Clients often ask us: “What’s one thing I can do right now to help improve my search engine optimization?” Our answer? Google Reviews. Google Reviews are a wonderful way to establish trust with potential clients/customers and improve your visibility online. Let’s take a look at how Google Reviews can impact your business and how you can attract more of them!
What’s a Google Review and Why Does it Matter?
The concept of online reviews isn’t new. In fact, sites like eBay started popularizing digital rating systems back in the late 1990s. As the world’s most popular search engine, Google adopted a system for rating businesses…the Google Review! A Google Review is essentially just an online rating based on a 5-star scale.
If you’re still skeptical about the power of a Google Review, take a look at these staggering statistics from Hosting Tribunal:
- 89% of customers won’t take action until they read reviews
- 15% of users don’t trust businesses without reviews
- Only 6% of consumers don’t trust customer reviews at all
- Google accounts for 57.5% of all reviews worldwide
- Local businesses have an average of 39 Google reviews
Google Reviews are especially crucial if you’re trying to attract clients/customers under the age of 40. According to Brightlocal, “91% of millennials trust online reviews as much as friends and family.” Whoa.
How to Ask Customers for a Google Review
Here’s the part most people get hung up on…asking for the actual review. Asking happy customers for a Google Review is one of the best things you can do to improve your SEO. I recommend working the request into your existing business process- maybe when you send out your last invoice, complete a project, or after you’ve been working together for a few months. Here’s some boilerplate language you can tailor to ask satisfied clients for a review:
As I’m sure you know, Google Reviews play an essential role in helping potential clients find our company online. I’m wondering if you’d be willing to leave a quick 5-star review for us? If so, here’s the link: ____________________.
You can find step-by-step directions on how to copy/paste your Google Review link here. If you do a Google search for your company’s name, click the 5 gold stars, then once the review box pops up, just copy the URL in your internet browser.
In Conclusion
Google Reviews are a phenomenal way to build trust with potential customers/clients before you’ve ever even met them. It’s a simple ask with a tremendous pay-off. Once you get in the habit of asking clients for Google Reviews, it starts to feel less awkward (I promise).
Did you find this article helpful? If so, please consider leaving us a 5-star Google Review at this link: https://g.page/r/CV8ZGiY8xANdEAg/review See What I did there? If you need help setting up your Google My Business profile or don’t know where to start, please contact PSM Marketing!
Sources
- https://www.brightlocal.com/research/google-reviews-study/#number-of-reviews
- https://hostingtribunal.com/blog/online-review-statistics
