The Correct Way to Request Google Reviews
Make a list of your satisfied customers, then encourage someone in your firm who interacts with them regularly to contact them and request a review.
Make leaving a review as simple as possible for your customers.
Google reviews can work wonders for your company. They can increase your credibility and reputation, as well as demonstrate that you’re as badass as you think you are. What person wouldn’t desire that?
Aside from that, gathering feedback on Google My Business might genuinely help your SEO.
Google My Business is a free tool that allows you to promote your company on Google Search and Maps.
Use Google My Business to manage what appears in your firm’s search results and to observe how your consumers engage with your company on Google.
It’s also a location where clients may provide feedback about your company.
The Reputation Booster Platform can Connect to GMB & Facebook Business.
What role do reviews have in SEO?
Yes, you may believe that a review that says, “I liked their cheese pizza, it was great,” is completely meaningless. But consider it this way.
Link building is the process of obtaining backlinks from other businesses. When a search engine crawls and finds these backlinks, it informs Google that the material on the linked webpage is reliable and useful.
When compared to reviews, it appears to be the same thing. A favorable review will indicate to Google that your company is genuine and trustworthy, giving you an extra point on your SEO score.
The local ranking variables listed here provide even more evidence of the importance of Google reviews (and reviews altogether).
Furthermore, the more favorable reviews you get, the more stars you get, which means more visitors. People prefer websites that have been recommended by others!
User experience, click-through rate, and how others perceive your business are all affected by reviews.
Here are some facts that demonstrate the importance of internet reviews:
- More than any other review site, 63.6 % of shoppers are likely to check Google reviews of a business before visiting their website (Yelp, Facebook, etc).
- An online review has encouraged 94 % of individuals to avoid a firm entirely.
- 90% of customers examine 10 or fewer internet reviews before deciding whether or not to trust your company.
- Positive customer feedback can boost conversions by 270 %
Buyers and consumers nowadays look at reviews to validate your goods or service. Reviews can assist your firm stand out among competitors and provide insights into what your organization is doing effectively and where you may improve.
Unfortunately, you can’t just collect a few reviews and be done with it; 85% of consumers don’t trust reviews made more than three months ago, and 40% will only look at reviews written in the recent two weeks.
This is why it is critical to ask your consumers for Google reviews frequently. The social proof is in the numbers; now it’s just a matter of acquiring them!
But how do you go about asking existing or recent consumers to post a review?
How to Increase Your Google Reviews
Simply put, just ask!
When it comes to asking for a review, don’t be vague. The best way to get a response is to send them a direct email with your request.
However, there are a few things to consider before requesting a consumer to post a review on Google.
Which customers should you ask?
While it may seem like a good idea at first, don’t send a review request to every single client you have.
You want to solicit evaluations from your satisfied customers since they are the most content with your firm, and their reviews can turn them into brand ambassadors for your organization.
You don’t want to risk getting a bad review, so think carefully about to whom you’re sending a review request.
Monitoring who is talking about your items on social media is a wonderful method to uncover brand evangelists. If they’re already saying nice things to their friends and followers, they’re more likely to post a positive review for you!
When should you request a review?
The secret to earning favorable ratings from your consumers is to ask them at the proper time. They are more inclined to submit a review if you have demonstrated your value to them in some way.
Here are some fantastic times to solicit feedback from your customers:
Customer milestones may appear little, yet they are the ideal opportunity to request a review. Milestones can include events such as:
- When a customer returns to your store and purchases something.
- When they have utilized your service for a certain period.
- When consumers earn a loyalty program discount because they have purchased your things a certain number of times
These anniversaries are most likely an indication that your clients love the items or services you provide. When your consumers demonstrate that they love doing business with you, there is no better moment to ask for a review.
Following the Release of New Features
If your products or services receive new features that make your customers’ life simpler, it’s a good idea to request a review a few weeks or months after the features are released.
When You Check In With Customers
Your customer service representatives should follow up with consumers regularly to see how they are liking your products or services. This encourages verbal input from the customer and allows your customer service representative to assist them with any additional concerns.
If there are no concerns or if the customers’ problems have been resolved, now is an excellent moment to request a review so that people can share their fantastic experiences.
When the Product is Shipped
When they receive a package in the mail, most people feel excited. The moment a customer opens their product is an excellent time to solicit feedback.
If you send packages to customers, you may include a pleasant note in the package asking them to leave a review. A great handwritten message, an eye-catching card, or anything that strikes your customer’s eye increases your chances of earning a review from them.
Following the completion of a service or the sale of a product
When assisting consumers over the phone or in person, it is a good practice to request a review once the phone conversation or transaction is complete. If your clients’ demands are well satisfied and you give excellent service, they are likely to leave a review, especially if it is still fresh in their memories.
What to Include in an Email When Requesting a Review
Once you’ve decided the who and when to your review requesting strategy, it’s time to get drafting. Be sure to keep these best practices in mind when asking your customers to review your business.
1. Personalize your message.
Make your consumer feel special – you’re not going to receive a review if you send a boring, desperate email asking for a review. (And if you do, congratulations.)
Personalize your email to clients by incorporating their first name, the name of their firm, and perhaps a specific product or service that they used.
If you use HubSpot’s personalization tokens, personalizing an email will take no more time while still having a significant influence on your consumers.
Remember to retain a casual tone when asking for a review – being desperate or needy will only turn off clients. Nobody enjoys a pushy individual!
2. Keep It Brief
The most important thing to remember when asking for a Google review from a customer is to keep it brief, concise, and to the point. You’re already asking them to take the time to submit a review, so don’t waste their time by making them read an email book.
Your email should thank them for their business, explain why you’re asking for a review, and let them know how long it should take.
3. Include a link to a review
Make it as simple as possible for your customers to post a review by providing a link!
If you ask for a review but don’t provide a link they can simply click on, they’re unlikely to take the extra time to find your Google My Business account and leave one.
You may quickly construct a Google review link that will instantly redirect your consumer to a page with a review form.
An easier way is to use the Reputation Booster Platform to create and set up a Video Review Campaign with QR Code Triggers.
4. Experiment with different messaging to find your sweet spot.
You never know what messaging will work until you attempt it. Different emails should be sent to different customers, and the outcomes should be tracked and compared.
However, keep in mind that each email should be tailored to each unique customer. Not every consumer is the same, and you don’t want to treat them as such.
Use your best-performing messaging as a general guideline for writing review request emails later on.
This A/B testing strategy will help you identify and secure your top-performing email template for future use, ensuring (hopefully!) new reviews with each send.
Email Templates to Request Google reviews
Now that you’ve learned some recommended practices, you’re ready to write your email and start generating Google reviews for your company.
Here are a few generic templates to help you get started!
1. Product Evaluation
Hello [FIRST NAME],
Thank you for purchasing [TYPE OF PRODUCT] from [YOUR COMPANY NAME] recently! We appreciate your business and see you as a valued customer.
Customer satisfaction is incredibly important to us, and we’d love to know how you feel about your product after using it for yourself!
We’d be grateful if you could take a few moments to post a review on Google [INCLUDE LINK] for us.
Simply click the button below to submit your review and let us know what you think!
[INSERT CTA/BUTTON WITH LINK TO GOOGLE REVIEW]
Thank you ahead of time for taking the time to leave a review!
If you have any concerns or would want to speak directly about your [TYPE OF PRODUCT], please contact us at any time [INCLUDE LINK].
Sincerely,
[YOU/YOUR SALES REPRESENTATIVE’S NAME]
2. Service Evaluation
Hello [YOUR AMAZING CUSTOMER],
We appreciate your recent [TYPE OF SERVICE] with [YOUR COMPANY NAME]. We greatly appreciate all of our customers that come to us for assistance, including [CUSTOMER’S COMPANY NAME]!
Customer happiness is incredibly important to us, so please share your thoughts about your recent service! If you have a few minutes, we would appreciate a quick Google review [INCLUDE LINK] to let us know how [we/name of the employee who worked with them] performed.
Click the link below to leave your review and let us know what you think!
[INSERT CTA/BUTTON WITH LINK TO GOOGLE REVIEW]
Thank you ahead of time for taking the time to leave a review!
If you have any questions or would like to speak with someone directly about your [TYPE OF SERVICE], please contact [INCLUDE LINK] at any time.
Sincerely,
[YOU/YOUR SALES REPRESENTATIVE’S NAME]
3. Experience Evaluation
Hello, [NUMBER ONE FAN],
How did you like your experience at [YOUR COMPANY NAME]?
We’re always searching for ways to enhance our service, and we welcome hearing from our guests about what they liked best.
Do you have three minutes to provide us with a Google review [INCLUDE LINK]? We’d be thrilled to read it!
Simply click the button below to submit your review and let us know what you think!
[INSERT CTA/BUTTON WITH LINK TO GOOGLE REVIEW]
Thank you ahead of time for taking the time to leave a review! If you have any questions or want to come back and enjoy [TYPE OF EXPERIENCE], please contact us [INCLUDE LINK] at any moment.
Best wishes,
[YOU/YOUR SALES REPRESENTATIVE’S NAME]
5 More Proven Techniques for Requesting More Google Ratings
While emails are your best bet for engaging with consumers and soliciting reviews, there are a few other strategies you could consider if they apply to your business.
1. Ask in Person.
If you regularly meet with consumers and clients in person, you have the option of asking them in person. Although it may appear to be easy to simply provide a link later, asking in person may be more effective.
When you ask for a review in person, it’s a good idea to have a card or other piece of collateral with the Google review link on it to hand over to your customer. This serves as a reminder in case they later forget about the review.
2. Include Review Links in Several Locations
Long chats with all of your consumers may not always be possible. Include requests for evaluations on various business collateral, your website, a bulletin board, or other objects that are used daily.
For example, if you run a coffee shop, you may place a request for feedback anywhere on your coffee cup.
3. In your newsletters, request reviews.
Newsletters are ideal for including review requests. They help you to keep your customers and prospects up to speed on what’s going on with your company, and reviews allow them to tell you what’s going on with them.
Make the portion where you ask for feedback modest but visible, with a CTA that reads something like, “Tell us your favorite thing about your most recent experience with our business.”
4. Make a mention of it on social media.
Many people spend the majority of their time on social media. If your company spends time on social media communicating with clients, you may find success by soliciting genuine evaluations on social media networks.
Consider including a review link in your bio or directly on one of your posts to encourage people to click and write a review.
5. CTAs should include review requests.
Incorporating calls for reviews on CTAs throughout your website is an excellent approach to indirectly get feedback. You can incorporate many touchpoints on your homepage, blog, or page with your menu or merchandise. As you begin to see an uptick in Google reviews, make sure the CTA is relevant to the touchpoints.
It is fantastic to get great feedback from customers. It gives you the impression that you are conducting your business correctly.
Respond directly to your consumers who leave reviews to go above and beyond. This shows them that you value their input.
Did you also know that responding to reviews can help your SEO?
It can! Google encourages businesses to reply to reviews on the Google My Business support page because it shows that you value and appreciate consumer feedback.
“High-quality, positive evaluations from your customers will raise your business’s visibility and increase the possibility that a potential consumer will visit your location.”
If Google says to do it, you should probably do it.
While other SEO efforts are focused on achieving the top spot in search results, obtaining high-quality company reviews can help develop credibility for your brand.
Focus on your satisfied clients to get great feedback for your company. Soon, you’ll have those five lovely stars next to your business search results, which customers adore.
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