Online reviews are a part of doing business. You can’t control what people say about your business online but you can control how you respond. And, of course, by running an honest and fairly priced business offering quality products and services, you can almost guarantee that the majority of your customers leave positive feedback.

Today we’ll offer some tips for responding to customer reviews, and explain why review responses are important for not only your online reputation but also for your local SEO efforts.

How to Respond to Positive Reviews

First, the easy part. If someone leaves you a 4-or-5-star review, you can use one of these responses, or you can be more detailed.

  • Thank you! It was a pleasure to serve you.
  • Thanks for sharing your experience. We’re glad we could help.
  • We’re glad you’re happy with our service. Thank you.

For 3-star reviews, thank them for their feedback, and ask honestly what your company could have done to make the experience better. If they respond, thank them again, and take what they say to heart for future customer interactions.

How to Respond to Negative Reviews

These responses take a little more thought and effort. Here are some tips for responding to negative feedback.

  1. Respond promptly.
  2. Stay professional. Never lash out or call names.
  3. Investigate the situation.
  4. Offer to talk it over to see if you can resolve the bad feelings.
  5. Sign your name or initials to show you’re a real person.

By responding promptly, you show that you care about customer service and customer experience. By staying professional in your response, you show prospective customers how you treat people even when they have something bad to say.

By investigating the situation, you can offer a measured response taking responsibility for a mix-up on your end.  You can also clarify what happened and lay it out for potential customers reading the review to understand how your company tried to resolve the issue that led to the review.

Offer to set up a phone call (give your phone number and extension) or give an email address to reach out to the unhappy customer to try and resolve the issue. Prospective customers appreciate that.

If you resolve the issue, you can ask the person to update their review, but you cannot ask them to take it down.

How to Respond to Potentially Fake Reviews

If you have no record of the person giving the review ever being a customer, you can say that in your response, and ask them to call or email with further information so you can look into the issue. Bad actors sometimes leave bad reviews for local businesses for the fun of it or because they favor one of your competitors.

The Importance of Responding to Positive and Negative Reviews

You can’t control what people will say in a review. But you can control how you respond to it. Ignoring your customer’s opinions and not responding is bad business. Make a point of responding to each review, whether it’s about a positive experience or a negative experience.

Your response to customer feedback gives you a chance to show appreciation or turn an unhappy customer into a repeat customer. According to Bright Local’s research, 55% of consumers say a business owner who responds to reviews makes them feel more positive about using a business.

How Reviews Figure into Your Local Search Ranking

Reviews are a big part of managing your online reputation and improving your local search ranking. According to Google, “Google review count and review score factor into local search ranking. More reviews and positive ratings can improve your business’s local ranking.”

  • 81% of people read Google reviews.
  • 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.
  • 60% of people say that the more reviews a business has, the more they trust them.
  • Reviews make up 15% of the ranking factors for your local search rank.

Furthermore, Google uses the quantity, diversity, and velocity of your reviews as part of your local search ranking.

Quantity is the overall number of reviews you have posted on your Google Business Profile

Diversity is the number or reviews you have on multiple, reputable platforms, including Facebook, Yelp, and industry review sites.

Velocity is how often you receive reviews and how new the reviews are.

So, in addition to responding to reviews, you can see that it pays to solicit reviews from satisfied customers. Don’t pay for reviews, and ask for honest reviews. Searchers don’t really believe over-the-top positive reviews.

It Doesn’t Stop with Google

And don’t think Google reviews are the only reviews you need to respond to. Keep an eye on Facebook reviews, Yelp, and other review sites. Your SEO agency can help you claim your business profile on some of these sites and even help respond to your reviews.

Get a Free SEO Audit

If you’re interested in improving your ranking in local search results, we can help. Fill out the form for a free SEO audit to get started. You can also call us at 410-420-9390 to set up a consultation.