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How to reply to Google reviews

by Andrew Hanson

On the Internet, reputation is everything.

It is what builds trust in potential customers and what will make you stand out from the competition.

And reviews are a very important part of your online reputation.

One of the most important review sites is Google, which allows anyone to easily leave a review of a business.

If you already have a business profile on Google, then you also have customer reviews activated on Google Maps and it’s time to get more out of them.

In addition to having (good) reviews, it is very important to know how to respond to Google reviews in a professional way.
Why is it important to answer a Google review?

Any business that has a Google Business Profile can receive reviews on Google Maps. Therefore, it is a tool that any company should use correctly.

To receive reviews on Google it is important to claim the business profile or create it. In this article we tell you all the advantages of the company profile in Google and how to optimize it.

And what are Google reviews?

They are comments that customers leave on your Google Maps profile, assessing their experience with your business. The company is rated from 1 to 5 stars and also allows you to add comments.

It is one of the most used review engines today and from which you cannot escape if you have a company profile on Google.

Although it is something imposed, Google reviews are something very positive for your business.

Surely as a consumer more than once you have looked at Google reviews to get an idea about a restaurant or business.
What are Google reviews used for?

Increase the visibility of your business
Convince potential customers
Prove that the company is real
Helps determine the personality of your company
They allow you to evaluate your business and solve problems

And for these reasons, having reviews about your business and knowing how to respond to Google reviews is extremely important.

You should know that anyone with a Gmail account can leave a review about your business, they are not verified. But Google allows you to report reviews that are fake or not directed at your business.

5 keys on how to respond to Google reviews

One of the main decision factors for potential customers, Google reviews are very important for any business.

Reviews provide credibility, which is essential on the Internet, but it also allows you to interact with customers directly through the responses.

Is it important to know how to respond to Google reviews?

According to statistics, companies that respond to reviews are 1.7 times more trustworthy than those that don’t.

 

And it is that responding to reviews serves to show that the company is active and that it is interested in the comments and experiences of its customers.

If you want to know how to respond to Google reviews so that they become a powerful tool for your business, keep reading!
#1 The customer is always right (at least on Google)

The first thing to keep in mind about responding to Google reviews is to do it in a professional manner, regardless of whether they are positive or negative reviews.

Google itself recommends leaving answers short, professional, clear and easy to read. Customer reviews on Google is not a place to be ironic or argue.

How to answer positive Google reviews?

Positive reviews are the easiest to respond to. We all like to know how well our business has done.

In this case, it’s important to be grateful and reply to all reviews (or at least try to). This shows that your company cares about its customers.

Thanking you by leaving a positive review about your business also shows that you value the time that customers have dedicated to it and surely improve the perception of your business even more.

By responding to a Google review, the user will be notified, so they will remember your company again and generate more possibilities of loyalty.

How to answer negative Google reviews?

Receiving negative reviews is something that nobody likes. In these cases, it’s important to know how Google reviews work: customers are looking to download because of their bad experience or because they’ve had a problem, possibly looking for a reaction from the company.

For negative reviews, it’s best not to start a dispute with the customer in the comments. It is always better to apologize and move the conversation to a private channel, such as email, to try to change the perception of that customer or solve their problem.
customer-reviews-on-google

But it’s not all bad news, it’s proven that having some negative reviews increases the credibility of a business. In fact, companies with an average 5 stars on Google are not perceived as the most trustworthy.

According to studies, the ideal is to be close to the average of 4.5 stars. Consumers know that perfection doesn’t exist and negative reviews bring authenticity to your business.
Remember to learn from negative reviews

In addition to knowing how to respond to Google reviews in a professional manner, it is important to use this content to evaluate the performance of your business.

The positive reviews are used to know if there is something that your customers particularly like, but without a doubt the negative reviews are the most useful for you.

As long as they are substantiated, negative customer reviews can help you uncover issues about your business that you may not have noticed.

When receiving a negative review, try to find out what caused it and how it can be avoided in the future.

#2 Personalized responses

 

One of the golden rules for knowing how to respond to Google reviews: personalize each response.

Each client wants to feel special and the best way to achieve this is by personalizing communications with each one.

In the business world, everyone knows that getting a new customer is much more expensive than keeping one, so taking care of your customers with good responses is key.

If you copy and paste the same message, you’re giving the impression that you don’t care about your customers.

What is recommended is to establish some internal rules or good practices on how to answer Google reviews, especially if more than 1 person is in charge of it.

Establishing communication rules for your business, but personalizing each message, will allow you to create a more coherent brand image.
#3 Keep in mind who you respond to

It’s important to know that responses to reviews aren’t just for customers to read. Being a public profile, your answers will also be seen by potential customers and used to determine whether or not to buy from your business.

When thinking about how to answer Google reviews, this is very important, since each answer is part of the evaluation that is made of the company.

For this reason, it is advisable to reply to all reviews and to do so in a uniform and professional manner. Try to add value with your answer and demonstrate the personality of your brand.

#4 Don’t take too long to respond!

Responding to Google reviews is important, but it’s also important to do it quickly.

Especially in negative opinions, it is important to be quick with your response to try to reverse or solve the situation.

As in social networks, immediacy is one of the most valued characteristics in a company. If a potential customer asks a question and you take too long to respond, they may lose interest.

And in customer reviews on Google, if visitors to your profile see that you haven’t responded for months, they won’t get a good impression of your company.

To ensure a short response time, we recommend that you keep an eye on emails and manage responses from the Google Maps mobile app.

In addition to reviews, remember to also respond to any questions or messages your profile may receive.

#5 Use keywords in your answers

Knowing how to answer Google reviews is important for the reputation of your business, but it is also a good place to improve the SEO position of a company.

By responding to reviews, you are communicating that you are an active company that cares about customers, so you will rank better on Google and Google Maps.

But in addition, you can use the responses from the reviews to incorporate keywords and improve the web positioning of your company. Remember not to fill your answers to customer reviews on Google with keywords, let it be natural.

The importance of reviews…

You already know how to respond to Google reviews, and if you’ve made it this far you probably know the importance of reviews for your business.

One of the main advantages of reviews is that they are free advertising for your business. Positive opinions and responses say a lot about a business, and therefore it is important to know how to respond to Google reviews in the best way.

And where to see my Google reviews?

Customer reviews on Google are only visible on your business profile on Google Maps. And although this can be very useful for those who search for you in this application, to get the most out of it, we recommend that you also integrate them into your business website.

To insert Google reviews on my website you just have to install a plugin and configure it to your liking.

You may have the best website, but without reviews on Google Maps or other review services that give your business credibility, you are less likely to receive purchases.

It’s time to get the most out of Google reviews. By integrating them into your website and responding to them appropriately, you will be able to improve your brand’s online reputation and generate more trust in customers who have not yet purchased from you and more sales.

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