Do Google Reviews Matter?

The short answer is, yes, they do. Any SEO strategy should include increasing the number of reviews and testimonials across all media, including:

• Search engines
• Website
• Social media
• Directories
• On other relevant websites

How Do I Get Google Reviews?

You do need to ‘play the Google game’ with this one. Google won’t be impressed by a sudden flurry of reviews arriving or anything that looks remotely suspicious. They can ‘smell a rat’ from a country mile away. Any activity on Google needs to follow a natural pattern.

1. Be fabulous at what you do
2. Identify happy customers. (Note: The only people that can leave Google reviews are those with a Google/Gmail account.)
3. Sporadically, contact a few at a time by asking them in person, or writing/emailing; ask how they are and is there anything that you can do to help them.
4. In writing, ask if your customers would like to share how amazing you are with other customers who might benefit by knowing about you.
5. Include the link to the page on Google that comes up when you search for your business name.
6. Ask them to write a review
7. Thank them profusely (but not in a syrupy way)
8. Repeat the process at RANDOM intervals

Easy! 

Google reviews: It’s easier than you might think, if you follow the rules