How To Attract New Customers Consistently Using Google Reviews in 2024

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Let’s face it, Google Reviews has come to stay, at least for now. Any business that can’t get new customers through the door will surely suffer someday, no matter how good and efficient your services are.

Your old customers could change base, run through hard times, want to try your competitor, take advantage of competitor offers, or simply stop patronizing your business for some weird reason.

Attaining and/or retaining top ranking on Google Maps is an ongoing process, not a one-off thing. Google expects customers to leave reviews after every visit to your business. So even if you just realized the importance of Google Reviews and started using it, you should make plans to make it a continuous process.

So to ensure the future of your business is secure and keeps getting a steady flow of new clients, you must develop strategies that keep bringing in new customers through the door like clockwork.

One strategy which we have deployed for our digital marketing clients, that has helped to get new clients for them on a consistent basis is the Google reviews and ratings on their websites, social platforms, or reviews platforms.

Here are some statistics to show the importance of having Google reviews and ratings for your business and products:

Nearly nine out of ten consumers read reviews before making a purchase (Trustpilot).
62 percent of consumers say they will not buy from brands that censor online reviews (Trustpilot,).
79 percent of shoppers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations (BrightLocal, 2020).
Google Maps is the most popular online review platform. 59 percent of consumers use it to read reviews (Bizrate Insights, 2021).
54.7 percent of consumers read at least four reviews before buying a product (Bizrate Insights).
Eight in ten consumers consult online reviews for local businesses (BrightLocal)
The latest online review statistics show that the conversion rates of product pages with reviews are up to 3.5 times higher than those that don’t (Bazaarvoice, 2018).

Ratings and Reviews are a great opportunity for businesses to build trust by connecting with their customers online, which is a very important element of successful businesses. It tells those still in the stage of research what your former and present clients think about your business and its services.

How To Attract New Customers With GMB Ratings & Reviews

When prospective clients are in need of the type of services you provide, the first thing they do is to carry out an online search for the keyword. For example, a visitor to Brooklyn or one whose former preferred place of dining somehow got pissed off will carry out a quick Google search for “best restaurant in Brooklyn”, or “best restaurant near me”.

When they carry out this search on Google, for instance, they will be presented with a map of the area. Just beneath that, they will see about 3 top-rated businesses related to the keyword they queried, WITH THEIR STAR RATING.

The Human instinct in all of us naturally draws us towards the businesses with the highest ratings and reviews, and they naturally click on the top results. They are then taken to the Google My Business (GMB) ratings and reviews page for the top listed businesses.

The next thing they do is to read the Google reviews and ratings left by former clients. If it’s positive, they are impressed, then they click and follow the Google Map and land at your business premises. Otherwise, they can also click to call you immediately, depending on the type of business.

Attract New Customers For Your Business With Google Reviews

This is what you want; This is where you want to appear – towards the top GMB page results and to have positive ratings and reviews that tell prospective clients that your services were loved by those that had patronized you.

On the flip side, you also want to avoid negative reviews. Though the majority of this is up to you and your staff to deliver good service, you also have to keep an eye on negative reviews left by competitors. There are many reports of envious competitors dropping negative reviews on your GMB to scare away your clients.

A quick look through Google using search engine optimization tools like Ahrefs or Webtimizer will show you the high number of daily searches by users searching for your kind of services. These are daily search statistics, representing possible new customers for you daily.

Ahrefs traffic count

Three things you have to take away from this:

1. Your GMB needs to appear towards the top of search results.
2. You need your GMB to be filled with positive reviews.
3. You need to have a laid down strategy to deal with negative customer Google reviews and ratings or those of envious competitors.

Let’s take an in-depth look at these strategies:

How to Rank Your GMB On Top of SERPs

People rarely go beyond the top when doing a google search. According to Bizrate Insights, 2021, 59 percent of consumers use Google to read reviews online making it the most popular review platform.

In trying to attract new customers, there’s a lot that you could do in order to increase the way your business appears in local results. Below are a couple of Google My Business SEO tips.

1. Find & Fix Duplicate Google My Business Listings

Duplicate listings are of major concern because they can compete against your business to be discovered in local search results. Most of the time Google does not know which of the listing is the main one.

They might even serve the duplicate which might not be well optimized and that can affect the way your company is perceived in search results and how potential clients perceive the value of your services.

To fix this, ensure you merge both listings snd move the reviews on the duplicate into the main GMB listing. See how to do that with this Google tutorial.

2. Optimize Your Profile for Search

Making sure you optimize the performance of your GMB Profile gives your company an advantage, allowing potential customers to discover and select your company over the competition.

After having discovered the advantages of GMB SEO (sometimes called Google Map listing optimization) let’s go over some basic steps you can follow to ensure that your business is able to show out and shine on local search listings.

a) Add Photos

Images are the most effective way to provide potential customers a glimpse of your business, and also to encourage them to come to visit in person.

Alongside covering photos and logo, I suggest you take into consideration the following kinds of images:

Exterior Photos: Photograph your storefront from a variety of angles so that it is easy for your customers to identify your company. If you’re open both night and daytime hours, post photos of both.
Interior Photos: Make sure that people can see what’s inside your shop. Record the ambiance they’ll experience while they’re there.
Product Photos: Send photos of your most loved products to potential customers.
Action photos: Capture your staff members interacting with customers, offering assistance with a smile, or helping them choose the perfect present. Add these to your Google reviews.
Food & Drink Photos: Make sure to share photos that attract attention to the food you’re making.
Common Areas: Do you have a stunning lobby? Comfortable couches in your bookstore? Let your customers know how it feels to relax at your place.
Images of Team: Photos of you as well as your staff members can add a personal touch and make you feel like a friend before the customers ever step foot through the door.

Image Optimization Tips: You can use geotags to signal to Google about your location which gives you an edge to attract new customers. Also, incorporate your business keywords as the photo file name. The photos should be high-resolution and without filters.

b) Add Your Products & Services to GMB

selling on google my business

The addition of services and products to the Google My Business profile allows you to highlight your offerings and boost interactions with customers. It’s particularly helpful to add products and services when your company’s name does not adequately describe what you offer.

When it comes to SEO is concerned, this extra data gives Google an opportunity to assess the degree to which your company is in line with searches in your area.

3. Engage With Your Customers

After you’ve set your GMB profile for the best search results, you’re now ready to start the process of creating an engaging and memorable experience for existing customers as well as customers to-be.

To do this:

a) Post regularly on your Google profile

Posting regularly is a great way to keep everyone informed and up to date with what’s going within your business. You can post your business events, offers, and announcements on your Google profile.

Make sure you add images or videos to your posts. Your title should be catchy and not more than 58 characters. Your post description should be as short as possible and use a call to action.

b) Ask & Answer Questions

gmb Ask & Answer Questions

Being able of asking questions to get them answered could be the key to the decision of a client to choose your company over one of your competitors. You can even stylishly ask them to write a review on Google to support you.

Create your own questions to ask them, reply and upvote on your profile. Not only is this permitted by Google but they even encourage it. Do you want to know what’s more beneficial? Make sure to keep your keywords in mind when you are asking or answering questions. But don’t stuff your keywords.

Get Our GOOGLE MY BUSINESS OPTIMIZATION Here

How to Attract New Customers With Positive Ratings and Reviews

#1. (Shamelessly)Request Google reviews

Directly interacting with satisfied, happy clients and asking to write a review on Google is among the most effective ways to increase reviews on Google reviews for the business. Help those that do not know how to use google my business.

Don’t be afraid to get imaginative Here! While directly asking to review your service during a pleasant conversation can be effective, customers appreciate it when you go the extra mile, also. This brings us to the next method.

#2. Create Appealing Leave-behinds

After you complete a work, it is important to invite them to share this feedback online and to keep your company at the forefront of their minds for any future recommendations. What can you do to accomplish this in a stylish and modest manner? That’s where leave-behinds come into play.

Leave-behinds refers to the content that you produce for marketing that you can leave behind to the customer so they can remember your business. Imagine it as an invitation card, but only to get reviews.

A well-designed review card in this package can give your customers who are happy the opportunity to share their appreciation online. Keep your message brief and easy in this example. Here’s an easy template to build on:

Did you find our service satisfactory? Write a customer review on Google!

When you leave a review on Google, you’re helping other people within your neighborhood get our help when they require them. Your feedback can also help us improve our services so that we can better serve you!

Do you have time? Send us a testimonial for you at the [short link / QR code[shortened link/QR code].

Have a wonderful day!

#3. Create a Google Review Email Campaign

Google Review Email Campaign

If you are collecting customer data ensure that you have emails from them. If you already have databases of your client’s email addresses. You can send emails to your customers to leave a review on your Google My Business profile.

#4. Make use of Google’s Resources

Google provides a variety of sources for small-scale business owners to assist them in achieving their local SEO objectives. You can create a unique Google Review link and share it directly with your customers. You can also integrate it into your blog or share it on social.

Leverage the Google My Business Marketing Kit. It is a no-cost and useful tool for Google account holders for downloading and distributing marketing materials to their clients. It is also customizable according to the type of platform you are sharing it.

Positive Google Reviews Examples That Attracts New Customers

Sample #1.

Very helpful service

I had an LG phone for a couple of years without issue, and would buy another right now if they still had removable batteries.
On the two occasions I contacted support, they were exceptionally polite, and went out of their way to explain the steps I needed to take to achieve my goals.

Sample #2.

The Host you need the most.

Ever since I needed a host I shopped for one and the one I found was Bluehost. Everything they do from easy to use sight to always answer your question, they go the extra mile. Thanks so much

Sample #3.

I love some of their clothes

I love some of their clothes. Communication were good. and my parcel was delivered on time.

If your GMB had few customer reviews, you need to ask for more. You need to work out a strategy to be getting new reviews like clockwork. Consider it as part of your service to ask for satisfied customer reviews.

Check Our GMB Management Service

How to Deal With Negative Google Reviews and Ratings

dealong with Negative Google Reviews

Apologize and thank them for their reviews. Negative feedback can be an opportunity to improve your performance. Thank the person who gave feedback as well as let them know that you’ve received their feedback.
Be kind. This is a public discussion. Refusing to be defensive can be a negative reflection on your customer service abilities. Avoid arguing with your customers as well as blame them for the problem.
Make the conversation private. Thank them publicly for their feedback, and inform them that you’ll get in touch with them directly to solve the problem. Do not immediately contact them directly with a direct reply. If you do then the rest of the world will think you’re not paying attention to their concerns.
Keep the message short and sweet. There’s no need to provide a lengthy response. Make sure you are polite and concise, it’s a simple way to attract new customers.

Negative Reviews Examples

Here are some curated negative reviews response examples:

Sample #1.

DO NOT ORDER

DO NOT ORDER, this is a serious review. THEY ARE Horrible WHO SEND SOME THIRD RATED PRODUCT OF ABSOLUTELY DIFFERENT COLOUR, CHEAP MATERIAL

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. I was a fool to order even after reading few reviews. You guys don’t do that mistake

If you see their product will have no Google reviews and the number is not reachable.

Sample #2.

Really disappointing. Avoid

Really disappointing. Shoes didn’t fit and they didn’t have them in my size. I tried to exchange for a different pair but they blocked me at every turn making it impossible. I was happy to exchange for more expensive shoes but they just wanted to make the deduction from my refund as profit with no regard for customer service. They didn’t answer any of my questions and just repeated the same line over and over.

Sample #3

The voice text program is total crap.

I had an LG phone years ago and I remember that it had a great camera. So I chose to get one recently. And yes it has a great camera but the voice text program is total crap! It only puts down what it thinks it hears. There are no contextual Clues. I can never leave a voice text without having to go back and correct it. My Samsung phone was 10 times better and ten times cheaper.

Importance of Ratings and Reviews To Get New Customers

google Ratings and Reviews

1. Reviews help you find your way on the internet

When you type in a search term for a company it shouldn’t take time to discover what others are saying about the business. It’s likely to be among the first results that people are presented with.

Google considers reviews from multiple websites into consideration in determining the order of companies it shows when it comes to local search results. According to the LocalSEO Guide, online Google reviews and particular keywords impact the visibility of local search engines greater than every other aspect.

2. Reviews can boost your business’ credibility

The people who write reviews do not have anything to gain or gain or. They have had an experience, either good or bad, and would like to share it with others. What’s more? people will be listening. Indeed, research shows that around 90 percent of people are as trusting of online reviews as personal suggestions.

3. Reviews impact purchasing decisions

Before investing time and money in your company, the majority of consumers conduct their own research. There’s something to be said about getting the experiences of others about the company before you attempt the idea yourself. About 70 percent of customers are influenced by reviews on the internet. When buying a product, dining in a new establishment, or conducting business with firm consumers read reviews written by competitors and then take them into account.

4. Review responses prove that your company cares

People are watching what other people have to say about your company But they’re also scrutinizing the way you respond to it. If they’re negative or positive reviews, does your company make the effort to respond? Nearly 80 percent of customers believe that businesses care about their customers more if you respond online to your reviews rather than those who don’t.

Be aware that your response to your review and how you deal with them is equally important as the reviews themselves! You can’t ignore this if you are serious about attracting new customers.

5. Reviews are a valuable source of feedback

google reviews feedback

There’s a lot to learn from the reviews that have been left by your company. What do customers like about your business? And what are they not impressed with? Reviewing your business’s reviews will help you to do more of the positive and less of the negative.

6. Reviews create trust among customers

Reviews are an excellent way to interact with your clients and create a trust that is a key element of any business that is successful. If your customers notice the reviews you post and make use of them to improve your business, they’ll be confident that your company will deliver on its promises.

Positive reviews that promote your business’s goals and core values can assist potential customers to understand what kind of business you run.

7. Reviews can help with word-of-mouth marketing and referrals

We’ve been talking about Google reviews for business and ratings as formal reviews found on review sites and directories. However, we also believe it’s crucial to highlight the more casual conversations you can find on social media sites -the commentary and discussion posted about your company.

“Word of Mouth” typically happens over time after your company has been recognized and had people talking about your business. The more conversations, particularly positive, the better the word-of-mouth marketing recommendations you could be receiving for your company.

In Conclusion

To ensure the future of your business is secure and keeps getting a steady flow of new clients, you must develop strategies that keep bringing in new customers through the door like clockwork. One of such strategy is by creating a Google profile and getting Google reviews.

Statistics show that:

Nearly nine out of ten consumers read reviews before making a purchase (Trustpilot).
Eight in ten consumers consult online reviews for local businesses (BrightLocal)

How To Attract New Customers With GMB Ratings & Reviews

Three things you have to make sure you get is this:

Your GMB needs to appear towards the top of search results.
You need your GMB to be filled with positive reviews.
You need to have a laid down strategy to deal with negative customer Google reviews and ratings or those of envious competitors.

Let’s take an in-depth look at these strategies:

How to Rank Your GMB On Top of SERPs

1. Find & Fix Duplicate Google My Business Listings

Duplicate listings are of major concern because they can compete against your business to be discovered in local search results.

To fix this, ensure you merge both listings snd move the reviews on the duplicate into the main GMB listing.

Optimize Your Profile for Search

Making sure you optimize the performance of your GMB Profile gives your company an advantage, allowing potential customers to discover and select your company over the competition.

Add photos: this includes adding cover photos and logo, exterior photos, interior photos, product photos, action photos, food & drink photos, common areas, images of the team.

also add geotags and incorporate your keywords as the image file name.

Add your products & services to gmb
Engage with your customers: to do this, post regularly on your google profile and ask & answer questions