Online reviews are a major part of managing the online reputation of your business. Since a lot of searches begin on Google, you want to know how to get Google reviews so that you can stand out in your industry. Reviews help with everything from search engine optimization to building credibility in your market and increasing the chances to gain new customers.
How to Get Google Reviews
- Ask customers directly for Google reviews
- Add a review link in your email signature
- Add signage around the store encouraging more reviews
- Hand out physical notecards with a unique shortened link
Sound tough? Trust us, it’s not that bad. We’ll take you through detailed steps for each of these tips so you can be confident in getting more reviews on Google!
Let’s get started:
1. Ask customers directly for Google reviews
If you have a ‘brick-and-mortar’ business where you’re meeting your customers in person, this one is pretty easy since you can just ask in person. But, if your business is conducted mainly online, you may have to be a little more creative.
One great way to ask customers for reviews is to send out texts and emails with your request. That way, you can gather information about their experience and ask for a new review on a device that allows them to follow a link and leave their review directly. Best of all, this works well for brick-and-mortar businesses as well as online businesses.
Here’s a great example of an email that you could send:
2. Add a Google review link in your email signature
If you’re emailing customers on a day-to-day basis, an excellent opportunity to gain more Google reviews is to provide a review link directly in every email. This way, you’re maximizing the chances that the people you interact with see your review link. It’s also a more subtle way to make your review link available than directly requesting in every single email.
Using your custom Google review link, make sure you link it as a hyperlinked text so that it’s more visually appealing, rather than typing out the exact link.
Here’s an excellent example:
3. Add signage around the store to get Google reviews
If you have a physical brick-and-mortar store, an easy way to gain more reviews is by having signs up in key locations that visitors will see. This is a much more subtle approach than directly making a request, but it does allow for some indirect engagement.
For example, some restaurants will include a line about leaving a review on Google, Yelp, or another review platform on the bottom of their menu. Or the request can be a window sticker or sign card on the door of your building so that customers will likely see it as they exit or enter.
4. Hand out physical notecards with a short link to your Google profile
Another way to take advantage of the different touch points during customer interaction is to consider having a business card with clear language that requests a Google review. It’s another subtle way to remind your customers that reviews are important to your business.
Some examples include adding a card in the waitstaff checkbook when guests are paying the bill at a restaurant. Since customers have to sign their receipt, put their credit card in, or review the tab, it’s an excellent area to easily slip in your own card inviting them to review you online. Additionally, if you’re a store, cashiers can insert cards into the bags that they place shopping items in so that customers will come across them when they unload their goods back at home.
Things to Remember
According to Google’s guidelines, businesses shouldn’t ask for reviews by offering an incentive to do so. Gaining more Google reviews should be an easy part of your marketing strategy by incorporating tips like the ones above in your frequent interactions with customers. Keep in mind all the multiple touch points you have with your customers as opportunities to ask for a review, whether that’s in person, on the phone, or through email. Remember to keep things simple, and that feedback is a great way to go about improving your business!
