Managing Customer Reviews

Managing Customer Reviews on Google Business Profile (15 Things)

ByBryan Haines Hours Updated on Reading Time: 4 minutes
Storyteller Media covers SEO, online business, and marketing. When you use our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Encouraging, monitoring, and responding to new Google Business Profile reviews are crucial. Reviews are essential for your profile rank and to generate customer confidence.

This guide will make managing customer reviews easier. If you need help managing customer reviews, check out our Managed Google Business Profile service.

Managing Customer Reviews: Google Business Profile

Customer reviews on your Google Business Profile influence your business’s reputation and local SEO rankings. Use these tips to handle reviews effectively.

1. Encourage Reviews from Customers

  • Ask satisfied customers to leave a review after a purchase or service.
  • Provide instructions on how to leave a review.
  • Include a direct link to your review page in emails, on receipts, or at point of purchase (like a small sign).

Consider implementing a systematized review collection program, like the Local Reviews App. We created the Local Reviews App to make it easier to collect great reviews and improve customer service.

2. Respond to All Reviews

  • Reply to both positive and negative reviews.
  • Thank customers for positive feedback.
  • Address negative reviews politely and offer solutions where possible.

Remember that your responses are available publicly. They’ll go to your customer and can be read by future and current customers. Responding to negative reviews helps give your future customers confidence that you’re listening and concerned about customers concerns.

3. Monitor Reviews Regularly

  • Check your Google Business Profile weekly for new reviews. For larger businesses with a higher volume of reviews, daily monitoring is essential.
  • Respond promptly to show that you value customer feedback.

4. Report Inappropriate Reviews

  • Flag reviews that violate Google’s policies, such as spam or offensive content.
  • Use the “Report a Problem” option directly on the review.

Sometimes, a customer will confuse your business with a similarly named company. This doesn’t need to be reported; just let them know about the possible confusion.

Or maybe the reviewer has never done business with you. If you are confident of this, flagging the review is important. It might be a competitor attempting to harm your reputation.

5. Learn from Feedback

  • Analyze recurring themes in reviews to identify strengths and weaknesses.
  • Use customer suggestions to improve your products or services.

Maybe incorporate some of these concerns into your buying process so customers know what to expect. This can include FAQ sections, sales pages, knowledge bases, and salespeople. Mitigating expectations is an important way to reduce negative reviews.

6. Share Positive Reviews

  • Highlight positive reviews on your website or social media.
  • Use customer testimonials in marketing materials.
Managing Customer Reviews

7. Avoid Review Manipulation

  • Don’t buy fake reviews or incentivise positive feedback.
  • Stick to ethical practices to maintain trust and avoid penalties.

8. Use Review Alerts

  • Enable notifications for new reviews to stay updated.
  • Respond quickly to urgent feedback, especially complaints.

9. Personalize Responses

  • Address reviewers by name when possible.
  • Refer to specific details mentioned in their review to show genuine appreciation.

10. Provide Contact Options for Resolution

  • Offer a way for unhappy customers to contact you directly.
  • Share your email or phone number to resolve issues offline.

11. Highlight Review Efforts in Store

  • Use in-store signage to encourage reviews.
  • Display a QR code linking directly to your Google review page.

12. Train Staff on Review Management

  • Teach employees how to encourage and handle reviews professionally.
  • Empower your team to respond to reviews when necessary.

13. Stay Calm with Negative Feedback

  • Avoid responding emotionally to criticism.
  • Focus on finding solutions to improve customer satisfaction.

14. Regularly Audit Your Review Practices

  • Evaluate your approach to collecting and managing reviews.
  • Adjust your strategies based on changes in customer behavior or feedback trends.

15. Optimize for Local SEO with Reviews

  • Use keywords in your responses to align with your SEO strategy.
  • Reviews with responses can help boost your local search rankings.

This guide will make managing customer reviews easier. If you need help managing customer reviews, check out our Managed Google Business Profile service.

Why Managing Reviews Matters

  1. Builds trust with potential customers.
  2. Improves local search rankings.
  3. Provides valuable insights to improve your business.

Consistently managing your reviews ensures a positive reputation and stronger customer relationships. Stay proactive to make the most of customer feedback.

Have you set up your Google Business Profile? Congratulations! This is an essential first step to establishing your local SEO.

Need help optimizing your Google Business Profile? We offer a complete optimization service that incorporates these tips and more.

I’m an SEO and online marketer.

I’m a partner at Storyteller Media, an SEO and digital marketing agency in Nova Scotia, Canada. And I covered online business and SEO for a New York Times property for four years.

I manage content and SEO for numerous brands and companies – from local businesses to international brands. I also create at Storyteller Travel and Storyteller Tech. More about me.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ready to Increase Site Earnings?

To get started, please book a Discovery Call. You’ll learn about our services and we’ll learn about your goals and challenges. And we’ll see if your needs and our skills are a good fit. Your call will be with Bryan.

Your Discovery Call is the first step to generating more revenue with your site.

GET STARTED

If you already know what you need, you can order those services here. These services include SEO audits, new site builds, and other marketing and SEO services.