What does Google know about you and your business?
Getting reviews from past clients is more important than ever! I know, I know, we HATE asking people for feedback about our business. But......
Let me give you a little demonstration:
When I first started my photography business, Googling anything "Kelly Stark or Kelly Stark Photography" -- nothing populated.
I proactively starting sending out strategic links to my past clients for reviews and calling past clients, and I started to incorporate SEO, indexing, metadata and more into my images and social media. I started to see my name populate, in Google, quickly!
If you look at the image below, you'll see not only my Google review (16 reviews); but you will also notice the 31 reviews linked to from my Facebook page.
Google wants to put information in front of users that is relevant. Current reviews are a great way for Google to decipher if your business is current, providing great service and worthy of exposure. **It's not the ONLY way Google populates its rank, but it's a start!
You'll notice that no other platform is integrated for published reviews! That's why working both Google & Facebook to obtain positive reviews is really crucial to starting organic rank in Google.
Simple Tips to Build your Reviews:
1) Send our an email to past clients: Request positive feedback and give your clients a guide on how to find your Google Business listing.
2) Ask family & friends for Reviews: There are no restrictions on "what" has to be reviewed! Ask your best friend for a review about what a loyal person you are, or have your secretary review how your business has been the best workplace they have ever worked! A review is a review...
3) Schedule "review" days where you focus on texting past clients: if they haven't reviewed your business, simply give them a call to touch base! Follow up is a great way to follow up to rekindle business, but it's also a way to make your business experience more meaningful.
4) Email target-- To leave a Google review, you have to have a Gmail account. Go through your database and target the Gmail emails. Save those people for your Google reviews. Everyone else-- they can write a Facebook review since they email formats aren't important.
5) Be consistent: If you work in real estate-- as for a review before a transaction is over! If you work in insurance, tell your client while you are giving them great service that you will send over a link and you'd love their feedback. Have the conversation to prep your client for feedback and why it's important to your business!
** Note: If you happened to get a bad review (it happens), I want you to do 2 things:
1) Give it time-- don't respond immediately. Let the person who left the bad review cool down.
2) Text, message or talk with the person who left the bad review offline. Explain that reviews are really important to a business, so you would appreciate them rethinking the rating or wording.
3) Respond: If a review is going to stay there, make sure you show every effort to make it right-- "We understand you had a bad experience, but we constantly strive to provide the best service. We understand that you... "reiterate their experience," and we'd love to make it right. Please reach out to us or stop by so we can make sure we get it right by you..."
www.StarkSocialMarketing.com
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