Nowadays, many turn to the Internet to find what they need, be it a house painter, a clinic or a restaurant. Perhaps, you do this, too. Initially, many were drawn to this method because of the sheer convenience it brings – finding what is needed in an instant, without leaving the house.

Currently, this method is preferred not just because it is convenient; it’s also deemed to provide useful information in the form of user ratings and reviews. In fact, according to research, 9 in 10 consumers read online reviews to know more about businesses and their products/services. Moreover, 72% of those surveyed say that reading positive reviews inspires trust in the company

Suffice it to say, aside from launching an SEO campaign, building your reputation online with the help of customer reviews is something business owners like you should prioritise. This is not just to improve your company’s visibility online but also to get the trust of your target clients. So, see to it that you have customer reviews on your website and other platforms relevant to your business. Most importantly, make sure you have reviews on Google, too.

Why Are Google Reviews Important?

Reviews, regardless of the platform it’s posted on, have an impact on your ranking on the search engine results page (SERP), especially for local searches. However, it can’t be denied that Google, the so-called search engine king, favours reviews posted on its platform. Additionally, having ratings and reviews on Google can give your company additional visibility. This is since, apart from the ads and the organic results on the SERP, Google also shows the top three relevant companies for any query. Experts say that the search engine giant relies on customer ratings to determine which businesses end up on this list.

With the aforementioned information, you should take strides to ensure that your customers leave a rating or review on Google. How do you make this happen? Simply ask your clients to leave a rating or review. This is the simplest and most straightforward way. Many customers are willing to give feedback; they just need to be asked or reminded.

To convince them further, you can educate them about the importance of their review to your business. Also, it would be best if you ask them right after your transaction. For them to act quicker on your request, make the process simpler. Provide them with a direct link to the page where they would write their review. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. You need to get your place ID. Go to https://developers.google.com/places/place-id
2. Enter your company address or the location of your business.
3. Click on your company name from the list that you see.
4. Under your company name, you will find your Place ID. (See item in red box on the picture)

5. To get the link for the review page, add your Place ID at the end of this URL – https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=

Given the Place ID above, the URL should look like this: https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJ_fufcFpyZ0gRIrgD-Rakfr0

Clicking on this link will open a window where your clients could rate your company and write a review.

6. Email the link to your customers and request for a rating and a review. You can also choose to shorten the link before sending it to your client. Just go to this page, https://goo.gl/. Then, paste the URL in the box and click the ‘SHORTEN URL’ button. A pop-up window will appear containing the short URL. Click on the icon beside the URL to copy it.

According to reports, Google prefers companies with more reviews. Similarly, a study revealed that online users perceive companies with more reviews to be more trustworthy. So, be diligent in requesting for reviews from your customers.

However, don’t sacrifice quantity over quality. While the number of reviews matter when it comes to improving your company’s visibility on the SERP, it is the quality of the reviews, specifically positive ones, that converts visitors into customers. Apart from providing first-rate service/products, asking happy and legacy (long-term) customers are other sure-fire ways of getting 5-star ratings and/or positive reviews.

To learn more about getting 5-star star ratings and positive reviews on Google, call us at 019609023 or visit our website.