GMB Reviews In Calgary

When you walk around Calgary, you’ll be overwhelmed by all the sights to see. The city is full of life and youth, given that the median age of its citizens is 36-years-old. Take a stroll down the longest pedestrian skywalk in the world, the Plus 15, which stretches 18 KM. But how do you catch the eye of customers in a city with so much to look at?

Creating a Google My Business listing is the first step to building your online presence. The next is gathering reviews. What customers are saying about your business online has a surprising impact on your reputation and your rankings in local search results. In this post, we’re going to cover why your business needs to prioritize review management, and how you can do it easily:

 

Why are reviews important?

Imagine that you’re shopping for a new computer in Calgary. There are dozens of brands on the market, each with sleek-looking models that match your specifications. How do you choose?

Most consumers start by checking online reviews. A recent survey revealed that 87% of customers check online reviews when looking for a local business. This means that the reviews on your GMB will be read by most of your customers.

  • They make your business more trustworthy.

Let’s return to our goal of buying a computer. You’ve started looking at the online reviews of the popular tech stores in your area. In the top three results, you find one business with 0 reviews, one business with plenty of negative reviews, and one that’s rated 5-stars. Which are you most likely to pick?

Of course, you’ll decide to call the store with the best review score. This will be the same thought process that your customers have when searching for your business.

  • You can gain insights from customer feedback.

As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to provide your customers with a better experience. 

Customers can share valuable feedback with you via reviews. Even if they give you a negative score, you can learn what caused the customer to have a poor experience at your store. Was the product defective? Were they unhappy with the service? Did it fail to meet their expectations? You can learn how to refine your business to improve their experience in the future.

Consider reaching out to the customer and offering a way to remedy the situation. This may convince them to alter the score of their initial review since you’ve shown that their feedback is important to you. 

  • They can get you more customers.

Let’s face it: if you’re choosing between two local businesses, you’re going to pick the one with a higher review score. Good reviews convince customers to choose your business over your competitors.

And finally, one of the most important factors: GMB reviews affect your rankings in local search results.

 

How do reviews impact SEO?

Search engine optimization focuses on getting your website to the top of the search results. A mix of ranking factors all influence your website’s position on the page; the most important ones being the number and average rating of your online reviews. A study by Moz found that reviews are a significant ranking factor in both local search and 3-Pack results. That means more reviews with higher ratings = better rankings!

If your business has a high review score, it’ll drive more customers to your website, thereby increasing your click-through rate. Not only is this good for SEO, but it’s a great way to secure more leads!

Reviews also give you a higher chance of appearing in the Google 3-Pack. This is what you see whenever you search something like “best restaurants in Calgary”; you’ll see a photo of a map, and beneath it are the top 3 results. This is a highly visible part of search results real estate, and it’s where you want your business to be. 

 

How do you generate more reviews?

Now that you know how important reviews are for your success, your next question, naturally, is: how do I get more of them? We’ve got a few ideas for you:

  • Reach out to customers.

If you have the email addresses of your recent customers, consider sending them a request to leave you a review.

This method is undeniably effective, but it’s also time-consuming. After all, you’ve got a business to run. So how do you generate reviews without using up all your time? 

  • Use review management software.

This software is a great way for businesses to take control of their online reputation. It’s simple to use and the results are effective. Once customers make a purchase, their email addresses are entered into the system. They’ll automatically be prompted to leave a review about their recent experience. If it’s positive, they’re encouraged to post it to your GMB—if it’s negative, the review is kept internally so that you can address the situation personally. You’ll be notified the moment that new reviews come in so that you can react in real-time.

After you’ve set up GMB for your Calgary business, you’re ready to start filling it with reviews. At First Rank, we can help with that. We offer a review management software that will quickly build your online reputation.

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Please call (204) 272-7265 or fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours. Also, make sure to follow us on social media
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The purpose of First Rank is to help businesses generate leads from their websites. We put a focus on SEO, because we believe it is one of the most cost effective and highest converting forms of traffic generation, however traffic alone is not enough on its own to grow your business. SEO should be combined with conversion optimization, email marketing and retargeting to maximize the ROI of your advertising dollars.