How to Get Business Reviews for Local Business
Growing Business Reviews for New & Older Local Businesses
If you’re a new or existing business getting crushed by local business reviews on Google Business Profile from your competitors, then you’re probably not alone. Most businesses come to us from many situations and have common review problems that place them lower than they should be on Google rankings in their local community. Either they had fake reviews that harmed them early on from bad actors, or they didn’t realize the significance of getting customer reviews as humble business owners focused on just doing good work. As an SEO marketing agency built on referrals over the past 18 years, we know the value of word of mouth, but that said, in the new world where people are actively searching for you want to see what others have to say about your services over you talking highly of yourself. To help, we’ve put together some strategies for you below that have helped our customers exceed 20-plus-year-old operations even as new operators.
How to Get Your First Local Business Reviews
Initially, getting business reviews should come from many places. While it might feel uncomfortable at first, most people are actually surprisingly really happy to help you succeed. For new customers, assuming you have a common offering with decent competition, you will want to run some excellent deals and grab your first clients. We’ve seen new businesses offer free service and products to get those initial reviews flowing in to grab the bull by the horns. However, you approach it sharing the Google Business Profile reviews automatically following positive experiences with customers is a solid way to get your business on the right track. You can do this with CRM software or email customers the Google Business Profile review link supplied on the platform.
Getting Local Reviews in Challenging or Regulated Industries
We do not recommend offering money for reviews or kickbacks as that’s usually illegal, however well-intentioned. Asking for reviews, however, is not unless you’re in a medical field where reviews aren’t allowed by your regulator with big fines. We’ve recommended in multifaceted practices of medical industries where massage is allowed to ask for reviews but the doctors are not to focus on them. Your CRM software or RMTs (Registered Massage Therapists) can have signs to ask them if they enjoyed their service or link to them as this is within the guidelines of what’s allowed. Doing so creatively propels integrated health centres up ethically without violating any governing board guidelines and pushes the health clinics up to the top of rankings with top rankings. Keep in mind reviews are one of many top local SEO ranking factors.
Growing Local Business Reviews On Autopilot
For businesses uncomfortable asking for reviews, we recommend using Google Local Service Ads (LSA), which promote your Google Business Profile through verified customers to which Google pushes reviews. Not all business industries at this time are offered this, but most are. QR codes and tap cards connect people to your Google Business Review link, which is a great way to get people to do things without you asking. Many put the QR card on their door or visibly on their way out. We really like the CRM approach because it asks first how their service was good or bad, then if positive, asks them to do a review. This might be annoying when people are busy, but it’s better to know if your employees aren’t serving customers well. More so, it’s better to help customers out by improving on business efficiencies. In implementing CRM software with review tracking, call tracking, and appointment setting integrations, we’ve turned businesses into 24/7 money makers that always improve even while you sleep.
Sustainable Business Growth Through Client Experiences
We strongly believe in the kaizen philosophy of ongoing improvement. Making the customer a priority and optimizing your business service interactions is a substantial investment in your business’s long-term growth and becoming the household name you always wanted to be. Google and other local search platforms will continue to invest in this, so by doing this now, you’re actively investing in your business well into the future.