According to BrightLocal’s 2023 Local Consumer Review Survey, 76% of consumers regularly read online reviews, and 87% use Google to evaluate local businesses. For local businesses, reviews aren’t just feedback; they’re essential for attracting new customers and appearing in searches. Whether you’re managing a luxury salon like Fritz’s Salon and Spa for Men or a construction company like Colyer Quality Built, understanding how Google uses them provides you with a competitive advantage.
In this practical guide, we’ll explore how Google reads reviews and how to encourage customers to write reviews that improve your visibility in search results.
Understanding How Google Interprets Reviews
Google reads every review to understand your business strengths. It takes note when customers mention specific services or praise aspects of your business and uses this information to help you appear in relevant searches.
Here’s how Google processes review elements:
Service Keywords and Visibility
Reviews mentioning services like “crown molding” or “deep tissue massage” help Google understand your offerings. These mentions can appear as highlighted text in search results, making it easy for new customers to see what you offer.
Reputation Signals
When multiple customers mention “professional service” or “clean office,” Google creates the “People often mention” highlights on your profile. These repeated compliments help you rank better for related searches.
Location Context
Neighborhood-specific reviews help Google understand your service coverage. When customers reference areas, you are more likely to appear in “near me” searches.
Response Time and Urgency
Reviews mentioning response times and emergency availability help Google understand your business operations, influencing your appearance in urgent service searches. For example, when a customer writes “Great emergency plumber in East Nashville, arrived within an hour,” Google learns you offer emergency service, work in East Nashville, and respond quickly. This helps you show up for anyone searching for urgent plumbing assistance in that area.
The first step is understanding how Google reads reviews. Next, let’s look at how to put this knowledge into practice with a strategic approach to gathering and managing reviews.
Building Your Review Strategy
Crafting Effective Review Requests
To get reviews that boost your visibility, guide customers to include elements Google looks for, while keeping requests natural and engaging. Here are industry-specific suggestions for your follow-up emails or review request texts:
For Home Services:
- Service Details: “Could you share your experience with our crown molding installation? Your feedback helps others find us for similar projects.”
- Geographic Context: “Please mention where we served you, like ‘They did a great job on my East Nashville home.’ This helps neighbors find us for similar work.”
- Project Results: “Could you share your experience with our bathroom tile installation, including the neighborhood served and how the finished project met your expectations?”
For Medical/Wellness:
- Progress Outcomes: “If you’re comfortable, share your treatment journey and the improvements you’ve experienced.”
- Time-Sensitive Details: “Please mention our response time in your review. Details like ‘same-day appointments’ help others with urgent needs find us.”
- Concrete Results: “Share specific results in your review, like ‘pain-free for six months.’ These details help others make informed decisions.”
For Restaurants/Retail:
- Experience Details: “Share what makes us unique – your favorite dishes, best times to visit, and how we accommodate preferences.”
- Quality Comparisons: “If you’ve tried similar restaurants, mentioning what makes us stand out helps others decide.”
- Visual Documentation: “Adding photos of your favorite dishes to your review helps other customers. Consider sharing images while everything looks fresh!” According to Google’s research, businesses with photos receive 42% more customer engagement.
Crafting effective requests is crucial, but it’s equally important to understand what practices to avoid and what approaches work best.
Avoid Common Mistakes and Follow Best Practices
To comply with Google’s review content policies and maximize the effectiveness of your review strategy:
Never:
- Offer incentives for reviews.
- Solicit positive reviews.
- Use generic “please review us” messages.
- Wait too long after the service is completed.
Always:
- Time requests for peak satisfaction moments.
- Promptly follow up on promised reviews.
- Maintain a steady flow of new reviews.
- Monitor review content to identify service coverage gaps.
- Use customized templates for different services.
Now that we understand what to do and what to avoid, let’s look at templates and steps for implementing your review strategy.
Implementation Steps and Templates
Creating Review Request Templates
Before implementing your review strategy, you need a library of customizable templates for different situations. These sample templates ensure consistency while maintaining the personal touch that encourages detailed responses.
Emergency Service Template:
“Thank you for trusting us with your emergency [service]. When you have a moment, we’d appreciate a Google review mentioning our prompt response, the area of [city], and the specific problem we solved.”
This template works because it:
- Acknowledges the service’s urgency.
- Requests specific location information.
- Requests details about the resolved issue.
Scheduled Service Template:
“We hope you’re enjoying your new [specific result]. A Google review mentioning the specific work completed, your neighborhood, and your experience with our team helps others in [area] find quality [service type].”
This approach:
- References the completed work.
- Encourages local mentions.
- Prompts for experience details.
Ongoing Service Template:
“As a valued client, your perspective helps others find the right care. Consider mentioning how long you’ve been coming, which treatments you receive, and the improvements you’ve noticed.”
This template succeeds by:
- Recognizing the continuing relationship.
- Requesting detailed timeline information.
- Encouraging mention of multiple services.
With your templates ready, let’s see how to implement them effectively in your daily operations.
Implementing Your Review Strategy
A successful review strategy requires careful planning and consistent execution. Here’s how to implement your templates:
Initial Setup:
- Audit your current review request process.
- Document when and how you request reviews.
- Identify gaps in your current approach.
- Note which services seldom receive reviews.
- Create your template library.
- Customize templates for each service type.
- Prepare variations for different situations.
- Create versions for email and text messages.
Operational Implementation:
- Train staff on effective request timing.
- Set up an automatic follow-up system.
- Establish monitoring procedures.
- Create a schedule for reviewing the effectiveness of the template.
Monitoring and Adjustment:
- Track which templates generate the most detailed reviews.
- Note which services need additional review coverage.
- Monitor response rates for various request methods.
- Adjust templates based on performance data.
Remember to maintain flexibility in your approach. What works for one customer segment might not work for another, and what succeeds today might need adjustment as Google’s review system changes.
Building an effective review strategy takes time and consistent effort, but the impact on your local search visibility makes it valuable.
Need help optimizing your review strategy? At RSS Digital Marketing Group, we help businesses across industries develop effective review management systems that foster growth. Contact us for a customized strategy assessment.