How to Organically Generate More Google Reviews

How to Organically Generate More Google Reviews

Did you know that over 90% of people read customer reviews before making a purchase?

And 84% of these people trust reviews just as much as they trust a personal recommendation from a friend or family member.

Google currently hosts 73% of online reviews. This is the most influential and popular review site currently online. In second place is Yelp, with only 6% of online reviews hosted there.

With these statistics, it is clear the reliance consumers have on Google reviews and why it is important for businesses to target them.

In this blog, we discuss some of the key benefits of having Google reviews for your business, as well as some best practices for organically generating more reviews.

Need some help with your Google reviews? At SGD we can help you target your reviews with our SEO and growth services. Contact us to get started today.

Why Google Reviews Matter

It’s never too late to start prioritising Google reviews in your digital marketing strategy. Google reviews will offer your business many benefits, including:

• Improving brand trust
  Did you know that 72% of people say that positive reviews make them trust a business? This is especially true for local businesses. Positive reviews have a distinct impact on the impression your business gives, making your brand seem more reliable.

• Driving more sales
  Studies have shown that people read a minimum of 10 reviews before they feel confident enough to make a purchase decision. The more Google reviews you have, the more confident your prospective customers will be about your business.

• Driving organic traffic from local SEO
  As you gain more Google reviews, your SERP ranking will go up. While this is in part due to Google assessing and ranking the positive reviews, it is also because Google reviews target the Google Maps listing. Google Maps listings are generally prioritised over search results, so Google will rank these higher.

• Providing feedback for your business
  Reviews are a great way to gather customer feedback and make business improvements. You can use them to identify and solve issues, analyse patterns, and determine what your customers want.

6 Ways to Increase Google Reviews

You might struggle to get customers to leave Google reviews, even if you have a loyal customer base.

When looking to get more Google reviews, here are 6 helpful strategies that you can implement:

 1. Communicate how quick and easy it is

Asking people directly can have more of an impact than you’d expect. Up to 68% of people say they left a Google review for a local business after being asked.

Some people may struggle to put everything they love about your business into a single review, whereas others may find it hard to articulate exactly how they feel.

To overcome this you could encourage them to leave a star rating without writing anything.

Likewise, you could mention that it only needs one or two sentences, using terminology like ‘leave’ rather than ‘write’ because it sounds less time-consuming.

2. Send transactional emails

One of the best times to prompt customers to write a review is shortly after they’ve made a purchase.

Use a marketing platform, like your email system, to schedule a campaign that will automatically send an email requesting a Google review at a set time after they’ve made a purchase.

Up to 80% of reviews are triggered by follow-up emails.

This could be a couple of days for a physical object or as little as a few hours for a service-based purchase.

3. Add a review link to your website

When a customer wants to leave a review, your website is often the first place they look.

It’s a good idea to have a prominent, easy-to-find spot for a call to action that will take them directly to your Google Business Profile and review section.

Pop-ups can also be a great way to ask for feedback on your website, and they can encourage customers who were not thinking about leaving a review to do so.

 4. Show Google reviews on your website

Many businesses have a section on their website where they display Google reviews, as testimonials and social proof encourage potential customers to learn more about your products or services (and therefore turn them into customers).

For example, 92% of consumers said that they are hesitant to engage with a service with no reviews or testimonials.

It can also encourage existing customers to leave their own feedback.

Embedding Google reviews on your website can have up to a 20% increase in your local visibility, so it’s well worth the effort.

5. Promote reviews on social media

Posting reviews or even just your Google review link to your social media can remind customers of your many benefits and encourage them to leave a few kind words (either on social media or directly to Google).

When you consider that the average user spends almost 2 and a half hours every day scrolling on Facebook, Instagram, X, and even LinkedIn, it makes sense to engage with your customers on these platforms.

6. Respond to reviews

By responding to customer reviews, you’re letting potential customers know that you listen to feedback and that they won’t be wasting their time writing to you.

Businesses that respond to at least 25% of their reviews can often expect an increase of 35% when it comes to their revenue.e

When responding to positive reviews, always be timely, grateful, and specific (mention the customer or their business by name).

When responding to negative reviews, always be timely, apologise for their dissatisfaction, and work to resolve the issue if possible.

Asking for Google Reviews Template

Knowing how to ask customers to leave a review is part of the challenge. You want to be friendly and encouraging without coming off as demanding or pushy.

Why not try one of these templates?

Email Example

Dear [customer name],

Thank you for your recent purchase [or visit for a service-based purchase]. We hope that you enjoyed it and look forward to [helping/seeing] you next time.

It would mean a lot if you could leave a 5-star review on Google so we can reach more people like you who could benefit from our [products/services] – let’s share the love.

Simply click the button below to leave a review on Google.

If you’d prefer to get in touch with us directly, please visit our contact page.

We really appreciate you,  your generosity makes a massive difference.

Thanks again.

[link to leave a Google review]

Website Example

Have we recently provided a [service] for you? We’d love to get your feedback!

We always aim for a 5-star experience with every single one of our clients, so if there’s anything we could do better, please let us know by getting in touch.

As a local business, it would mean the world to us if you could share a 5-star review on Google.

Simply click the button below to leave a review.

[link to leave a Google review]

FAQs About Google Reviews

If you haven’t had much to do with Google reviews before now, we’re sure that you have some questions about how it all works.

 1. Are there any requirements for getting Google reviews?

It’s important to note that you need to have a few things in place:

• You need to understand and follow Google’s policies (particularly their Terms of Service). This means you shouldn’t offer any incentives for customers to post reviews.
• Your business needs to be a ‘place’ on Google Maps, which means that you should have a Google Business Profile.
• Your Google Business Profile needs to be verified, which means that you’re telling Google you own that business and have the right to manage its profile.

2. Where do Google reviews appear?

You can find your Google reviews on the search engine results page when you search for your business.

They usually appear in a box on the right-hand side, with the most recent reviews displayed. Click through to see all your reviews.

Reviews are also attached to your Google Maps listing, with a small snippet of a recent one shown alongside your current star rating.

3. Can I buy Google reviews?

While some businesses dabble in purchased reviews, this is a no from us.

Not only is it unethical – as the reviews are completely fake – it can lead to issues with potential customers expecting something that you don’t actually offer or wanting more information on a client who doesn’t exist.

Artificially manipulating your business’s online reputation never ends well.

Likewise, Google can use its AI algorithms to analyse the content and identify suspicious reviews. This algorithm successfully blocked up to 170 million fake reviews in 2023 alone and is only growing more effective.

4. Can I delete Google reviews?

Yes. If a review violates Google’s policies, you can flag it to have it removed.

Circumstances where you can request to have a review deleted include fake reviews, reviews unrelated to your business, and reviews in clear support of a competitor.

Google will also automatically delete reviews that are inappropriate, offensive or include profanity.

Need Help Getting More Google Reviews?

If you’re ready to boost your business with Google reviews, SGD is your ideal partner.

Our dedicated team will work with you to strategise solutions based on the unique needs and goals of your business, helping to drive engagement and elevate your online reputation.

We have ample experience in implementing strategies to increase Google reviews. Benefit from our support and get in touch with our team today.

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