Focus on Google Reviews First…Why? 94% of consumers “Google it” before they make a buying decision.
Dominating Google first is the smart way to go, then you can focus your attention on the other review sites. Google Reviews are by far the most popular, however not enough businesses either know how to leverage Google Reviews or are simply not giving it the attention it warrants. Even my 79 year old mom says “Google it”! Lol. That’s how ingrained Google has become in the consciousness of consumers and how they have become the dominant player in helping customers pick which business to do business with. As a result, businesses need to pay attention to reviews now more than ever and create an efficient, ideally automated process to encourage more customers to provide positive reviews.
So why focus on getting Google Reviews first?
Everyone Searches on Google! I know I do, for about everything before I go anywhere or buy anything.
Google is the most widely used search engine, owning the lion’s share of the search market. It’s vital to growing your business to stand out on Google and dominate the Google “Map Pack”. What is Google’s Map Pack you ask” Google Map Pack is the term used to describe the most prominent position in Google’s local search results – where businesses are listed and their locations are identified on a map with place marker icons. It also includes the star rating and number of reviews of the businesses in the area. These are critical! This is what you need to dominate to grow your business. If you don’t, customers will find their way to your competition! Google and its reviews have earned the trust of its users. Having an active online presence on Google, and all of the search engines is critical to your businesses growth, and it applies to all types of businesses.
Since anyone can search and review on Google, it’s important to make your business stand out with a high star rating as well as recent and positive reviews. Think of Google as a hungry monster, and that monster has to constantly eat. Thus, the importance of continuously feeding it more reviews with key search words provided by your customers to elevate you to the top of Google’s Map Pack. Having a steady stream of reviews makes your online presence stronger, making it more likely for your business to appear in Google search results. 72% of online searches are made through Google! Making it the first place you want to show up!
Google Reviews are Prominent Within Search
Google reviews make a business stand out when potential new customers are searching and doing their due diligence. Being present with high star ratings with a high number of recent reviews shows prospective customers that you are a credible business. Consumers rely and trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. No matter which industry you’re in, the importance of Google Reviews can’t be understated to effectively grow your business. It’s no different than having a Yellow Pages ad years ago. Those days are long gone, it’s a new era and it’s important to know how to play the game.
94% of consumers research a business before purchasing products or services. 72% use Google, Businesses with over 200 current reviews generate 2x more revenue. And 94% of consumers will avoid a business with a bad review. 58% of consumers will pay more for a product or service with a business that has good reviews. 85% of people think reviews that are more than three months old or older are irrelevant. And, reviews make people 71% more comfortable purchasing from a business. These are just some of the facts/statistics and why transparency is becoming more and more relevant for consumers. When a business has a large amount of positive reviews on Google, potential customers are more likely to trust the business while poor online reviews can convince customers to avoid a business.
Having great reviews on Google (and other review sites) is huge!
Google Reviews are Prominent Within Map Results
Generating reviews on Google can be the difference between if your business appears at the top or the bottom of the results page when prospective customers are searching for companies that do what you do, especially when looking for businesses in their local area. Google also recently updated its map search layout to show ratings and reviews much more prominently making it even more important than ever to show up.
With the right tool and sound execution, Google business reviews can be one of your most powerful ways to grow your business. It can help you get discovered by new customers, stand out above competitors, and generate more business and it’s free, unless of course you are paying for ads and clicks. We will save that for a future Blog.
For these reasons, generating Google reviews for your business is a very important factor to your business’s success. This is why you should focus first on Google. I hope you found this information to be useful.
