Believe or not, 6 out of 10 consumers check Google reviews before any other review site. Or any other site for that matter.

Yes, I know it’s like hearing a broken record, but Google is King, Queen, Rook, Knight, and Pawn – pretty much the whole game when it comes to online searches. Over 76%! And online searches are how your customers find new businesses when looking in your business category, just like yours.

That’s why we pay close attention to Google business listings for our clients. Your business listing and your Google reviews should be your #1 priority when it comes to your new customer acquisition strategy. It’s where your customers’ eyes and attention are looking. Here is a chart that breaks it down in order of which review sites customers check first and so on:
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Google, then Yelp, then TripAdvisor, then Facebook. That pretty much sums it up for the big 4 in online review usage. The important part is that Google reviews and your Google business listing are what’s important to your customers and your potential NEW customers. That’s why we put so much weight on it when managing our client’s online reputation.

Secret Insider Tip:

The other major influence for Google reviews is that it affects your rankings when it comes to Google Maps (which they only show 3 businesses) and the organic listing of your website between you and your competitors.

Google likes lots of reviews and positive, fresh reviews. Google’s main goal for their customers is to provide a relevant, accurate, and helpful experience for their users. They way they accomplish that is by showing them the best, most recent, correct information.

So, to be a success on Google follow these steps:

  1. Claim your Google Business Listing
  2. Optimize your Google Business Listing
  3. Monitor your Google Reviews
  4. Answer your Google Reviews (see my email from last week for an important update to this)
  5. Generate more positive Google Reviews

Do all this and you will slay the massive Google Dragon and win the game – Which is getting more new customers for your business.