
Now I suggest getting your most tech savvy employee (or the youngest) and have them familiarze themselves with this system in a few different browsers and on a few different devices. That way, when you ask your customers for reviews, you’ll have someone on staff capable and trained to help them complete their review (and win extra marks for customer service while you’re at it). It may take a bit for the populous, but I’m confident and optimistic that this will lead to more reviews for more businesses.