These days, customers are more likely to trust a business if they see that it has been reviewed by others. That’s why reviews on Google My Business are so important. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Google My Business reviews. Our marketing agency explains the importance of reviews for local SEO and best practices for managing reviews.
What are Google reviews for?
Once you upload your business information, it will be shared with other users who can give feedback on its validity. When customers know that other people have tried and tested their products or services before buying them themselves. Even if those reviews were negative, they are more likely to trust them! The management of reviews is part of a web strategy and should not be neglected.
Google reviews serve several purposes:
- Confirm to Google that you are relevant
- Increase your credibility in the eyes of potential customers
- Create value for both you and your users
ZMOT (Zero Moment of Truth)
The first seven seconds are crucial when it comes to making a purchase decision, and Procter and Gamble found that consumers needed some sort of incentive or truth behind their product before buying. This is called “the moment of truth.”
A stimulus can be defined as something that moves you to action, such as an advertisement with attractive visuals designed specifically for advertising purposes; however, this definition also includes other types of stimuli, such as the voices of celebrities in TV commercials telling us how great certain brands are!
The new mental model of decision making is different. Digitization and technology are making consumers smarter, starting their journey in the digital world; this is called the “zero moment of truth” (ZMOT).
They search for product information anytime, anywhere before deciding which brand or store to buy from.
Elements that make for a good ZMOT
The 14 expected site elements measured as ZMOT can be a good marketing strategy for Google. They are:
- Sites have a full description of goods/services
- Sites have a picture of the goods/services
- Sites show the goods/services and people’s comments
- Sites do not contain advertising
- Sites have good privacy
- We can communicate directly with people
- The site is well designed and presented
- The site provides accurate information
- The site uses the right language
- The site provides interesting and relevant information
- The site has popular, paid domain extensions (e.g., .com, .co.id or .net)
- The site has good speed
- The site is responsive
- The site is easy to understand
Jannah, M. (2021). ZMOT marketing strategy during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Contemporary Research on Business and Management (pp. 166-169). CRC Press.
Google reviews: important according to consumer behavior
It’s no secret that millennials are a powerful consumer force. They are always connected and expect a lot from the brands they support.
Google reviews are especially important to them:
- 41% of millennials say they always or often check Google reviews before making a major purchase, and it’s not just major purchases.
- 26% say they check Google reviews before buying everyday consumer products, such as food and personal care items.
Why are Google reviews so important to millennials? They trust them more than any other type of advertising and see them as a valuable source of unbiased information. When it comes to making purchasing decisions, millennials want to be sure they’re getting the best value. Google reviews help them make informed choices and have confidence in the products and services they purchase.
Google Reviews ensure transparency and honesty
Opinions on the web about the declining effectiveness of advertising are as diverse as the people who hold them. However, there seems to be a general consensus that people are becoming less and less fooled by traditional advertising tactics and strategies. They increasingly recognize what is being done to influence them and are making choices based on the ability to connect with organizations and access their transparency. This shift in attitude is expected to have a profound impact on how advertising is created and consumed in the future.
As people become more aware of the techniques used to influence them, they will likely demand more honest and transparent communication from companies and organizations. This could lead to a more open and authentic form of marketing that focuses on dialogue and relationships rather than one-way messages. Only time will tell how this evolution will ultimately play out, but it seems clear that people are no longer content to be passive recipients of advertising messages.
A review is what your customer is really looking for
Reviews on the web are often scattered and unorganized. As a result, it can be difficult for consumers to develop a relationship with an organization. Our team defines engagement as the positive perception a user has of a brand. The brand’s interactions with others, as well as the emotional connection between the brand and the user, lead to decision making. Engagement is translated, on digital, by reviews. In order to increase engagement, it is important to focus on creating a positive perception of the brand. This can be done through effective branding and marketing, as well as maintaining a strong social media presence. By doing so, organizations can build relationships with consumers and build loyalty with their target audience.
Google reviews and local SEO?
Local SEO is an essential part of any business’ online marketing strategy. It ensures that your website is visible to potential customers in your local market, and it can also help improve your search engine ranking. One way to improve your local SEO is to encourage customers to leave reviews. These reviews can help improve your local relevance and authority, which increases the chances that potential customers will find your website when searching for local businesses. In addition, reviews can also help improve your local search engine rankings, making it easier for potential customers to find your business when searching for local businesses. Therefore, encouraging customers to leave reviews is an effective way to improve your local SEO.
Google particularly considers the following three elements to choose who appears in Google Maps:
- The address
- Your authority in the community
- Your relevance
Local SEO is a process by which businesses can improve their online visibility for searches related to their location. Reviews are an important factor in local SEO. When customers leave positive reviews about your business online, it helps improve your local relevance and outrank your competitors. Reviews are one of the most important local SEO signals, so it’s important to encourage your customers to leave reviews. You can do this by offering incentives, such as discounts or loyalty points, or simply by asking them to leave a review after having a positive experience with your business. Remember, the more positive reviews you have, the more likely you are to rank well in local SEO results.
What to do if you have a negative Google review?
Negative reviews are never fun, but they can actually be a great opportunity to show your potential customers that you care about your customers.When negative reviews happen, it’s an opportunity to be transparent and respond to what the consumer is looking for. You can use this opportunity to let everyone know how you are working to improve the situation.It is also an opportunity to show that you are active on your social media channels and are striving to be better. In the end, potential customers will see that you are a company that cares about its customers and is always looking to improve its services. So don’t despair when you receive a negative review: use it as an opportunity to show your excellent customer service!
Avoid double deflection
Marketing researchers have long sought to understand the effect of service recovery on consumer trust. Kim et al. (2004) defined trust restoration as ”activities aimed at making a funder’s trust beliefs and intentions more positive after a perceived violation has occurred.” In the service restoration literature, some studies (e.g., Choi and La 2013; DeWitt, Nguyen, and Marshall 2008; Kau and Loh 2006; Weun, Beatty, and Jones 2004; Tax, Brown, and Chandrashekaran 1998) focus on the effects that perceptions of the justice of a recovery effort have on trust. Although trust recovery is not the focus of these studies, they identify the effects of service recovery on consumer trust. These studies suggest that service recovery can be an effective way to build customer trust.
A negative review can spread quickly and cause serious damage to your business. But if you’re proactive in monitoring your online reputation, you can quickly address negative reviews and turn them into positive opportunities. By responding to customer complaints quickly and professionally, you demonstrate your commitment to providing the best possible experience. And in many cases, you can even turn an unhappy customer into a loyal one.
Conclusion
It is obvious that in order to have a good local SEO and get more sales through Google my business, it is necessary to take into account the consumption habits of our customers. Knowing how we can get new reviews and respecting some good practices are essential to succeed. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need help to start your Google reviews.
