Getting positive Google reviews for your business is a huge win. It feels really good when people love what you’re doing, especially when they love it enough to write about it. And this may go without saying, but when you get a positive review, it is important to thank the person that wrote it!
However, you don’t just want to respond with a short and sweet “thank you so much for the kind review.” Even though this may seem appropriate, making sure to include other specific things in your thankful response will prove to be extremely beneficial for your business in the future.
Be Sure To Include In Your Positive Google Reviews
- Include the name of your business in your response. This small touch makes readers immediately recognize that the response is coming from you, giving them a more personalized experience and helping to build trust with potential customers. Including the business name in this scenario also has a positive impact on your business’s SEO, or search engine optimization. Your business name acts as keywords, and when it is attached to a positive review, will enhance your ability to be seen when locals search for your business!
- Also, include the name of the customer. This is yet another simple way to be more personal with the customer so that they do not feel as if a robot is responding, but rather they feel truly appreciated, which keeps them returning to your business. And when you have a customer that likes you enough to come back, they are more likely to generate referrals for you.
- Restate the positive things the customer spoke about in their review when you respond. The customer may not always cite specific examples of how they were served well in their review, but when they do, it is important to find a way to reuse some of the words they used in your response. Google may then pick up on those keywords and associate them with your business when relevant online searches are made by individuals in your area.
Responding To Negative Google Reviews
One of the biggest mistakes that many company’s make is not responding to negative reviews, often because of being unsure what to say. These following tips will help handle responses like a pro.
- Keep it general with a touch of personal. Use the customer’s first name if given, but not the name of your business. Let the customer know that you are sorry to hear about his or her experience.
- Offer the customer a way to contact you so that you can speak further about the concern such as “please reach out to us at our contact email so that we may discuss further “. Such a response shows other potential customers that you care and are proactive.
- Never argue online with a customer about a review. Even if you think that there are inaccuracies, it is best to work that out with the reviewer offline. You can come back later and add to your review response what you did to resolve the issue if needed. Sometimes, reviewers will remove poor reviews if they find the company to be responsive to his or her concerns.
- If you find that a negative review is completely irrelevant to your business such as criticizing the food at an establishment that only sells clothing, not food, you can request that Google take a look to see about removal. The same applies for spam reviews or reviews that contain profanity or threatening language.
Taking the time to respond to both positive and negative Google reviews will show your current and potential customer base how your value customer interaction and aim to provide excellent customer service. And at the same time you will be making the most of opportunities to grow your business’s prominence in online search results.
For more digital tips, take a look at Why Google Business Profiles Are Important To Local Businesses.
