Many of our clients have asked whether they should spend their time and effort getting reviews for their business. Therefore, we thought we may as well address this issue in a post.
In short, it really depends on the type of business you run, but the answer is usually yes!
Getting good reviews is always going to add value to your business. In crowded markets where customers have a variety of businesses to choose from, reviews can be a significant factor.
After all, would you want a reputable company servicing your boiler or one with limited experience?
On the flip side, those who run a niche business might see no benefit whatsoever from added reviews. Therefore, for crowded markets such as builders, plumbers, dentists, and so forth, we would strongly recommend investing your time into getting those 5-star reviews.
The CTR (Click-Through Rate) will skyrocket in the “Google Map Pack” if you have plenty of 5-star reviews over a competitor with mixed reviews. A great example below is one of our clients, NJ Harkus Cardiff Plumbing and Heating, who are the most highly rated team of Cardiff plumbers based on Google Reviews (as shown above).
With all these reviews, Nathan has reported a vast increase in customers, and reviews are coming in faster than ever. However, it’s important to remember that to appear on the “Google Map Listing” for a particular keyword, it is not just about your reviews. There are more methods required to ensure you stay at the top.
How To Get More Reviews
Another big question we get asked is how to get more reviews while following Google’s guidelines. However, the answer is quite simple. At the end of any job you complete, just ask the client. If you have done a great job for them, they will be more than happy to leave a great review for your business.
A great tip to help speed things up is to provide them with a link to your Google reviews. Some clients may be confused by what you mean by “leaving a review on Google,” but this link will lead them straight to your Google Review page. To get this link, simply login to your Google My Business page, then go to the reviews section, and Google will provide you with a short link to send to happy customers (as shown below).
Google Reviews Worries
If you have invested all your time and effort into ensuring that you are getting quality reviews from your clientele, you do not want it to be ruined. Sadly, many fake accounts are simply used to ruin a business’s reputation by leaving a fake review. Google is aware of this and suggests various steps to help combat the issue.
Of course, not all negative reviews will be fake, but how you deal with them is important. We strongly recommend that you respond to the negative review, which will be public for everyone reading your reviews. This shows everyone that you take care of all your customers and pay close attention to your reviews, which could have a positive impact.
Update 2024
Nathan from NJ Harkus has carried on our recommendation of gathering reviews and has just passed 800 reviews! The team has also expanded, and they continue to use Webspection as their “go-to” SEO Agency in Cardiff.
