How to Manage Google Reviews the Easy Way

A study by GlobeNewswire says that 95% of customers check online reviews before making a purchase. But did you know that over 70% of online reviews are hosted by Google?

Now, imagine if your Google review does not show up or is flooded with spam comments! This can make or break your business.

This makes Google review management a must. But how do we do it? What will happen if we don’t? Hold up! It’s not that complex, you see. We’ll discuss all your doubts, bit by bit.

Here’s what we will look into today:

• Why should we manage and get more positive reviews
• How to Manage Google Reviews
• How to make your Google Review anonymous
• How to manage your Google Reviews with SurveySparrow

Let’s get started!

The Importance of Positive Google Reviews for Your Business

Have you heard about the Brighton-based restaurant BeFries, which sells the best Belgian fries? Their success story is one that inspires!

Their sales were primarily based on word-of-mouth marketing. However, they wanted more people to be familiar with their brand and unique taste.

The reviews started flowing in once they started a Google My Business account. The company was searched 89,980 times on Google in the first quarter since it got listed! 
The best part? 90% of the queries were regarding their products and had people driving in for 5 hours!

Well, isn’t that something?

Positive reviews help you close deals quickly. Just like you head right to Google before deciding on a purchase, your customers will, too. Having a list of good reviews to showcase is an asset in the online market!

Managing your online reviews and maintaining a good reputation are equally important. Online review platforms are like an open playground for everyone to share their views. Negative feedback is a given. Your success lies in how “you” convert these into positive ones. 

So, why don’t we get our way around the “How’s” next?

How to Manage Google Reviews: A Five-Step Guide

Let’s keep this straight. There are two methods for managing your Google review: the manual way and the other, with the help of a Reputation management tool. 

Of course, we’ll discuss both. 

Let’s start with the hard way out first. 

Manual Google Review Management

There are two steps to managing your reviews on Google- 
1. Respond to the existing reviews
2. Reporting harmful reviews

Say you are just starting out on your marketing journey. Visibility is key right now!

• Once you log in to your Google My Business Account, go to the dashboard.
• Do you see the review tab? Click on it to access your entire review database.
• Now, this is your playground. You can respond to new messages and keep gathering happy customers. 

So how do you do that? 

• Once you click on the review you wish to respond to, a text box will appear. Type out a sweet note and hit “Post Reply.”
• If you are dealing with a dissatisfied customer, provide the required solution and reassure them that their issue is resolved as soon as possible. 

This can be a bit too tiring, especially when you have to go through thousands of comments. Understanding which one to ignore and who needs immediate attention can take hours or even days! 
 

With SurveySparrow, you can manage your reviews, ticket out the negative ones, assign them to relevant teams, and close the loop in style! All in a single dashboard. You’ll get notified when a new review pops up and respond to them immediately. Intrigued? We’ll talk about the platform in detail after some time.

But if you want to head out and explore, here you go! 

Now, you might be wondering…

Can businesses delete their Google Reviews? 

No. Businesses can’t even edit an existing review. Customers have complete autonomy over the reviews they post. However, there is always a loophole. 

If you feel that a review, or a cluster of reviews, is solely intended to tarnish your business’s image, you can flag them. With this step, Google will do a quick check and get the comments removed.

Oh, wait! You can’t really flag reviews just because they seem negative. You can only proceed if they violate the terms and conditions. For instance, fake reviews or spammy sites are already on Google’s blacklist. 

If business owners can alter the comments, then they will naturally use it to their advantage, right? It’s as simple as that. 

Now, I’m pretty sure at least a few of you would have had this question lurking in your minds...

So, How Do I Make Google Reviews Anonymous?

Are you a business owner trying to understand the nuances of customer perception or a customer who doesn't want to expose their identity? In any case, there is no definite option to make your Google review anonymous! Google does not allow you to do that.

Instead, there are a few hacks you can try. 

• You can start by editing your name in your Google profile. This way, your review will appear under the false name.
• Another option is to stay logged out of your Gmail or Google account.
• Once you write a review, you will be prompted to log in. Don’t!
• Scroll down to the bottom of your page and enter a temporary email address that you are comfortable sharing.
• Then, hit “post”. While you can leave out the text review, a star review is a must.

Tips and Tricks to Manage Google Reviews

Here are a few best practices that you can use to do a quality check and have positive reviews flowing from every corner. 

Keep A Close Eye

Monitor your reviews on a regular basis. You never know what or who might lurk in the comment section. This will also give you a clear picture of who is satisfied and who is not. 
Once you segment the unhappy lot, you can focus on their pain points, give them a sweet response, and take prompt action to resolve the issue. 

Show Gratitude

Don’t just focus on rectifying the negative reviews. Thank the customers who left a good note and appreciate the time they took to rate you or your product. They could have just left without a word, but they didn’t! 

Always Close the Loop 

Never leave a customer hanging. Respond consistently to every customer review without fail. This shows how dedicated you are to listening to their thoughts and opinions. Plus, it creates a sense of trust between you and the customers.

This takes us back to the first point,

Spot Spammers 

Flag anything you find suspicious. Flag the spam sites that bulk send messages or leave fake reviews under your handle. Also, report the malicious comments that try to tarnish your reputation. This will help you maintain a clean comment section. 

It is equally important to train your customer support team to have an eagle’s eye. (Literally!) 
It is always better to create tickets immediately and act upon negative comments. 

Having a tool is a must in such cases. This addition will enhance your team’s productivity and save a ton of time (and money!)

Let me tell you how…

How to Manage Your Google Reviews with SurveySparrow

When you have bundles of reviews flowing in, you can’t really control the content, right? Well, your users are humans, too. It is pretty normal for them to feel disappointed at one point or the other. But, what is crucial is how “you” deal with them.

Again, going through a large chunk of reviews is pretty hard if you don’t have a tool. That won’t be an issue if you have SurveySparrow to help you out!

With the Online Reputation Management Tool, you can manage all your Google reviews from the dashboard. The tool will map out the negative and passive comments, which can be ticketed immediately! You can also respond to each review directly from the platform. Plus, the AI wing can create a response with just a click!