The number of your business’s Google My Business (GMB) reviews, especially positive ones, are crucial to how popular your brand will be on Google. More than 60% of customers search for reviews of companies or products directly from the search results. When there is an increase in reviews, it also increases the chances of such service, product, or company being recommended to people. This in turn increases the generation of leads and helps to grow your business.
In this post you will learn about what Google Maps reviews means, why they are important, characteristics of a good Google Maps review, how to detect fake Google Maps reviews, and how to increase reviews on Google Maps. Let’s dive into it!
What Are Google Maps Reviews?
Google Maps reviews are customer-created business feedback that show prospective customers how effectively a product or service performs and allow them to assess the authenticity of a product that is being advertised. These reviews can be found on the owner’s or manager’s Google My Business Profile, Additionally, the GMB profile can also include information such as physical locations, directions, images, and videos of the business or its products (such as restaurants, hotels, etc.).
Why Are Google Maps Reviews Important?
Google Maps reviews are important because they:
1. Help to increase the online visibility of your business.
2. Cause increase in lead generation.
3. Help increase traffic to your site.
4. Help people to trust your brand better.
5. Let you understand your customers more and improve in any area you are lacking.
6. Are necessary for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Characteristics of a Good Google Map Review
The following are some of the characteristics of a good Google Maps review:
- It must have a high star rating
A Google Map review needs to be rated between 4-5 stars. Anything less might put off customers. Product owners who have ratings between 4.5 and 5.0 stars are particularly sought after, and their lead generation rises as a result.
- The quantity of the reviews matters
The number of reviews a product receives is essential for a positive Google Maps review. People tend to assume that a product or service is particularly well-liked and used by lots of people when there are lots of reviews about it. This increases its ranking and how Google will recommend it to others.
- The reviews must be good and positive
Giving a review is one thing, and getting a positive review from many people is quite another. When negative and bad reviews are posted on Google Maps, they will deter potential customers, who will then look elsewhere. However, more people will become aware of these goods, services, or locations and they will also be interested in trying them out if reviews about them are positive.
4. The reviews must be recent
If you want to get a product and you read the reviews and see that the most recent one was written about a year ago, you may wonder if it will still be as excellent as it was back then. Customers have a tendency to have second thoughts when there are no new reviews, but when they see that customers have been reviewing products or services up until the day before or on the day they tried them out and they had a good experience, their likelihood of making a purchase increases significantly.
How To Detect Fake Reviews On Google Maps
- You can’t find their names in your database
if you provide a service and maintain a database of your customers, including information about their name and the date of purchase, and you realize that you couldn’t locate the reviewer’s name among those who have used your services or bought your products, there is a high possibility that the account is fake.
- They often use generic statements and don’t go into details
One technique to spot a fake review on Google Maps is if the reviewer only uses general terms like “good,” “poor,” and so forth without going into specifics about what they liked or disliked. Most of the time, a genuine reviewer goes out of their way to include specifics, but a fake review is much more likely to skip this step.
- Check the time record of the reviews
Have you ever noticed a business receiving hundreds or thousands of reviews within minutes or even within a few days, followed by a sharp fall in the number of reviews or reviewers? If so, there is a good possibility that the reviews are fake.
- You will notice weird profile pictures
The majority of fake reviewers utilize cartoons, emojis, photographs of famous people, or robotic avatars as their profile pictures. Some people won’t even have this. All of them seem strange and show that such accounts are likely fake.
5. Take note of their spelling mistakes
Oftentimes, fake reviewers struggle with the use of English. If you come across incomplete phrases, spelling errors, etc. and you notice a recurring trend in your comment section, then you will realize that they are fake reviewers.
How To Remove Fake Google Maps Reviews
To remove fake google maps reviews, follow this simple instruction.
Sign in to your Google account, and click on my business on Google maps. Go to the review section and locate the fake review. Next to it, you will notice three dots on the right-hand side of the review, then choose “flag as inappropriate”. After this you will be taken to a page that will ask you to specify the type of violation. You can then submit after doing this.
If after waiting for a week there is no change, then login to your Google My Business Page, go to the review section, and select support after clicking the home menu. Choose any method of contact which is either by phone or email, provide necessary information and attach the screenshot of the review, then submit your complaint. You should receive a response between two to three working days.
How To Increase Reviews On Google Maps
If you realize that you don’t have enough Google Maps reviews for your business, rather than pay people to write fake reviews or not paying attention to it, there are ways to increase your reviews, and ensuring these reviews are good ones. This will help promote your business/brand. The following are the ways by which you can achievepayin:
- Ensure You Offer a Good Product/Service
Offering quality goods or services is one approach to boost the number of reviews you receive. When you give your customers excellent service, they will be happy to tell others about it and want them to experience what they have.
- Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Reviews
If a customer is not given the chance to express their positive experience, they might not do so voluntarily. Therefore, it is important to request and solicit feedback from your clients regarding the goods and services you have provided.
- Make Use of Emails
You can enquire about a person’s personal information, including their email, when they register to utilize your services. You can send them promotional emails, requesting reviews on Google Maps while they are enjoying your services or after they have visited.
4. Make The Review Process Easy
When the review process takes time and is ambiguous, they might become frustrated and just leave the site. You can send them a link that will directly take them to the review page. This is easy and straight forward.
5. Respond To Reviews
Responding to customers’ comments shows them that you value their opinions and makes them feel special. This will motivate them to provide feedback the next time they use your services.
Conclusion
When your business has a lot of positive Google Maps reviews, then your brand, products, and services will be viewed favorably by Google searchers, thereby bringing tons of organic traffic to your Google My Business profile. It will also increase the chances of your brand being contacted by searchers because they will feel safe to do so. This is why it is vital to employ effective strategies for boosting your Google Maps reviews. If you need a professional software developer, website designer, or graphic designer, you can explore our website to pick from some of the experts selling their skills on our platform. We sincerely hope you found the information provided in this article to be helpful. Stay happy!