We’re sure by now you are aware of the weight that is held with each Google review. Positive reviews can increase the amount of business you are bringing in on a regular basis, while negative reviews can have the complete opposite effect.

Have no fear, though! You can use the information you know about responding to Google reviews and a few of the tips below to work out some great responses to any negative reviews you have received on your Google My Business page.

While it is important to respond to both types of reviews, responding to negative Google reviews should be your top priority. Letting negative reviews sit on your Google My Business page unanswered can foster negativity about your business, especially with the person who left the Google review. You have the opportunity to turn the situation around by responding quickly and professionally to negative reviews and we are going to show you how!

Responding

As long as the negative review isn’t flagged by Google, it will be published to your Google My Business page immediately. This means that the public and your potential customers will be able to see it right away and you will need to act fast and get in a great response as soon as you can.

This does not mean to rush into a response. If you are upset or mad about the review, give yourself some time to cool off and gather your thoughts before responding. Everyone who sees the negative review will also see your response, so think carefully about what you are going to say before clicking submit.

Here are some tips that should help you craft the perfect response:

– Always be professional
– Create unique responses to each review
– Thank the reviewer for their insight
– Take ownership of the issue
– Offer a meaningful and sincere apology
– Reinforce positive aspects of the review to highlight your core values
– Provide a solution if possible
– Find out more information
– Ask a colleague to review your response before posting

Just make sure not to:

– Immediately take the issue offline (unless it is appropriate to do so)
– Make it more personal than business
– Offer bribes

Every review and every situation will be different, but these tips should help you take what you know about the reviewer, the situation and your own company to craft a response that turns a negative review into a positive one.

Revising

If your response to a negative review on your Google My Business page leads to a resolution of the issue and the reviewer is happy with the solution, don’t hesitate to ask them to update or remove their review.

This will go a long way towards building goodwill with your potential customers and can bringing your star rating back up to where it should be.

Flagging

Sometimes, negative comments are posted to Google My Business pages that violate Google’s review policy. In situations like this, business owners can flag these reviews as inappropriate and potentially have them removed by Google.

Keep an eye out for our future post on how to complete the process of flagging a review with Google and contact us today for more information about how Google reviews can impact your business by complementing an expertly run SEO Campaign.