Google reviews are user-generated reviews of businesses, products, and services that appear on Google Maps, Google Search, and other Google properties.

These reviews allow your customers to share their experiences and opinions about your business or product and rate them on a five-star scale. Reviews can also include text and photos, and other potential customers can indicate whether they found the review helpful or not.

Google reviews can be accessed by anyone with a Google account and can be used to help others make informed decisions about where to go or what to buy. For businesses, Google reviews can also help improve your online reputation and increase your visibility in Google search results.

Google reviews can indirectly influence your ranking on Google.

Having more positive reviews can improve your business’s online reputation and increase user engagement, which can lead to higher click-through rates and more traffic to your website.

Google’s search algorithms consider signals such as user engagement and relevance to determine search rankings, so positive reviews can be a contributing factor to higher rankings. However, it’s important to note that there are many other factors that can impact search rankings, and Google’s algorithms are complex and constantly evolving.

Here are some ways to encourage your clients to leave good Google reviews:

1. Ask them directly: Simply ask your clients to leave a review. After providing good service or delivering a great product, you can send them an email or message requesting feedback.
2. Make it easy: Provide a direct link to your Google My Business page or review form, making it as easy as possible for clients to leave a review.
3. Incentivise: Offer a discount or a small gift to clients who leave a review. However, be careful not to violate Google’s policies on incentivised reviews.
4. Follow-up: Send a follow-up message after a client has used your product or service to thank them and remind them to leave a review.
5. Display your reviews: Display your reviews prominently on your website, social media, or physical location to encourage others to leave reviews as well.

Remember that you should never pay for fake reviews or ask customers to leave false reviews. Not only is this unethical, but it is also against Google’s policies and can harm your online reputation.

Here are some ways to utilise your Google reviews to promote your small business:

1. Showcase your reviews on your website: You can add a widget or section on your website that displays your Google reviews, making it easy for visitors to see what others are saying about your business.
2. Share your reviews on social media: Share your positive Google reviews on your social media accounts to spread the word about your business and show off your customer satisfaction.
3. Use reviews in marketing materials: Incorporate quotes from your reviews into marketing materials such as flyers, brochures, and ads to add social proof to your business.
4. Respond to reviews: Respond to all of your reviews, especially the positive ones, to show your appreciation and build customer loyalty.
5. Use reviews to improve your business: Use the feedback from your reviews to make improvements to your business, whether it’s improving your products or services, addressing customer concerns, or making changes to your website.

Remember that promoting your Google reviews should be done in an ethical and honest manner. You should never misrepresent the opinions of your customers.

To create, view and update your Google Listing (Google My. Business or GMB as it’s known) go here:

https://business.google.com/