How to Reply to Google Reviews (Tips & Examples)

Google reviews marque up the immense bulk of online reviews (as overmuch arsenic 73%). And however you negociate and respond to a Google reappraisal tin assistance you physique much spot with imaginable customers.

Google reviews look wrong your Google Business Profile (GBP) connected Maps and Search. Like this:

So it tin beryllium 1 of the archetypal things that radical spot erstwhile they look up your concern connected Google.

In this post, we’ll explicate wherefore responding to Google reviews is truthful important for your business.

And amusement you champion practices connected however to respond to a Google review, whether that reappraisal is affirmative oregon negative.

Why Is It Important to Reply to Google Reviews?

When you respond to Google reviews, you amusement radical that you really attraction astir lawsuit feedback.

Which tin pb to amended online estimation and amended lawsuit relationships. And perchance much qualified leads.

In fact, 93% of consumers expect businesses to respond to their reviews. And 41% of consumers would take businesses that respond to each reviews implicit ones that don’t.

Here are much benefits of responding to lawsuit feedback connected Google:

• It fosters amended lawsuit relationships and trust. Engaging with reviews shows that you worth lawsuit opinions and admit them choosing your business. A concern that responds to reviews tends to look much trustworthy and customer-focused than 1 that doesn’t.
• It reveals invaluable insights. Being funny astir your customers’ experiences and asking them however things could person been amended helps you place ways to amended your merchandise oregon service.
• It improves section rankings. According to Google, high-quality and affirmative reviews tin amended your section hunt visibility.

How to Reply to Google Reviews

Learn however to respond to a reappraisal connected Google. So you tin commencement gathering lawsuit spot and relationships today.

1. Verify Your Business

Google needs to verify your concern earlier you tin respond to Google reviews.

First, make oregon assertion your Business Profile (if you haven’t already).

Set up your illustration by providing concern details. Like your concern name, website, location, and interaction information.

Google volition past connection antithetic ways to verify your business. Including by phone, email, oregon video recording.

It tin instrumentality up to 5 moving days for Google to reappraisal and verify your details.

Further reading: How to Add Your Business to Google: The Ultimate Guide for 2024

2. Respond to Google Reviews Using Google Search oregon Maps

You tin reply to Google reviews utilizing your computer, Android device, iPhone, oregon iPad.

But for this guide, we’ll amusement you however to bash it utilizing your computer.

First, caput to Google Search and participate your concern sanction into the hunt bar.

Then, click connected the “Reviews” tab successful Maps. Or the “X Google reviews” nexus successful Search.

And deed “Reply” nether the reappraisal that you privation to respond to.

Write your effect successful the pop-up that appears. And click “Reply” to people your response.

Edit oregon delete your effect aft publishing it. By clicking connected the “Edit” oregon “Delete” fastener underneath it.

Learn much astir however you tin reply to reviews connected different devices by reading Google’s documentation.

3. Reply to Google Reviews Using Semrush

You tin besides presumption and respond to Google reviews utilizing Semrush’s Review Management tool.

This AI-powered reappraisal absorption instrumentality allows you to show lawsuit reviews crossed aggregate platforms (not conscionable Google) utilizing a azygous dashboard.

Here’s however to bash it.

First, unfastened the Review Management tool. And participate your concern sanction into the abstraction provided. And prime your concern from the list.

And past click “Continue setup.” And travel the prompts to acceptable up your account.

When you’re done with the setup, you’ll spot a “Review Progress” barroom illustration that shows however galore reviews you got. And what your mean prima standing was.

Scroll down to the “Reviews” conception to spot your latest reviews.

And click connected the “Not Replied” filter to spot reviews you’ve not responded to.

You tin besides click connected the drop-down paper successful the apical close information of the table. To filter for affirmative oregon antagonistic reviews.

And commencement drafting your response. Either manually oregon with AI.

If you privation to usage AI, click the “Generate draft” fastener to instantly make a response. This enactment is disposable for your archetypal 5 unanswered reviews. 

Click “Reply” erstwhile you’re satisfied with your response.

Best Practices for Responding to Negative Google Reviews

Dealing with affirmative reviews is easy. (And we’ll get to that later).

But however bash you respond to a Google reappraisal erstwhile it’s negative?

That tin beryllium challenging. Especially if you deliberation the reappraisal is unfair oregon misrepresents your business.

But handling antagonistic reviews the close mode shows readers that you attraction astir lawsuit satisfaction. And doing truthful tin physique spot and amended lawsuit relationships.

Here are immoderate tips for responding to atrocious Google reviews.

Choose the Right Time to Reply

Responding promptly shows your concern values and listens to what customers person to say.

In fact, 54% of customers who near a antagonistic reappraisal expect the institution to respond.

However, don’t unreserved to respond. 

Give yourself capable clip to process the review. And past draught an due reply that addresses the occupation presented and provides a solution, erstwhile possible.

As a wide guideline, we urge responding wrong 1 to 7 days.

Address the Reviewer Personally

When crafting your response, code the reviewer by name, if possible.

This idiosyncratic interaction shows that you spot the reviewer arsenic an individual, not conscionable different customer. It tin besides assistance your effect consciousness much genuine and considerate.

Start your reply by acknowledging the reviewer’s circumstantial concerns. 

For example, alternatively of a generic “Thank you for your feedback,” you could say, “Hi [Name], convey you for bringing [specific issue] to our attention.” 

This attack demonstrates that you’re engaged with their concern and instrumentality it seriously. 

Like this personalized effect from Miami’s Quality Auto Repair shop.

Apologize and Accept Responsibility

Acknowledging immoderate mistakes oregon shortcomings is important successful defusing a antagonistic situation.

Any apology should beryllium sincere and circumstantial to the reviewer’s issue. Cookie-cutter apologies whitethorn look disingenuous.

So, alternatively of saying "We’re atrocious for immoderate inconvenience," you could say, "We’re genuinely atrocious that your bid was delayed and that this hold impacted your experience. We recognize however frustrating that indispensable person been, and we’re taking steps to guarantee this doesn’t hap again."

Of course, you shouldn’t judge blasted for thing beyond your power arsenic a concern (like atrocious weather). And it’s sometimes worthy providing much discourse to explicate wherefore definite situations occurred.

Here’s an illustration of a well-balanced reply from The Hermosa Inn.

The effect is empathetic and conciliatory, but lone admits blasted wherever it’s due. 

Offer Solutions

Customers admit apologies. But, ultimately, they similar solutions.

Whenever possible, connection thing to effort to marque it up to the customer. 

This could beryllium a refund, a replacement, oregon a discount connected aboriginal services. Something tangible that shows you’re committed to making things right.

At the precise least, you should committedness to code the basal origin of the occupation truthful it doesn’t hap again.

For example, successful this response, Spiller Park Coffee acknowledges that the concern should beryllium much mindful of its euphony choices arsenic a family-friendly establishment.

Maintain a Professional Tone

Even if a reappraisal feels unfair oregon overly harsh, support your code nonrecreational and respectful. 

Responding defensively oregon with vexation could discourage imaginable customers from doing concern with you.

So debar resorting to excuses, blame-shifting, sarcasm, oregon immoderate connection that mightiness travel crossed arsenic dismissive oregon combative.

Keeping a chill caput shows your concern values lawsuit restitution and handles disapproval gracefully.

Your responses should besides beryllium well-written and escaped from spelling and grammatical errors.

Use the AI Writing Assistant app to make nonrecreational replies for nationalist reviews.

Search “review” to find the Review Responder tool.

Enter details astir your reappraisal to assistance the instrumentality make a response. Adjust your code of dependable to beryllium nonrecreational oregon friendly, among different options. Then, click “Generate.”

The instrumentality volition make responses for you to usage oregon to edit further.

Encourage the Reviewer to Contact You Directly

Sometimes, it’s much adjuvant to invitation the reviewer to proceed the speech privately. 

Encouraging them to interaction you straight allows you to code their concerns successful much detail, distant from the nationalist eye, and helps forestall further escalation.

Offering a nonstop enactment of communication, similar a telephone fig oregon email address, demonstrates your willingness to resoluteness the issue.

Like this illustration from the Stubborn Seed edifice successful Miami.

Address What Caused the Problem

You should worth affirmative and antagonistic lawsuit feedback equally.

After all, a valid antagonistic reappraisal tells you however you tin amended the lawsuit experience. And the much you amended your lawsuit experience, the less atrocious reviews you’ll get down the line.

Look for immoderate patterns oregon recurring issues successful your reviews.

And inquire yourself, “Are determination circumstantial aspects of your work oregon merchandise that origin dissatisfaction?”

Once you’ve pinpointed what caused the lawsuit dissatisfaction, instrumentality factual actions to hole the issue. Whether it’s retraining staff, improving merchandise quality, oregon adjusting policies.

After implementing changes, see informing your reviewers (and aboriginal customers) of the steps you’ve taken to resoluteness these issues.

This shows that you really attraction astir your customers. And are striving to amended the work you provide.

An illustration update could be, “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We’ve since taken steps to [describe the solution] to guarantee this doesn’t hap again.”

Further reading: How to Respond to Negative Reviews: 6 Best Practices

Best Practices for Responding to Positive Google Reviews

Responding to affirmative Google reviews is conscionable arsenic important arsenic addressing antagonistic ones.

Acknowledging satisfied customers tin foster loyalty and promote others to stock their affirmative experiences.

Here are immoderate tips for responding to affirmative Google reviews:

Show Genuine Appreciation

Showing genuine appreciation for reviews tin assistance you physique lasting lawsuit relationships.

A elemental “thank you” tin spell a agelong way. 

But you tin physique an adjacent stronger transportation by personalizing your effect and mentioning circumstantial details from their review. 

For instance, if the reviewer praised a peculiar merchandise oregon service, admit it directly. Like this:

“Thank you [customer name]! We’re truthful gladsome you loved our [specific product/service]!”

Here’s an illustration of a heartfelt convey you from The Book Cellar successful Chicago.

Show Your Brand’s Personality

Positive reviews tin beryllium an accidental to showcase your brand’s unsocial personality. And marque your marque basal out.

So don’t beryllium acrophobic to fto your brand’s dependable travel done successful your responses. Whether it’s friendly, quirky, oregon sophisticated. 

For example, if your marque is known for its consciousness of humor, you mightiness adhd a light-hearted remark successful your reply. This makes your effect much memorable and reinforces the amusive acquisition customers subordinate with your brand.

Like this playful reply from the Abracadabra costume store successful New York City.

Highlight Key Aspects of Your Business

Positive reviews are besides an accidental to item cardinal aspects of your concern you privation to promote.

When responding to affirmative feedback, see however you tin subtly notation different features imaginable customers mightiness find valuable. 

For instance, if a reviewer praises a circumstantial work oregon product, you tin grow connected it by emphasizing akin features, upcoming events, oregon peculiar offers related to it.

In this example, Wanderlust Yoga teases an upcoming yoga challenge.

Manage and Grow Your Brand’s Reputation

Responding to Google reviews—both bully and bad—is indispensable for managing your business’s online reputation. And gathering meaningful relationships with your customers.

But keeping up with reviews is hard. Especially if you get a batch of them.

So usage a instrumentality similar Review Management to respond to lawsuit feedback promptly and compassionately.

The instrumentality has AI features that assistance you trade your responses. And an automated effect diagnostic that volition assistance you respond to affirmative reviews quickly.

Stay connected apical of your Google reviews to foster lawsuit loyalty, code concerns earlier they escalate, and showcase your committedness to providing fantabulous service.