Google Reviews for Social Media Management

November, 2020

outranking your competition means cultivating your online presence so it sparkles like the brightest light.

That sparkling light needs a lot of electricity to get the attention of your target audience. Most businesses are passed by word of mouth or through online searches. Cultivating your online presence means hitting all the social media, website, and Google marks as you can.

This article focuses on Google reviews because they are often an overlooked piece of online business identity and marketing. These reviews are essential to your local search so potential customers can find you easily.

Google wants to see at least 24 Google reviews before it considers you a legitimate business. Anything less and it won’t serve your website very high in the ranking. The more positive Google reviews you accumulate, the happier Google is to lead people right to you.

Google reviews are part of your Google My Business listing. Currently a free service, Google My Business includes your map listing that people pull up when looking for directions or your phone number. If you aren’t sure if you have a Google My Business listing, start here.

If you’re just beginning with Google My Business, ask friends, family, and favorite customers to leave you reviews. This will get the ball rolling and provides social proof that helps other people join in.

Google takes reviews very seriously and as a business owner, so should you. Google Reviews are based on a 1-5 star rating plus a written comment option.

Google’s search algorithm is shrouded in mystery, ever-changing, and super complex. Podium reports that “Google review signals are generally focused around review quantity, velocity, and diversity.”

That means you’re wanting well-rounded reviews that speak to not only the services/products you offer, but the character, convenience, and environment of your business.

Social media is literally about building trust. We consider Google My Business a social media platform because of the transparent trust that clients put into the reviews they leave.

Follow up with every customer to request a Google review. Do this via text or email and provide them with a direct link from the backend of your listing (it’s called a review link). The majority of people will leave a review.

Every Google review you receive, even the reviews without comments, should be replied to by your social media manager. This creates a valuable feedback loop and adds another layer of insight and keyword SEO optimization to your listing.

And if you’re social media manager isn’t replying to your Google reviews? Find out why. Reviews are an essential part of your social media marketing.