Have you ever heard the phrase, “Google is now your homepage”? Well, for businesses with a physical location or store—such as restaurants, retail shops, and entertainment venues—your Google Maps Business listing and Google My Business profile have become your homepage. Customers increasingly use this platform to discover local businesses to decide what and where to buy food, products, or specific services. So let us inform you about this important part of managing your online reputation.
Besides proximity, the first thing potential customers will check in an organic search on a search engine is your star rating. You want your search ranking to be full of positive reviews and have very few bad ones. Don’t dive into negative search results. According to MOZ, when potential customers evaluate a business, the star rating is the number one factor, followed by the volume of online reviews. Also, your star rating is only as good as your nearest competitor’s. You might be proud of your average 4.2-star rating on Google, but if you have only 150 reviews and your competitor has 500, guess who will get the click. Online reputation management and search engine optimization are key in this digital marketing world.
Customers first evaluate a business by its star rating.
So, how can I beat the competition and get a better ranking on Google Search and Maps? It’s simple: improve your Google My Business profile. It’s imperative that you ensure all your business listings on Google Maps and Google My Business are complete and accurate. To do this, you must claim and verify your Google My Business profile and update information such as business category, description, opening hours, physical business address, phone number, email address, website link, and most importantly, your address.
Ask customers to leave a review at the right time
Now that you have a complete and accurate Google Maps Business listing and Google My Business profile, you need to use the right tool at the right time to get more 5-star reviews. For example, most businesses simply ask customers to leave a review as they are leaving, hoping they will do so. But you need to make it easy for them to do it on the review platform of their choice. Having a tool that lets the customer share their feedback online is a great way to get those business reviews. Encourage customers to leave reviews on their preferred platform, but always make sure to contact customers to get reviews, such as Google reviews.
However, you must present this star-rating generation page at the right moment. This is usually just after they have completed an experience with you or purchased something from your store. If you wait too long, the customer won’t even remember you, your conversion rate will be low, and you’ll lose contact with customers. For example, when a customer orders food on your site or via a delivery app, make sure to include a QR code in the packaging inviting them to leave a star review. If you have collected their email or mobile phone number, send them an email or SMS the next day. Feedback from satisfied customers is the first step toward a positive rating.
You can also reach customers on your own website. When customers buy products on your site, order food through your online ordering system, or locate and learn about your business, it’s an ideal opportunity. To generate reviews, place a review link at the bottom of every landing page. Customers can use this review link to be redirected to write a positive review. Ultimately, this will improve your Google My Business profile.
More positive reviews improve a business’s local ranking
The trick is to systematize the process and allow customers to leave a 5-star review with ease. You need to increase the organic number you receive daily and not launch occasional online review request campaigns. The growth in positive reviews should increase steadily and not experience spikes. Your Google My Business profiles will improve your overall online ranking.
A poor consumer rating, a one-star review, or a fake review can turn your fantastic rating into an average one. Review sites like Google My Business can tell you how your business is really doing. Business reviews should never be taken personally but must be taken seriously. A single negative review will not ruin your entire online reputation. It is important to stay on top of these negative reviews and have a plan to reach out to those customers. Improve their perception of your business, show them your excellent customer service, and turn those critical reviews into five-star ones.
Ultimately, if you have a high average rating and a large number of online reviews, you will rank better in Google search and map results. This will get you more clicks to your Google Maps Business and Google My Business listings. If your digital presence is complete and accurate, you will also encourage more people to do an organic search, click, call, order, or get directions to your store.
Contact Localyser to schedule a demo and get help with star rankings on Google Maps, Google My Business, and other questions related to managing your online reputation.
