At PRIME, we are all about helping your business stand out and present a positive image to your audience. And with Google continuing to dominate online searches, receiving—and responding to—Google reviews is one of the best ways you can accomplish that. After all, 99 percent of customers read online reviews as part of their search. With that in mind, let’s explore why Google reviews matter and how you can take advantage of the benefits they provide.

How Google Reviews Help Your Business

It should come as no surprise that customers read online reviews and make decisions based on what they learn. Whether they’re shopping for expensive products or looking for a quick bite to eat, prominently displayed reviews and ratings are difficult to ignore. Even receiving just one review makes your business appear more established and reliable. In fact, customers have 50 percent more trust in businesses with one review than those with none.

Positive reviews and ratings also boost your online search rankings. Google’s Local Map Pack, which displays the first three businesses at the top of a search page, favors companies with high ratings and levels of engagement. Customers are much more likely to choose one of these top three businesses, which presents a huge benefit to those companies that can secure a spot.

Receiving authentic feedback also helps you understand what customers like or dislike about their experience with your business, enabling you to make necessary adjustments and continue to offer the best services.

Why Respond to Reviews?

So, we know how receiving reviews can benefit your business. But why do you need to respond to these reviews?

Public responses communicate to customers that you are attentive, engaged, and genuinely care about their experiences. This builds trust in your customers and helps you retain them long-term. Responses also influence everyone who sees them—not just the person you are responding to. Ninety-seven percent of customers read review responses, and the way you respond is sure to affect their perception of your business.

And just like reviews themselves, review responses factor significantly into Google’s local search rankings. Google wants to present the best businesses to its users, and frequent interaction with your customers tells Google that you are active and involved.

How to Respond to Reviews

Responding to Google reviews appropriately is key to your business’s success here. When replying to a positive review, express how happy you are that the customer had a good experience. If you receive a negative review, don’t panic. Even negative reviews present an opportunity to rectify mistakes and demonstrate that you care. When responding, make sure to be understanding, express your regret, and suggest solutions to the customer’s concerns. Ninety-four percent of customers say reviews made them avoid a business, so providing swift, helpful responses is critical to managing your reputation. Whatever a customer says in their review, always thank them for their time and feedback.

The Prime Review Network Can Help

Despite their importance, attaining Google reviews can often be difficult. Customers don’t always think to leave a review, especially if they had a positive experience. Fortunately, the Prime Review Network makes it easy to collect, monitor, and respond to reviews. This helpful service automatically sends an email or text to a customer with a link to provide feedback regarding a recent purchase or service experience. If it doesn’t receive a reply within a set timeframe, it will send two follow-up requests. Once the customer clicks on the link, they will be taken to a simple rating system and given the option to leave written feedback.

The feedback a customer provides can then be turned into a review that is shared across dozens of online platforms, including Google and Facebook. The Prime Review Network even has a widget that can automatically feature customer feedback on your website.

Collect More Google Reviews for Your Business

Receiving and responding to Google reviews has never been more important for attracting and retaining customers. If you want to strengthen your business, reach out to the PRIME Team today. We’d love to discuss how the Prime Review Network can help you receive and display positive reviews with ease.