Why Teaching Your Customers How to Post a Google Map Review is Essential to Having Great Rankings in Google Places
With Google Places showing up in the organic search engines, it’s ever so important that businesses that provide services locally actively pursue getting positive reviews on their Google Maps listings.
By doing this, it accomplishes two things:
- Better Rankings within the 7-Pack
- A Good Social Profile (which improves calls & clicks)
The Challenge
Often small businesses have a hard time soliciting reviews from their customers online. Typically that’s because it’s not always obvious on how to post a review. Google certainly hasn’t made it easy for people to post reviews for people who are not necessary internet savvy. There are 4-5 steps one has to take to get to the spot where they can leave a review (this includes having to register an account with Google). It’s very easy for your customer to start trying to leave you a review, but they’ll quickly give-up once they get stuck.
The Solution
I have found that when you ask your customers for a review that if you include a “how to video” like the one above you can often increase your chances of getting that review.
It also helps if you use a ethical bribe too. Like 5% or 10% off their next order, etc. I am sure you can come up with some creative ideas to reward your customers for leaving reviews on your Google Maps.
If you have had success getting your customers to leave you reviews let us know your strategies below in the comment section.
BTW, next time you ask a customer to leave you a review, include a link to the “how to leave a review on Google Maps” video. You might just score yourself a nice review! 
woot, thankyou! I finally came to a site where the webmaster knows what they’re talking about. Do you know how many results are in Google when I search.. too many! It’s so annoying having to go from page after page after page, wasting my day away with thousands of people just copying eachother’s articles… bah. Anyway, thankyou very much for the info anyway, much appreciated.
Brilliant article bro. This unique is just a totally nicely structured posting, just the important information I was hunting regarding. Cheers
I have found that our customers do not want to take the time to create an account so that they can post.
Yes Cindy, that is consistent challenge with asking your customers to post reviews. Have tried an ethical bribe…? Did you send them this video on how to post. There are 3rd party reviews sites that let people connect via their Facebook Accounts. It doesn’t have to Google Places you get the review from. Often these 3rd party sites get picked up in Google Places.
Yes, it is very beneficial to acquire good Google reviews from clients, but is also too difficult to do. Google MUST visit this issue and create a more intuitive way for Non-Google account subscribers to leave their reviews and comments of businesses from which they have received have received goods and services. Otherwise, the review system offered by Google will be at best difficult to use and very much inefficient.
Angel, yes it’s unfortunate that it’s not very user friendly to get reviews. I think it’s to prevent bot spam, but you’d think there’d be a better way to post reviews on Google and all major 3rd party review sites.
I’ve written a google review for an attorney, 3 days ago. If I go to the site, i can see what I wrote, and can edit or delete, but its yet to be posted, public. How long does this take for it to finally be public? There are 7 other reviews over the past year or so, but mine has not gone public. (note: its a GREAT review of the attorney, with no swearing, vulgarity, etc). I’d love to know the answer.
Thanks
Dennis
Dennis it should go live right away.
I message ran out on phone. my home number is 850 , will be there wednsday and at night , about setting up system for seo reviews
thank
Dr. Burton S. Schuler
panama city fl
Thanks for the posting. It is so important to ask that satisfied clients post a review on Google Places or other local search engines such as Yelp, and its a great idea to offer an incentive, such as a discount. I’ll give it a try next time.
Dr Burton Schuler,
I got your voicemail, but you yes info was cut off so I am glad you left a comment. I will email you direct.
I set up an account via Google Places and had one of my clients post a review. The review was in-depth and specific, but after about 3 weeks it disappeared? Now it shows that I have no reviews on Google? Any idea what that is about? Will it come back?
no sorry to hear about that. it happens all the time on google. you can submit a ticket to Google Places support: http://support.google.com/places/bin/static.py?hl=en&ts=1386120&page=ts.cs