Does it seem like more businesses have customer reviews on Google lately? Google reviews are becoming more visible. Reviews overall are becoming more popular, but Google recently changed when reviews start appearing. Google allows reviews to be left for businesses/organizations on search listings and map listings. While some businesses may be receiving more reviews, many reviews that have been hidden in the past are now appearing because Google changed another rule.
If you own a business or run an organization that has one of these listings on Google you may have seen reviews from customers. For years Google did not display the reviews prominently until an organization had least five reviews. Recently that changed.
How Google Changed Review Appearance
Now when a listing receives one review it appears for the world to see. This may be a good or dreaded change depending on your situation.
If your organization received one negative review on Google two years from a frustrated customer you may not have paid much attention. Now everyone can see that review and you may be showing up with a 1-star rating, if that is the only review you have.
The most common question I get when talking about negative reviews is, “Can’t I just hide the review?” The short answer is, no you can’t.
The best solution for negative reviews is to get more positive reviews. Also, make sure you respond to them appropriately. Don’t worry here is some advice on how to do that!
If you have a couple positive reviews, but have been struggling to get five then this is good news. Your listings now show up with your star rating, and people can read the great reviews about your organization.
Have you checked if your organization has any reviews on Google? If you haven’t this gives you a reason to look. Google is constantly giving more emphasis and credit to listings with reviews. They impact your search rankings, increase the prominence of your listing and people pay attention to them. If you aren’t actively asking for reviews, monitoring and responding to the reviews that you receive, start paying attention to them.
Would you like to learn more about reputation management? Check out Vivid.Reviews.
