How to Manage Your Google reviews

More consumers are now turning to online reviews to help in their decision process. With Google reviews, you can enhance your online presence by making sure your business ranks well in search engine results pages (SERPs). Here’s what you need to know to make that happen.

How Google changed search results

Google now automatically aggregates and includes online reviews to display in the Knowledge Panel found on the right side of the search results. This useful panel displays information like address, hours, web address, and more.

Which review sites does Google include?

Relevant sites vary between industries. The most common sites among the healthcare industry are Google Search, Facebook, Healthgrades, ZocDoc, Vitals, RateMDs and WebMD.

To determine these sites, go to Google and type the following: “[your company name] reviews” – to locate sites that already have reviews on your business “[industry] reviews” – to determine industry reviews sites you should be listed on “[industry + location] reviews” – to find review boards where you can boost your local presence.

List the review sites you found on the first page of each search query and categorize them based on their search ranking and your company’s current rating on them.

After creating the list, write down an objective for each review site. This can range from getting listed on the site to improving your rating.

To narrow down your choices, focus your review-generating efforts on the five most popular websites on your list, especially those that include negative reviews of your business.

Getting reviews

Regardless of your objectives for managing reviews, the most important thing is for people to write reviews about your products and services. With that in mind, here are a few strategies to encourage people to rave about your business.

• Send follow-up emails You could send a short message thanking them for purchasing your product or service, with a request for a review.

• Simplify the review process Many customers skip writing reviews due to the complex steps and instructions involved. You need to simplify this process by having a review site widget that customers can easily access, asking them to comment on your service before they leave your website.

• Offer rewards for reviews Another way to encourage people to rate your business is by presenting them with a chance to win free goods or services if they submit a review.

There are a lot of steps involved in managing your online reputation, but starting early is the key to enhancing your SEO, attracting new customers, and improving your bottom line.