How To Best Reply To Google Reviews (the good, the bad & the ugly)

Last week we touched on the importance of Google reviews and why they’re great for business. This week we sink our teeth into how to respond to the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Firstly, ensure that you have confirmed your business in order to respond to reviews and in doing so respond as the business, this can be done by logging into your Google profile. 

Make sure that you have a system in place for all incoming Google reviews, and ensure someone in your business is monitoring the reviews as they come in, Google usually sends notification emails as soon as a new review has been uploaded, we recommend having a couple of people within your businesses receiving these notifications to ensure nothing is missed.

Prompt Action is key to building a positive presence online, particularly if you receive a negative review. From our experience, a prompt response lets your customers know you have your finger on the pulse and that you truly care about the experience and the feedback being provided by your valued clients.

Acknowledge the client providing the review, ensure you address them by name, and thank them for taking the time to provide their experience.

Keep it professional and be sure to understand and clearly hear their experience with your business,  and where possible link it back in your reply.

Stick to the facts and keep it short and to the point, ensuring not to take anything personal.  Negative feedback can be the best way to iron out issues in your business to ensure they don’t happen again.

Remember, from a business perspective Google reviews actually assist you with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) putting it simply, Google trusts the power of word-of-mouth marketing, and subsequently ranks your business using algorithms.   Therefore reviews will result in higher rankings with your SEO.

We recommend you write a list of keywords people will use when searching for your business or industry/service.  For example in real estate the key words were:

Property manager, sales consultant, real estate, real estate agent, SUBURB NAME, etc.  

The monthly Google reports you receive via email (or you can log into your Google business profile if you’ve claimed it) also give you the keywords that people have used to find your business, so pay attention to these.  Why?  I hear you ask! Well, you want to use these keywords as much as possible in your reply to reviews as Google also draws from your reply when ranking you in SEO. 

Also, make sure you use positive language when replying for example:

Great service, professional, experienced, etc…. 

Also, use the full names of the people the positive review relates to in your business as this all assists with the SEO and be sure to stay away from negative keywords.

Here’s a quick example of a Google review and how to reply.

Positive 5-Star Review: 

I can’t thank Jo enough, she is a very professional, friendly agent who knows her stuff when it comes to selling your home. I highly recommend Jo and her team to anyone selling their home. Thanks so much Jo!

Reply: 

Thanks Mary! We really appreciate you taking the time to write a positive review for Jo Smith and the team at XYZ Real Estate Croydon. Jo is a fantastic sales agent and it’s wonderful to hear how happy you are with her service and the fabulous sales result she achieved for you and your family for your home in Croydon.

In particular, be sure to respond to negative reviews quickly. I would strongly encourage you to contact the client directly if you have their telephone number to see if you can resolve the issue quickly over the phone and then follow up with a response online.

Over the years we have been able to completely resolve negative reviews/complaints and from our quick, caring action these reviews were actually converted into a positive experience resulting in the reviews being removed, updated, or completely turned into a positive experiences. This speaks volumes, sometimes people just need to be heard! So, don’t be afraid to ask the client to amend or update a review once you have resolved the issue.

Negative 1-Star Review:

We tried to lease a house through XYZ Real Estate and they were terrible.  We put our application in and it took 1 week to hear back and we did not get the house.  We have great references and would make great tenants.  The fact we have 4 kids, 3 dogs, and a pet goat should not matter that we did not get the place - I think that’s discriminatory!

Reply:

Thank you for your review Lisa.  We are disappointed you did not have a positive experience with our office.  I have investigated your concerns and have left several messages for you to discuss further but to date, I have not had a returned call.  As our property manager explained to you on a number of occasions the landlord makes the final decision on who goes into their property, and whilst we agree that you had good references - the landlord did not think a 2 bedroom unit was suitable for a family of your size.  We wish you all the very best with your search and will be happy to try and find you a more suitable home if you would please return my phone call on 0409 090 090.  Suzie Smith - Managing Director - XYZ Real Estate Croydon

Remember you are on show and representing your business and people will be reading this and judging you off your response so acting professional is key, but it is also ok to put them back in their place professionally if they have been a bit unreasonable.  

If you have really stuffed up, own it, apologise and try to rectify the situation ensuring the lasting impression is a positive one for the client.  At that point you may feel it’s appropriate for them to amend or remove the review. Then ensure you have implemented change into your business to ensure you don’t make the same mistake again