Word of mouth has always enjoyed a special place in our cultures across the ages. It comes on as a thing that is put forth by a trustworthy person who knows and wants our benefit. It had been influential enough to change the course of history on several occasions, for better or for worse. Google […]
Word of mouth has always enjoyed a special place in our cultures across the ages. It comes on as a thing that is put forth by a trustworthy person who knows and wants our benefit. It had been influential enough to change the course of history on several occasions, for better or for worse.
Google Reviews, or any other online reviews, are an extension of that. They are sentiments and opinions about products or services put forward by other users. Prospects can get a clear view of the service provider and make an educated decision based on that review.
Google is one of the most influential and widely recognized brands in the world. As a software and internet giant, it has introduced many products and services to help both persons and businesses to move forward in the virtual sphere.
Google Reviews are a way to share views and opinions regarding a service or product. Customers can leave reviews on designated places that are accompanied by stars, descriptions, and supporting evidence, such as photos, and so on. Since its introduction back in the day, it has become a go-to place for two distinct kinds of users, those who have just experienced service and those who are planning to go on.
Brands struggle in the online world to compete for the same pie of the market. They are reliant on buzz or chatter created around their profiles to get the users’ attention. Through Google Reviews, they can showcase the quality and overall customer experience to those who are still on the fence.
At the SEO level, Google Reviews can make and break SERPs for a brand. Google as a search engine relies on positive signals and negative signals that web pages generate. Pages with structured content and following the best Google Reviews practices can generate positive signals for the brand.
This is the crux of our blog post. Businesses need to stay on top of the developments happening in and around their niche. In terms of online profiles and brands, they should know what is the market sentiment for their brand.
Since Google Reviews form a good chunk of overall online chatter regarding businesses, it pays to have command over things that are going down on the internet.
The following sections will take a deeper look at the dynamics of monitoring and managing the Google review business.
Whether it is a small business or a large multinational conglomerate, they all thrive on steady sales with the potential to rise through expansion. For that, they need to show the audience that they are trustworthy. Since people are more akin to accepting and responding to people instead of brands and direct endorsements, Google Reviews management only becomes natural.
Social media has provided a lot of traction for sending small messages and posts to people across the globe. The same is true for Google Reviews or any kind of feedback in the virtual world.
Many times people say or do things online that they are either not qualified to paint a brand in poor light intentionally. Just because their opinion is minuscule, does not mean that they cannot damage a brand’s face and identity.
So, it is best to check for the validity of feedback you are receiving through Google Reviews. Following are some of the tips to help you get started:
Google should be lauded as a company because it provides the necessary information to stakeholders in most cases. This allows businesses to know what exactly they should do if they think they are targeted for malicious reasons.
As a manager, if you find a Google Review that is inappropriate and does not reflect the true face of your brand, you can make it clear to the tech giant when you report a review. The flagging section also has a description box where you can submit your take so that the editorial team at Google can review it and reach a decision.
After flagging inappropriate reviews, all you can do is wait and hope that the team will be able to see what you want them to see.
Irrespective of the efficiency and frequency of resolutions, Google always encourages brands to feel at home in the Google ecosystem. That’s why brands have many ways to connect to the tech giant for any persisting issues.
No brand can take it lightly when it comes to orchestrated review campaigns, malicious intent behind misleading reviews, and so on.
Companies cannot stay aloof from the online chatter and hope with their fingers crossed that everything will work out in the end. That’s why the most successful brands are the ones that are always informed about their brand perception in people’s minds and how to turn the tide in their favor in things go sideways.
Since it could take a lot of manual hours and hassle, professionals rely on dedicated online reputation management software that can help them monitor and manage brand perception from dedicated dashboards.
Reporting a review on Google is not enough. As mentioned in the previous section, if a business suspects foul play in the Google Reviews section of their brand, they can connect with Google through the support page and submit their query.
According to that page, Google claims that reviews will get the “removal” treatment if;
It is also mentioned that Google does not involve in third-party reviews.
It does not matter how high your brand’s service level is, you are sure to get negative reviews from time to time. They could be from the real customers who accidentally got a bitter end of the deal or some online users who want to have fun by fabricating lies about a brand.
Either way, the reviews are real as long as they stay on the platform. After flagging an inappropriate review, you have to wait for up to two weeks before Google could give a verdict on the situation.
Experts suggest that brands should respond to reviews, irrespective of their nature. For positive reviews, companies should display humility and thank the reviewer. This is plain and simple. But things can take a crazy turn in case of negative reviews.
Here is what to do if you receive a negative review that seems genuine:
There cannot be something inherently wrong with getting negative reviews. Sometimes, they could be genuine and offer brands a chance of retrospection. If your brand is receiving negative reviews frequently, here is what to do about it:
Now, let us go through the basics and applications of monitoring and managing Google Reviews.
Reviews hardly come in black and white. If you dig deep enough, you will find that there are always angles that brands can play to work out of sticky situations. For instance, some users would give out four stars but left a glowing description of services, pricing, and products of a brand.
This may seem misleading at best. In these situations, managers should try to understand and acknowledge the review and ask the reviewer politely to reconsider. If they can get their point through, they often end up getting more than what they ask for.
Leaving reviews to dry has not been ideal for brands, especially those who want to have a rapport with their audience and users. That’s why it is the least a brand can do.
Many times, a simple acknowledgment and appreciation can go a long way. Again, if they are positive, brands should thank the reviewer. If not, they should connect with the reviewers and make sure that the matter is resolved, one way or another.
Companies have matured in the meantime. Earlier, there were many instances when managers leading the brands would end up locking horns with the reviewers in the online world. Today, the scenario is extremely different. Now, brands are conscious about their outlook and persona.
So, no matter how the situation gets through from start to the end, it is best to stay calm and act professionally to stop it from escalating.
Reviewing is not just about leaving feedback and then either being acknowledged or contacted by the company for further dealings, depending on the review. People often leave reviews because they want to connect with the brands and want to learn more about them.
That’s why brands should adapt to changing preferences and consider reviewers as people and even potential customers for the future.
There is a simple way to manage Google Reviews for businesses without even downloading or installing new software. Google My Business is the launch pad for businesses where they can work behind the scene and manage their profile, including multimedia on their site, reviews, and so on.
As a reviewer, you can go to the Google Maps application and press the “three-line” menu button. There, click on my contributions and you can see all the reviews you left for the businesses.
There is no “end of life” date for Google Reviews. But if a review is flagged and further investigated by the editorial team of Google, the review will get deleted if it violates the guidelines forwarded by the company.
Reviews are inevitable and there is nothing a brand can do to stop a bad review from popping up on the platform. However, they can stop the situation from getting ugly. Here is how:
Brands need to be honest and straightforward about their play if they want to win disgruntled reviewers. So, it is best to start by acknowledging the review and asking them further questions. The tone and content of the replies should always be cordial and professional. Also, make sure to provide a custom reply to each message.
Here are some exceptional tips:
From the outside, it may seem like a difficult idea to cover all the bases, especially when there are many unknown variables. This article has gone through multiple angles of managing and monitoring Google Reviews and how to handle both orchestrated attacks as well as genuine criticism. Managers who are responsible for brands’ online affairs should try to automate the operations and try to combine both human and artificial intelligence. This way, they can be on top of the affairs and end up at the top of the food chain.
