If you own a business then you probably want to increase your Google ranking. You also, probably hear the term SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and cringe just a little…I bet you just did!
Well, I have an easy and important way to increase your Google rankings without having to dissect SEO and worry about meta-tags, keywords, back-links, alt text, etc… These are things you should definitely learn because it can only help you more, but there are also other ways. A way that many people don’t talk about. That is Google Reviews!
Google Reviews will help you improve your Google search ranking because Google values the input of consumers. They value what a consumer has to say about your business more than what you have to say about your business. Also, it’s about content. The more content that is out there (you know … in the cloud) about your business, the more Google has info to pull from and rank you a bit higher. And lastly, it’s about clicks and more clicks. If a consumer see’s a bunch of 5 star reviews, they’ll click your link..which also tells Google that you’re a pretty big deal!
But how do you get Google Reviews…and 5 star reviews at that! Simple…you ASK! Your clients are 70% more likely to leave you a review if you ask. How amazing is that? We all have those clients that we KNOW, that LOVE everything about us, our product, or our service. Just ask them to leave you a review!
Now you’re not quite there, you have to go one step further. We live in a busy world. We all have great intentions to do many things, but we get side-tracked, we get busy, we have emergencies, and sometimes we just want to rest. When you ask your favorite client to leave you a review, be sure to send them a DIRECT link!
If you copy and paste the link to your review, it’ll just send them to your Google listing. You want to give them a link directly to the review page. Again, we’re all busy, the less navigation your client has to do, the easier and faster they will respond!
Here’s how to send a direct link to YOUR Google Reviews:
1. Go to your Google My Business Page or listing. If you haven’t set that up, go HERE and do it now. It’s fast and it’s FREE! This is a must-do!!
2. Use THIS Google Place tool! Click HERE, then search for your business.
3. Once you put in your business name in the search area, you will have a Place ID
4. Copy and paste your “Place ID” into this URL:
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=<place_id>
For example, this is why my link will look like…https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJAQAAAPtC6oAR70VPS2c9HkY
***Notice these < > signs are gone too! I made this same mistake at first! But if you figured that out immediately, then you’re a rock star!
5. Once you have your link email or text that link to your favorite clients asking them to leave you a review. I like to embed it in a word, for instance, “click HERE to leave me a review”! Half of them will leave you a review immediately!
Side Note:
– I like to text my clients the link for a Google review with a friendly note, they will respond faster because everyone prefers text to email theses days. But, I do have a few clients with whom our relationship is much more professional, and for those clients, I email.
– I also like to set the tone for the review when asking by simply talking about how much I enjoyed working with them and was so thrilled with the results, or how I look forward to working with them again in the future. That way they can tell I’m expecting a stellar review and they’ll probably deliver. If they had an issue that I wasn’t aware of, they’d probably take the time to message me directly rather than talking about it in the review.
– Also, I would send these links immediately after service is rendered. This means don’t wait for six months to ask. Ask them while the great experience is fresh in their mind.
Now, go get those amazing reviews and start moving up the Google search rankings!!
If you have any questions, leave me a comment or contact me! I’m happy to answer!
And speaking of reviews…If you like this article and my blog…leave me a Google Review HERE! But only if you REALLY like it! 😉
OH!!! Don’t forget to get your FREE PDF download of “5 Tips to Gain Exposure for your Business, NOW!”
