A negative review on Google is quite enough to put your mood down.
And it makes complete sense. When you realise that you have disappointed a customer, it makes you question your product or service.
But remember, behind every negative review, it’s just a human wanting to be heard.
Negative reviews come more often on Google than in person. As it’s much easier to complain about being behind a screen than in person.
Now, this raises the question “How to respond to negative reviews on Google”
And we’ve got just the right tips for you.
Responding to a negative review on Google can be quite tiring and irritating. But remember, leaving a negative review on Google without replying to it is the worst thing you can do.
The way you respond to a bad review impacts the brand image and future of the company. You might have heard the saying that people will forget what you did, but they will remember the way you make them feel.
And you have to make sure that your response makes the user feel good and positive.
First let’s find out, do Google reviews affect SEO?
Do Reviews Affect SEO?
Studies have shown again and again what you already might know, Reviews represent authority.
Marketing companies had collected the statistics from many studies and generated the collective numbers for online reviews. Here are the key figures:
- No one overlooks reviews: 90% of the users go through the online reviews prior to visiting a business.
- Reviews mean trust: 88% of the people believe in online reviews the same way as they do in personal recommendations.
- Good reviews drive revenue: 31% of consumers like to buy from businesses that have good reviews.
- Bad reviews distance profit: 86% of people are less likely to spend their money on businesses that have bad reviews.
- Reviews make your business trustworthy: 72% of users believe that good reviews make them trust the business more.
With the numerous options available on today’s crowded internet, everyone tends to look at reviews before buying anything.
As trusting an online company with closed eyes makes no sense, the importance of reviews gets higher.
So, surely bad reviews make Google believe that your product or service isn’t up to par. And that does reflect on your rankings too.
How Negative Reviews Affect Your Business
67.7% of shoppers are influenced by online reviews before making a purchase.
Positive reviews help your company’s reputation, sales, search engine rankings, and profitability. Negative evaluations, on the other hand, have a variety of negative consequences for businesses of all sizes.
Here are a few of them, as well as the most up-to-date data.
1. Loss of income
Negative reviews on Google, Facebook, and Yelp, according to Womply’s study, have a substantial impact on your sales. A company with a one-to-five-star rating earns 33% less than an ordinary company.
According to Forbes, 94% of customers avoid doing business with a firm that has received negative feedback.
2. Destroy the company’s image
Negative reviews have the potential to tarnish your long-established reputation. They erode the trust of potential customers in your company. Many individuals will not buy from a shop that has a terrible image and lacks trustworthiness.
Consumers with unfavourable evaluations are 50% more likely to doubt the company’s quality. Negative reviews in plenty are difficult to remove, making it difficult to rebuild consumer confidence.
3. Deter potential
Negative reviews have the effect of driving clients away from your company and towards your rivals. According to research, one poor review turns away 22% of potential clients or around 30 customers.
With a rise in bad reviews, the proportion of lost clients grows. Customers flee by 59.2% after three unfavourable reviews. If you receive more than four unfavourable reviews, you’ll lose 70% of your clients.
4. Low visibility in search results
Your company’s search engine ranking is influenced by customer reviews. Negative reviews lower your company’s ranking since search engines only show users the best businesses.
5. Profitability is reduced
Negative reviews hurt your bottom line by driving away clients and reducing income. Furthermore, the expense of repairing your ruined reputation has a negative impact on your bottom line.
Why React to Negative Review on Google
For every user who will come to read your reviews, the tone of your replies will set a standard of the brand image in his/her eyes.
That’s the reason it’s important to respond to bad reviews in a positive manner.
Do not forget that the reviews might be coming from one unsatisfied customer, your response would answer the thousands that will read it.
When you take out time to tailor a review specifically for one bad review, providing context and the best possible solution shows that you care about your customers.
Every user who will read it in future will know that you care about your customer’s satisfaction.
Replying with a positive approach when faced with an upsetting review, depicts your character to the future customers.
I know dealing with a bad review can be a drag but it can also be an opportunity to show that you care about the satisfaction of your customer.
How to Respond to Negative Reviews on Google
Take a deep breath and step away from the computer screen before typing an emotionally charged response. Focus your answer on being remorseful, addressing the problem, and attempting to put things right in the future.
1. Concentrate on your abilities.
Reading how someone feels harmed by their experience with your company may be unsettling, leaving you unsure of how to respond. Readers will evaluate if you listen to your dissatisfied visitor when responding to a negative Google review.
More significantly, they’ll pay attention to how you behave yourself in the face of adversity. Always pick the high road and be kind in your response.
2. Have a sense of empathy
In your reply, make sure you address their issues directly.
Attempt to defuse the issue by showing sympathy for the scenario that has forced them to submit a negative review.
It’s critical that you notice that this visitor did not get the experience they anticipated and that your response demonstrates that you understand their viewpoint.
3. Take swift action to address the problem.
A prompt response – ideally within 24 hours – is critical when responding to a negative Google review.
Even though composing a smart response might require a lot of mental effort, you must respond immediately.
Guests who feel heard and acknowledged might become your most earnest supporters. Keep your attention on your main goal, which is to ensure that your guests are satisfied.
This gives you some influence over the outcome, which is especially useful if you’re serious about providing a solution.
4. Recognize your visitor’s annoyance.
Address the precise issue that your unfavourable reviewer brought up. By making your case, you can avoid enraging a visitor who has already left a one-star review.
If readers perceive you getting irritated when confronted with a complaint, you could lose bookings if you roll up your sleeves.
If visitors receive the impression that you’re abrasive and obstinate, they’ll prefer to support firms that they believe they can trust. Responding to a bad review has significance since it shows that you’re paying attention and caring about your customers.
5. Take responsibility for your actions and concentrate on finding a solution.
Simply apologise. Even if their dissatisfaction isn’t totally due to your fault, the encounter did not meet their expectations.
If feasible, encourage the reviewer to continue the dialogue by email or offline, with the option of connecting by phone. People’s guards tend to drop a little when they’re on the phone or in person, so humanising your response may help you reach a solution faster.
6. Appreciate their feedback.
Both negative and positive feedback is useful.
Thanking customers for their feedback, even if it isn’t all flowers, shows professionalism and a desire to improve.
7. Make an effort to make apologies by volunteering to do so.
If they are prepared to give you another chance, assure them that you will provide the sort of experience they anticipate.
Invite them to tell you what you could have done better by email or direct message, and be open to hearing that you could have done better.
Even if your ratings are less than 5 stars, being cool in the face of a less-than-perfect review might increase the likelihood that guests will choose to book. They’ll respect your attention to detail and the value of customer service above whether or not you can fix or smooth things over with this one person.
8. Take action.
A first answer is excellent, especially if you include the guest’s name, email address, and phone number so they may proceed.
This demonstrates that you aren’t just replying to preserve face, but that you are genuinely concerned about the outcome.
Make it a point to email the reviewer and follow up. It says a lot about your client service and shows that you’re also on top of things. While no company owner enjoys hearing that they aren’t meeting expectations, a one-star review may provide insight on how to improve.
How To Remove Negative Reviews From Google
Though answering a bad review is still a better option, there are other options too. You can get the Google negative reviews removed too.
You can request Google to remove the negative review from your Google Local. If Google considers that the comment is inappropriate or spam, then the comment would be deleted.
Follow these steps to request Google to remove the comment:
- First of all, sign in to your Google account that has the authority.
- Open Google Maps.
- Now search for your business, and go to watch your business reviews.
- Then select all reviews and tap the three dots in the top right corner of the review that you want to get removed.
- Choose “Flag as inappropriate” and fill out the required form.
- And click submit.
Now Google will take you through the legal process required to get your Google negative review removed.
Moving Ahead with a Positive Approach
Always keep this in mind, one negative review does not make your business bad.
The way you approach that negative review is the more important thing. Because that decides how other users who will read that comment would feel.
In this guide on how to respond to negative reviews on Google, we talked about why negative reviews are good. How they affect SEO, and how to get rid of negative reviews on Google.
I hope you would have found all the answers you were looking for. If not, then the comment box is wide open for you. Or you can mail us your query at [email protected]. We will be more than happy to help you out.
Also, Thank You For Reading Along. It means a lot to us.
