{"id":1687,"date":"2020-04-15T12:39:32","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T16:39:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sharpinnovations.com\/blog\/?p=1687"},"modified":"2021-11-10T09:55:05","modified_gmt":"2021-11-10T14:55:05","slug":"how-to-use-google-reviews-to-your-advantage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sharpinnovations.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/how-to-use-google-reviews-to-your-advantage\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Google Reviews to Your Advantage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A couple weeks back, Google temporarily halted publishing Google My Business reviews, replies, and new listings reportedly so that Google support staff, forced by the COVID-19 quarantine to work remotely, could dedicate efforts toward \u201creviewing new listings, claims, and verifications for critical health-related businesses.\u201d (Search Engine Journal<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google has returned those features and we encourage every\nbusiness owner to take advantage of them, most especially the GMB reviews.\nGoogle reviews can boost the trust customers, and Google, has in your business.\nYou should encourage your customers to offer feedback through GMB reviews. They\u2019re\na digital version of \u201cword of mouth\u201d recommendations, a friend telling a friend\nabout the great service your company offers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Resist a Lazy Response to Google Reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be sure to thank those who post positive reviews and,\nwhenever possible, make it apparent in your reply that you have carefully read\ntheir review. Don\u2019t offer a generic \u201cthank you\u201d or just a thumbs-up. Instead,\nreference something specific to their comments in your reply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s an example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A <\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You can see we were very thankful to receive Howard\u2019s 5-star\nreview and his positive comments. When we thanked him, we were sure to mention\nhis name and that we enjoyed working on his \u201cnew site,\u201d acknowledging that he\nmentioned his new website design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Positive Negativity?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t think it\u2019s just the positive reviews that can boost\ntrust in your company. It might seem contradictory, but negative reviews can\noffer you a chance to convey the integrity of your brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you approach your reply to a negative review with\nsympathy and honesty, you present your company and brand in a positive light.\nIf you ignore a negative review, you may appear apathetic. Being argumentative\nmay appear petty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turn Negative Google Reviews into Positives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Negative Google reviews are an opportunity to validate a\ncustomer\u2019s concerns and, with a sincere apology, re-emphasize that your company\nor brand is dedicated to customer satisfaction. State that you strive to meet\nyour customers\u2019 needs and then thank the reviewer for bringing the issue to\nyour attention. Encourage them to discuss the situation offline and provide an\nemail dedicated to customer support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s an example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"negative <\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This company is using a negative review as an opportunity to\nlearn more about its customer service processes and possibly expose weaknesses\nin that department or a need to better train its staff. The owner might find\nout this customer had expectations that no one could meet, but he doesn\u2019t\nassume the fault lies with the customer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His response also tells others who might come upon this\nnegative response that this company wants to make things right. Negative Google\nreviews are a chance to turn lemons into lemonade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GMB Reviews for You<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now is a great time to take a look at the Google reviews your business has received. It\u2019s never too late to reply. Telling customers their feedback is appreciated<\/a> is timeless. If you have questions about Google My Business and how it can help your company, give us a call! Or if you’re interested in seeing how we can help you put your review acquisition process on autopilot, learn more about our Sharp Reviews reputation management solution<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A couple weeks back, Google temporarily halted publishing Google My Business reviews, replies, and new listings reportedly so that Google support staff, forced by the COVID-19 quarantine to work remotely, could dedicate efforts toward \u201creviewing new listings, claims, and verifications for critical health-related businesses.\u201d (Search Engine Journal) Google has returned those features and we encourage…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":1692,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7,3],"tags":[350,249,351],"class_list":["post-1687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-branding","category-internet-marketing","category-social-media","tag-customer-service","tag-google-reviews","tag-marketing-tips"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Use Google Reviews to Your Advantage - Sharp Innovations Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Use your Google My Business reviews as an opportunity to convey great customer service, whether they're positive or negative.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sharpinnovations.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/how-to-use-google-reviews-to-your-advantage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Use Google Reviews to Your Advantage - 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