Google Review Automation: What It Is and How It Works
Google reviews are a major factor in the way that customers select local businesses. If a person is looking for a plumber, a roofer, an electrician, a landscaping company, an auto shop, or some other local service, they usually base their decision to compare businesses on the rating the business has received, the number of reviews, and how recent the reviews are.
The issue is simple in that a great many customers who are satisfied never leave a review. They become busy, forget, or decide to carry it out later and then never return. That's where Google's review automation can come in helpful.
Google's review automation feature enables companies to automatically send out requests for reviews to their customers via text messages and email, thus decreasing the necessity for staff to have to manually follow up after each job.
What counts as Google review automation?
Google review automation involves automatically asking customers for reviews after they have interacted with your business. Rather than having to get in touch with each customer individually, review automation software is able to send out a personalised message requesting that they share their experience.
For example:
Hello Sarah, thanks for selecting ABC Plumbing — if you could just take a few minutes to let us know about your experience on Google that would be appreciated.
The message may contain a direct link to the company's Google review page. What we want to achieve is not to produce reviews, but to make it easier for actual customers to give honest feedback.
How does the automation of Google reviews function?
The process that is followed by most review automation platforms is similar.
1. Add your customers
Customer information can be entered manually, imported from a customer list, or included via an integration with another business system. This may include:
- Customer name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Date of service
2. Send a request for a review
Following a customer interaction, the software has the ability to automatically send a personalised SMS, email, or both. It makes it unnecessary for employees to forget to ask each customer for a review.
3. Direct customers to Google
The request for a review can contain a direct link to the company's Google review page. Rather than having customers look for the business on their own, they can just tap the link and start writing their review. The simpler the process is, the more likely customers are to finish it.
4. Follow up automatically
It is not the case that everybody replies to the first message. Customers are given another chance to provide their feedback when automated follow-ups are used, without the need for someone from your team to contact them manually.
5. Build reviews consistently
The automation of reviews makes the gathering of them a continuous process. Rather than having several reviews in one month and none the following month, businesses can regularly request feedback from eligible customers.
What is the importance of Google reviews?
Google reviews can affect the way potential customers see your business before they even call you or go to your website.
Reviews build trust
Consider two businesses:
- Business A has 4.8 stars based on 380 reviews.
- Business B has 4.8 stars based on 28 reviews.
Even though both businesses have the same rating, Business A may be seen by many customers as more established since a much larger number of people have given their experiences.
Reviews influence buying decisions
It is common for customers to look at a number of businesses before arriving at a decision. Recent customer reviews constitute a strong form of social proof and could help your business to stand out from your competitors.
Reviews strengthen your Google presence
The reviews you provide are an important element of your Google Business Profile. Having a good review profile makes your listing more attractive when people who are comparing local businesses are looking at it.
Recent reviews matter
Even if a company has numerous reviews, its profile may seem less active when the most recent review is several months old. Receiving a steady stream of new reviews helps in keeping your online reputation up to date.
Why Consistency Matters
A large number of businesses currently request reviews from their customers. The greater issue is that they are not consistent about it.
It is possible for an employee to remember to ask customers one day and not remember the next. The owner will make review requests whenever the business is slow but will cease doing so when it becomes busy. Each request that is forgotten represents a missed opportunity.
The problem is solved by incorporating review requests into the usual customer process. Rather than having someone remember, eligible customers can automatically be given the chance to share their experience. After a period of months or years, such consistency can make a big difference.
SMS and Email Review Requests
SMS and email can both be useful for gathering reviews.
SMS
Sending text messages is quick and easy. A customer can have a message sent to their phone, tap the review link, and then give their feedback within minutes.
Email offers another means of contacting customers and is useful for those who had missed or failed to reply to the original text message. Businesses can use both SMS and email to have many opportunities of reaching their customers.
Common Review Automation Mistakes
Although automation may save time, businesses ought to use it with care.
Sending too many messages
Customers should not be given continuous reminders. A request for a review, together with a suitable number of subsequent follow-ups, is usually sufficient. A large number of messages can irritate customers and damage the experience which you are attempting to improve.
Making the process difficult
The process of reviewing should be simple. Because if customers have to go through several pages before they get to Google, many of them will give up on the process. Links that allow for direct reviews cut down on the unnecessary steps.
Sending generic requests
Messages that are tailored to individuals usually seem more natural than those that are sent out in bulk. Including both the customer's name and your business name makes the request seem more relevant.
Waiting too long
It is more likely that customers will remember their experience in the short time following their interaction with your business. The chances of them responding could be reduced if you wait several months before asking for a review.
Only asking occasionally
The generation of reviews shouldn't be limited to a single campaign. Always asking for feedback results in a more up-to-date and representative review profile.
Google Review Policies and Automation
Genuine feedback from real customers should always be obtained through the use of review automation. Companies ought not to buy fake reviews, compose their own reviews, or try to manipulate customer feedback.
People should always be at liberty to choose whether or not to leave a review and to decide which rating to give. The only aim of automation is to make the process of issuing review requests simpler and more consistent.
Can review automation ensure that five-star reviews are given?
No.
A genuine review platform should not promise that all its customers will leave a five-star review. It is the customers who determine the rating and the feedback they give. The level of consistency with which businesses request honest feedback is something that they can control.
If your company provides a good customer experience, then it will help your online reputation to make it easier for satisfied customers to leave reviews.
Who gains from the automation of Google reviews?
Review automation can be especially useful for businesses that serve customers regularly, including:
- Plumbers
- HVAC companies
- Roofers
- Electricians
- Landscapers
- Cleaning companies
- Auto repair shops
- Auto detailers
- Pest control companies
- Contractors
- Moving companies
- Painting companies
A company which has dozens or even hundreds of customer interactions each month might find it difficult to manually keep track of those who have received a request for a review and those who still need contacting. Automation can take care of that process in the background.
How ReviewCatch Automates Review Requests
ReviewCatch enables local businesses to get more of their current customers to become Google reviewers. Businesses have the option of uploading their customers' contact details or linking in compatible systems in order to send out personalized review campaigns by means of SMS and email.
The process is straightforward:
- Add your customers.
- Create your review campaign.
- ReviewCatch sends out personalized SMS and email requests.
- Customers have a direct method of leaving a Google review.
- Automated follow-ups are useful for contacting customers who did not respond at first.
Rather than relying on customers remembering to leave reviews, ReviewCatch provides businesses with a system that can be repeatedly used to ask them.
How fast can you see results?
There is no single timeline that fits everyone.
It is possible for some companies to get a new review right after they send out their first campaign, while others may have to wait a longer time. Results depend on factors such as:
- Number of customers contacted
- Customer response rates
- Quality of the customer experience
- Timing of the request
- How frequently review requests are sent
Reviews are not created by automation out of nothing. This enables businesses to make use of the review chances that are already available among their customers.
The Bottom Line
There is no lack of satisfied customers among most businesses. There is a lack of customers who are satisfied and who actually take the time to write a review. Google's review automation helps bridge that gap.
By automatically sending out personalized SMS and email requests for reviews, businesses will be able to make their review gathering more consistent at the same time as reducing the amount of manual work. As time goes on, this can contribute to building up a more up-to-date and robust Google review profile.