Managing Google My Business Profile Reviews With Semalt
Learn how to manage your Google Business Profile reviews that can save your local ranking and entire search engine optimization efforts. If you're like most people, you prefer to work with businesses you trust. That's why we ask the opinions of our friends and family when looking for a particular business, product, or service.
When no one around us can give a convincing response, we go online to check reviews. Checking online reviews has become an integral part of a buyer's journey, so much so that 77% almost always of customers read online reviews.
The importance of reading reviews also seems to grow as the price or risk of buying a product or service goes higher.
Focus on Google Business Profile
Yes, there are dozens of sites that offer reviews like Yelp, Facebook, Better Business Bureau, and many more. Because Google pulls in most web searches, there is a high possibility that your customers will see your Google Business Profile alongside its reviews at the center or top of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
It is important for local businesses to have a GBP that shows a good reputation and a solid 5-star review.
Why Do Reviews Matter In GBP
Online reviews are important to local businesses for several reasons.
The first reason is probably that customers rely on online reviews to show them what using a product is like. They use them to choose which products and services are best suited for their needs.
According to BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Study, 92% of consumers say seeing a negative review reduces their chances of using a business. Additionally, 79% of consumers say they consider reviews just as much as personal recommendations from their friends or family.
According to WhitesParks's 2021 Local Search Ranking Factors report, reviews can impact the local organic rankings of a business. Over the years, these reports have shown a steady increase in the perceived importance of reviews.
These are clear markers that show the importance of reviews on your GBP and that having all 5 stars does more than decorate your profile. They have an impact on what searchers think about your business, and they can affect their purchasing decision right from your GBP.
In summary, reviews can:
- Make your business Profile Knowledge Panel stand out more to searchers because of the Review Snippet.
- Reviews show what keywords are most mentioned when referring to your brand or product. Luckily for you, all you have to do is check your Google Business Profile reviews.
- If you're using the Google Maps App, you get more details in your Review Snippet.
Therefore, you should try your very best to make your customers happy, so they leave 5-star reviews on your GBP.
How To Access Reviews in Your Google Business Profile
There are three ways to manage reviews on your GBP. Since most retail businesses or merchants have only one GBP account, Google has made it easier to manage your accounts directly from Google search.
Secondly, you can access your business profile from the Google Maps App.
Last but not least, you can manage your GBP using the Business Profile Manager.
Pro tip: Google has declared that it will be retiring the Google My Business app in 2022, which means you have to figure out which one of these three methods to use in managing your GBP.
How to get your reviews on Google Search
- Step 1: Search for your business name or enter the words [My Business] in your Google search bar.
- Step 2: Your Business Profile manager panel should appear on the left-hand side. At this point, you can manage your profile.
- Step 3: to get your reviews, click on "Customers" then "Reviews." You cannot manage your reviews in Google search.
Note: when using this method, you must be logged into your Business Profile email account.
How To Manage Your Google Business Profile From Google Maps App
You can access your GBP from the Google Maps app using your smartphone or tablet.
Note to do this; you need the Google Maps App.
- Step 1: you can either search for your business name or click on the account menu and then click your "Business Profile" on the app.
- Step 2: click on customers and reviews. From here, you should be able to see all your reviews and manage them.
How To Manage Your Google Business Profile Using the Business Profile Manager
This is the preferred way to manage your GBP reviews when dealing with multiple Business Profiles.
- Step 1: Click on the business profile you want to manage and click review.
Setting Up Alerts For When You Recieve New Reviews
Knowing when a new review has been added can always be useful. You can set up email notifications whenever you receive a new review. If you use Google search to manage your profile, you should be able to see a notification of new reviews in your Business Profile panel.
If you use the Maps App to manage your profile, you will also receive an alert for new reviews.
On the Business Profile Manager tool, log into your Business Profile Manager and click on the business with the notification. You can also click the email you received using your desktop. Next, you click reviews to see the new review.
Reviews For Services And Businesses Are Different
Normally, when a customer leaves a review for your business, they are represented by stars, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest depending on what the customer thinks you deserve.
There is also a place where customers can leave comments and tell other viewers what their experience was with your business. Finally, they can attach a photo using the camera icon below the comment box.
However, if you have a Service Area Business (SAB), the nature of your business requires you to go out and meet your consumers at their location. For example, a cable company, pest control, or an interior decorator. In this case, the process for a customer to leave a review changes.
In many cases, the client can relate to certain aspects of the services you rendered, and these services are displayed directly on the business profile review form. So they can select aspects of your services that they found impressive, and it will be considered as a review.
When reviewing services, the reviewer selects their overall star rating for the business; then google asks how much they enjoyed using the business.
Next, the customer is shown a list of services where they can choose which one they used. Finally, the reviewer gives their review and can upload a photo if they want to.
The services displayed in the review form come from the company's Google Business Profile service list, their website, and the standard list of services they offer gotten from the categories chosen or other authoritative sources.
Pro tip: if you offer any service that isn't listed on the review form which you would like to show, you can add it to your service list in your Business Profile Manager.
Improve Your Business from Studying Service Reviews
Having to review information as detailed as this from your customers puts you at an advantage. You can use this information to figure out your strengths, weaknesses, and how to improve.
Firstly, your service review shows you what words your target audience frequently mentions in their reviews. By sorting your reviews (newest, most relevant, highest, lowest), you can see everything.
How to Read and Reply to Reviews
When customers take out time to leave reviews for your business, you should always try to give a response. When writing a review, about 20% of customers expect a response from the business.
Reviews from buyers give an accurate description of how your business is doing. And sometimes, reviews can be bad. You may not like them, but they are important indicators of what you are doing incorrectly.
In some cases, negative reviews are a mistake from a customer, so responding to them and explaining things may convert a bad review to a great one. By replying, you can turn an unhappy customer into a happy one.
Steps on how to edit or delete a reply you made to a review
If you would like to edit or delete your reply on a comment, here is how to do it:
- Step 1: click on the reply
- Step 2: Click the three dots next to the reply
- Step 3: Select the option that says edit or delete, depending on what you want to do.
This method always works.
Final Note
Google Business Profile reviews matter, but you should also try to have good reviews on other review sites. Google itself sometimes shows reviews from other websites in a business knowledge Panel.
So this article has taught you how to manage your review, and even though Google is the powerhouse of reviews, it is important to have a good image on other review sites.
If you need to learn more about the subject of SEO and website promotion, we invite you to visit our Semalt blog.