Google reviews – what do you need to know?

We often ask celebrities if they’ve ever googled themselves, but what about brands – have you ever searched for your business online?

The first thing often to appear when searching on the world wide web for your company can be a review of your service. A recent survey of 93,000 businesses revealed 74% of local businesses had received at least one review and, unsurprisingly, the hospitality sector receives the highest number.
These reviews provide valuable information about your business, to both you and your customers. With more than 6 in 10 consumers looking to Google for recommendations, it’s no great shock that the number one search engine also ranks at number one for online reviews. Overall, the number of negative reviews outweighs the number of positive, with negative feedback 21% more likely to be written than positive.

Therefore, having the correct tools in place to monitor, respond to and mitigate negative feedback is crucial. The digital age gives users more ability than ever before to express opinions, and it’s important to remember that reviews cannot be removed if they do not break any of Google’s review guidelines. However, should these opinions cause reputational distress, there are a range of tools available to pay for the removal of negative reviews.

With Google Maps recently rolling out the introduction of hashtag reviews, more and more of us are turning to these type of apps before making our consumer choices. The feature is designed to help people discover places others have recommended and Google suggests adding up to 5 hashtags to each review and placing them at the end, making the text easier to read.
If you are looking for help with your Google review monitoring or overall marketing strategy,why not get in touch with us today.