07 Oct Effective Tips for Local Review Building
Local review building is a powerful way to help your local business rank high on Google and become more discoverable. In addition, local reviews are an important factor for local organic searches that also help you amplify word-of-mouth marketing.
The number of reviews, star ratings and time of posting, etc., all together impact your ability to rank for queries. But, above all, it impacts how people look at your business and helps converts them into your business.
If you believe Google will penalize you for getting reviews for your business, here’s what it has to say:
“You can request reviews from customers through a short URL that’s specific to your business.” – Google.
So, there is no restriction from Google for asking for reviews from customers, and that’s only a policy at Yelp.
However, ensuring that you ask them for the review in the right way is essential. For example, offering monetary or other incentives in exchange for reviews may get you a dishonest or biased review.
Don’t ignore the potential of first-party reviews
Reviews play an important role in converting leads. A lot of people engage in reading reviews about the product or service they would want to buy. And that seems more genuine on the brand’s website than any third-party application.
So, make sure you embed your first-party reviews on your local pages to compel your potential customers to take the next step and trust your brand.
Moreover, schema markup can help display the star ratings in the search results to enhance your credibility.
Here are some tips for Encouraging Customers to Leave Reviews on your page:
Don’t Delay
Customers are more likely to give you a detailed review when they have a fresh experience and not after days or weeks or experiencing your services. So, make sure you follow up with them timely.
Be User-Friendly
If your emails go unread or non-responded, look out for other ways like SMS messaging as it has high opening rates.
Do not sound too salesy or approach them directly for reviews. Instead, add the same in other important emails related to their order or follow-up.
Make the Reviews Efficient.
Make the review posting process quick and easy for your customers by providing the option in a way that is straight to their eyes.
With Google My Business, users can rate by signing in to Google, selecting the stars, and leaving a comment.
You can paste the short URL or QR code for your GMB on your invoices and service emails to make the process seamless. It would show your interest in receiving feedback and work on customer satisfaction.
Local review building is underrated, but it can help you grow exponentially by building the trust of your potential customers. However, you must know how to do it the right way.
