How Online Reviews Can Improve Your SEO

Search engine optimization, SEO, used to be as simple as stuffing a landing page full of redundant keywords in order to rank higher for relevant searches. However, search engines have since gotten wiser and now rank websites by the quality of their content– user generated content being among the most valuable. Therefore, genuine customer reviews can significantly improve a business’s SEO, placing them higher on the search results page. 

Let’s take a look at the specific benefits online reviews have in regards to SEO:

1. More keywords

Reviews are known as user-generated content because customers are content creators too! In fact, they are often considered the most valuable creators as prospective customers often look for reviews when making a purchase decision. And Google recognizes this, which is why the search engine will scrape new reviews, good or bad, for relevant keywords. Customer reviews are saturated with relevant keywords, be it your company name, products, services, or other related search terms.

So, whether the review itself is positive or negative, your SEO only improves! However, you should always strive for positive reviews, obviously.

2. Enhanced competitor edge

Many companies think content curation is the only way to improve SEO. Therefore, while your competitors are focused elsewhere, you can boost your online ranking by generating customer reviews. You should start by collecting reviews on your Google My Business listing so you can improve your overall SEO, as well as your local SEO (we’ll discuss this later). 

Then you should do some research to determine what other review sites are most important to your business. Once you’ve done this, consider implementing a widget on your site that displays all of your best customer reviews. This expands the opportunity of prospective customers reading your reviews, driving your traffic and clickthrough rate.

3. Google favors user generated content

Google looks at the quality of a customer review the same as it looks at the quality of a backlink. If a backlink isn’t relevant to its content or doesn’t provide any additional value, then Google doesn’t see it as an advantage. In terms of reviews, a negative review doesn’t benefit the user, therefore Google favors positive reviews. Google also looks for relevancy and frequency of reviews. Which is why local listings always start with businesses that have the highest number and most recent reviews, disregarding advertisements.

4. Review responses increase interaction

Google My Business advises companies to interact with their customers on their GMB listing by responding to reviews. Why? Well, while they do not explicitly explain this piece of advice, it is obvious that it gives the platform more information to scrape. Therefore, by responding to customer feedback, you not only engage your clientele but you could potentially boost your online ranking. Responding to negative reviews could even persuade the customer to change their feedback.

5. Reviews decrease bounce rates

Bounce rates can kill a company’s online ranking. Studies have found that showcasing online reviews can actually improve a business’s bounce and conversion rates. This is because reviews enable customers to gain knowledge and trust for a business before making a purchase. Therefore, businesses should display their best reviews on popular directories and their own website.

6. Local SEO

Local SEO refers to how local businesses are ranked in their area. For example, if someone from Dallas Google searches “dentists near me” only dentists in and around Dallas will populate. The dentists will be ranked based on their Google My Business review quality and quantity. Therefore, businesses with positive, frequent, and large quantities of reviews will appear at the top of the list. 

SEO practices are ever-evolving, but one thing that will never lose its effectiveness is customer reviews. Businesses should prioritize review generation in order to maintain their online presence and customer reach.

The History of Online Reviews

Prior to online reviews, people relied on recommendations from loved ones and thorough research before making a purchase or choosing a healthcare provider. The research phase back then could take weeks or even months, and therefore the sales funnel was much longer. Thankfully, the internet has since been invented and allows people to view reviews and data from hundreds of credible sources in a matter of seconds.

However, this didn’t just happen overnight. So let’s look at the history of online reviews and how they came to look the way they currently do.

The First Online Reviews

The first reviews to appear on the world wide web were published in 1999 on sites like eBay, Epinions, RateItAll, and Deja. These websites generated over 1 million reviews but was later outshined by Yellow Pages in 2001. Yellow Pages and City Search acted as directories where businesses could list their company and collect customer reviews. 

Because of the success of these online directories, more review sites started forming and catering to different types of businesses. Now there are countless online review platforms, the most popular include:

Google

Google is the largest, most robust search engine on the internet, which is why it was only fitting that they also collect business reviews. Businesses can claim a free Google listing by creating a Google My Business account and start collecting customer reviews the same day. Google then uses these reviews to improve your local SEO, or search engine optimization. So the more reviews you have, the higher up on the results page you appear for relevant searches.

Yelp

Yelp was created in 2004 with the intention of establishing a platform where healthcare providers can collect patient reviews. The inspiration struck when one of the founders fell ill and couldn’t find any reviews for local doctors or physicians. The concept of leaving anonymous reviews made Yelp extremely popular and by 2009 they had collected over 4.5 million reviews!

Facebook

By 2007 Facebook was booming and many businesses were creating platforms to become a part of its rise. This led the website to create a new feature that allowed companies to create their own “Page”. On these pages, businesses could collect reviews from their customers, outline their information, and create informative posts.

Medical Review Sites

Medical review sites, such as Healthgrades and Vitals, are tailored to businesses that fall within the healthcare industry. Although Yelp was originally created for this purpose, dozens of review sites have since been established so patients can leave reviews for:

• Hospitals
• Doctors
• Nurses
• Clinics
• Caretakers

Why Online Reviews are Important for Businesses

Nowadays, consumers don’t make a purchase decision or choose a healthcare provider without performing thorough research, and reviews are a major part in this phase. Without regular, positive reviews, prospective customers are likely to overlook your business for another that makes their online reputation a priority. 

Here are some online review statistics that you need to know:

• 72% of people say online reviews help them establish trust in a business
• 92% of people say they will patron a business if they have at least a four star rating
• 73% of customers place more value on the written review, rather than the star rating
• To out-do your competitors, you need to respond to at least 30% of your reviews
• 54% of consumers visit a local business’ website after reading a positive review
• A 2020 survey showed 77% of people use online reviews as the first step in finding a new physician 
• 84% of patients regularly consult review sites to view or post comments and ratings of healthcare staff 
• 86% of people would pay more for services from a company with higher ratings and reviews
• A one-star rating hike on Yelp can mean a 5% to 9% rise in restaurant revenue

How to Get More Online Reviews

Now that you understand the importance of online reviews, let’s discuss the different ways you can collect them:

Register your business on online directories

First and foremost, you need to list your business on all major directories, including Google and Facebook. Then you should look into review sites that are tailored to your specific industry. For example, if you own a healthcare clinic, you would want to be listed on Healthgrades, Vitals, and ZocDoc. Once you are listed, you can begin directing your clients to your listing to leave a review.

Ask for reviews

Don’t be afraid to ask your clients to leave you a review on the review sites that matter most to you. Some businesses even offer incentives or gift cards to clients that prove that they left a review. Consider launching an email campaign, putting up signage, or even reaching out to customers directly to generate more online reviews.

Reply to reviews

Getting reviews is only the beginning to establishing an online reputation, you must also reply to reviews. Start by responding to negative reviews, as they can significantly harm your reputation and cost you potential customers. However, you should also respond to positive reviews to show customers that you appreciate their loyalty.

Feature reviews

Consider featuring your best reviews on your social media, website, and in marketing campaigns! Studies have shown time and time again that consumers prefer user-generated content over traditional promotions, so give the people what they want!

Stay active online

Make sure you stay active online, whether that is through posting on social media or continuously updating your website. It is not enough to convert a customer, you have to make sure to consistently engage your clientele to maintain their loyalty. Otherwise, you may risk losing them to a competitor that nurtures their relationships.

Online reviews are here to stay, which means all modern businesses need to prioritize generating customer reviews in order to establish credibility. Consider purchasing review generation software to capture reviews on the sites that matter most to your business! Interested in ReviewIQ? Learn more about our review generation and monitoring here

Tips to Jumpstart Your Reputation Management

As your business grows in size, the more people will talk about your brand and everything that comes with it. And while publicity is great, it is important to manage and regulate the conversation regarding your company to ensure your reputation stays intact.

Let’s first go over the basics:

What is reputation management?

Reputation management involves monitoring sites to maintain your brand’s image and how clients, or prospective clients, perceive you. This can include the conversation revolving around your business, products, or services, reviews, articles written about your company, and any other attention your brand may get.

Why is reputation management important?

What is the first thing you do before purchasing a product or even going out to eat? Probably look at their online reviews, right? This is exactly why reputation management is so important, especially for healthcare providers. People are putting their lives in your hands, so they want to vet you and make sure they are getting the best possible care. 

A study found that 85% of customers conduct online research before making a purchase decision. Another study found that a brand risks losing 22% of their clientele if just one negative article populates when they search your brand. With successful reputation management you can optimize your online presence and expand your reach. 

How do you manage your reputation?

Given that the majority, if not all, customer research happens online, you need a way to effectively monitor relevant sites to manage your online presence. You can do this by using a software that monitors review sites and alerts you when your brand is mentioned, this way you can join the conversation immediately.

Expert Reputation’s Listings Manager monitors the primary healthcare review sites, making it simple to ensure all of your online listings have the most accurate information. Paired with our ReviewIQ software, that automates review link invites, you can improve your SEO in no time!

How to Kick Off Your Reputation Management

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s go over 7 ways you can jumpstart your reputation management strategy:

1. Monitor your most important online platforms

First and foremost, you must identify which online platforms matter the most to you. Are they forums or review sites? Whichever it may be, you need to establish a monitoring system so you remain in the know of how your brand is being talked about.

2. Respond to negative reviews

Unfortunately, people are more likely to leave a review when they have a bad experience. Rather than ignore these negative reviews, it is essential that you respond immediately to mitigate any further repercussions. By ignoring the reviews you risk losing a customer and prospective customers that are in the research phase. 

3. Ask for reviews

Prospective customers want to see that you have a healthy amount of recent reviews before they move to the next step. So make sure you are constantly asking your customers to leave you a review on the sites that matter most to your business. 

How do you do that? Well you can manually ask them at checkout or you can automate review link invites with software, like ReviewIQ! This eliminates the unnecessary busy work and ensures you are capturing the patient experience at the optimal time, as soon as they leave their appointment!

4. Create a blog

A major element of reputation management is search engine optimization, or SEO. SEO determines where you show up on the results page when users search key terms related to your business. This affects not only your reputation, but also your customer reach and searchability. By creating a blog saturated in relevant keywords and phrases, you can drastically improve your online ranking.

5. Cross promote content on another blog

The more content you have related to your specific set of keywords, the higher search engines, like Google, rank you. And this only increases as your site gains authority. Therefore, if you have a site with high-authority publish your blog you are likely to see a drastic boost in your site’s SEO. So consider creating a partnership with another professional site that already has a successful SEO strategy.

6. Optimize your social media accounts

We know you’ve hear it a million times, but you need to establish a presence on social media. Now this doesn’t mean you need to have an immediate following, but clients and prospective clients should be able to easily find you on all major platforms. Based on your business model, create an account on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and/or YouTube to reach your target audience.

7. Consistently engage with your audience

Once you’ve established your online presence and have reached your target audience, make sure you are actively engaging them. After all, it is much more cost effective to maintain your current clientele than it is to acquire new ones. Respond to their reviews on review sites, their comments on social media, and any other inquiries to show that you are active online. 

Reputation management and developing an SEO strategy can be tricky, and sometimes businesses require assistance. Be sure you check out our reputation management services to see how we can help!

How to Delete False Negative Reviews on Google

According to a BrightLocal Consumer Review Study, 91% of consumers, between the ages of 18 and 34, trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. What does this mean for you? It means that you should have a reputation management system in place to ensure that your reviews will attract potential patients.

But what if you have a negative review? Well this can be a bit tricky as there is no ethical way to remove a negative review, UNLESS you can prove that it is fake. For a normal negative review, it is best to respond directly to the customer, determine the issue, and resolve it either publicly or in private. 

But, let’s go back to addressing fake negative reviews. If you notice a negative review on your Google My Business from a user that you’ve never done business with, you may be able to have it removed. Believe it or not, this happens often and is a violation of Google’s review policies. 

Before taking the issue directly to Google, be sure to check a few things to ensure the review is indeed fake:

1. See if they are in your patient management system
2. See if your customer service team has them in their system
3. Check to see if the review has specifics about their experience or is generic in nature
4. Ensure there was not a sudden influx in negative reviews within a short period of time
5. Check to see if the review tries to direct users to a competitor of yours

How to Report a Fake Google Review

Now that you’ve determined that the review is fake, it is time to report it:

1. Find the review via Google Maps and click on the three dots to the top right, click “Flag as inappropriate”
2. If you know that the review was left by a competitor, consider reaching out to them directly and ask them to take it down from their end. If they are resistant, consider reporting the business to the Better Business Bureau or even your Local Chamber of Commerce.

How to Remove Negative Google Reviews

Now that you’ve flagged the fake review, let’s go over how you can ask Google to potentially remove it. But first, make sure that the review violates Google’s guidelines, including:

• Spam or fake content
• Off-topic
• Restricted content
• Illegal content
• Sexually explicit content
• Offensive content
• Derogatory content
• Dangerous content
• Impersonation
• Conflict of interest

Once you’ve ensured there is a violation and the review has been tagged, follow these steps to initiate Google’s removal process:

1. Login to your Google My Business profile
2. Click “Support” in the navigation panel
3. Click “Need more help” 
4. Click “Customer reviews and photos”
5. Click “Manage customer reviews”
6. Click “Email support”

When emailing the Google support team, make sure to include all of the information you’ve compiled that proves the review is fake and in violation of their review policies. If you can prove that the review is slander, you can fill out Google’s removal request form as well. 

If Google finds that your report was valid, they will be in contact to let you know further details.

Generate More Positive Reviews

In the meantime, you can counteract the repercussions of negative reviews by generating more positive reviews!

Our ReviewIQ service makes it easy to generate new reviews by automating review link invites via email or SMS. Automatically send out review invites when patients are checking out and capture their responses on the sites that matter most to you, such as Google, Healthgrades, Vitals, Facebook, and more!

How to Respond to Positive Reviews

When responding to online reviews, most people think it is only necessary to address those that are negative. While they should definitely take priority, also responding to positive reviews can significantly improve how prospective patients view your business. 

In this article, we will cover the benefits of responding to positive reviews, response tips, and examples.

Why Should You Respond to Positive Reviews?

So why dedicate time to responding to positive reviews in the first place? Aren’t the positive reviews good publicity enough? Yes they are great for attracting potential customers, but by responding to them you:

• Increase your patient reach- When you respond to a review, you gain even more advertisement promotion.
• Improve the customer experience- Making your customers feel like they are heard and appreciated improves their experience and attracts more customers.
• Search engine optimization (SEO)- The more content your business has, the higher you rank on search engines, such as Google.

Tips on How to Respond to Positive Reviews

So how exactly do you respond to positive reviews? Here are five quick tips to ensure you responding appropriately:

Respond Quickly

First and foremost, make sure you are responding promptly. Customers shouldn’t have to wait weeks in order to hear back from you. Try to respond within three days in order to engage the customer in a conversation.

Make it Personal

If you are using a pre-designed template to respond to reviews, make sure you are personalizing it. Otherwise, your clients are bound to notice that it is a cut-and-paste response.

Be Polite

Always be polite. Be sure to thank the customer for leaving the review first and foremost. While this may seem like a small gesture to you, it shows them that you truly value their feedback and satisfaction.

Reference Specific Points from the Review

This goes hand-in-hand with personalizing the review, but it’s worth focusing on. When responding to reviews, be sure to reference specific points from their initial review. This not only calls to their attention that you are personally responding, but it also gives you the opportunity to showcase specific products and services. This not only promotes what you offer but also boosts your SEO.

Promote Positive Reviews

When responding to reviews, ask customers if they are comfortable with you sharing their feedback on your social media and website. While this is not necessary, it is considerate to do so before publicizing their review and account.

Response Examples

Determining how to respond to positive reviews can be challenging. So here are three response examples:

1. Respond with an Offer

What makes a happy customer even happier? A special offer! Offer the client a discount on your services or even an award, such as a gift card. This shows them that you appreciate their feedback and patronage. 

2. Respond with Further Support

If the review touches on a specific product or service, be sure to reference it and offer further support. This not only gives them more information but highlights your services for prospective customers that are reading your reviews!

3. The Default Response

If time allows, try to respond to every review. This is doable by developing a default response that allows you to easily plug in the patient’s name and specific points. 

These methods are a great place to start when responding to positive reviews. If you need guidance on how to respond to negative reviews, be sure to check out our previous blog for more tips.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Reputation Management

Whether you are a business or a prospective customer, you probably make most of your purchase decisions online. It only takes a quick glance at a website to determine whether or not they are right for you. That is why reputation management is so important for modern businesses. But what are the best practices that you should follow? 

Here are the top five do’s and don’ts when it comes to reputation management:

The Do’s

1. Publish Blogs

If you are debating whether to start a blog for your website, don’t think twice–just do it! Blogs are a great way to keep your clientele engaged while also boosting your search engine optimization, or SEO. Reputation management, after all, is heavily based on getting to the top of search engines so you can get recognized by prospective patients, and blogs do just that!

By writing content that is saturated in relevant keywords, Google and other major search engines recognize you as an authority in your field. It goes like this:

1. Someone searches a term in Google, such as “corrective dentistry”
2. Google scrapes thousands of websites that feature keywords relevant to this search
3. Google places the websites in order according to how often their content, descriptions, and metadata mentions the keywords

Therefore, by tailoring content around a specific set of keywords, you can improve your listings for relevant searches.

2. Share Videos

Videos are a great way to increase client engagement and to showcase everything your business is achieving! Nowadays, people are more likely to stay and watch a compelling video than read an article. This is especially true if the video is short, impactful, and to the point. If you do create a video, make sure to showcase it on all of your pages, including your website and social media accounts.

3. Utilize Social Media

Speaking of social media, it is often the second place people look to when researching a brand. They want to see that you are actively engaging your audience and keeping your pages up to date. Social media is a place where you can showcase your products and services, respond to comments, post photos and videos, and give your business a little personality. However, be sure to create and maintain a consistent posting schedule so people can expect when to hear from you.

4. Create Service Pages

You can also build the reputation of your individual products and services by creating their own web pages. On these pages you can dedicate specific content, such as articles and videos, to the service and even collect separate reviews for them!

5. Respond to Reviews

Reviews are among the most, if not, the most important thing when it comes to reputation management in the healthcare industry. You can get hundreds of positive reviews, but it’s the one negative review that captures the attention of prospective customers. That is why it is important to promptly respond to reviews publicly, so browsers can see how to handle complaints. 

Unfortunately, many professionals choose to ignore negative reviews in hopes that their positive reviews will drown them out. However, most users seek out negative reviews to determine the worst case scenario when it comes to a business. It also gives them a chance to see how you resolve conflict. So please, respond to poor reviews immediately to avoid any further repercussions.

The Don’ts

1. Don’t Let Your Website Become Outdated

You should continuously update your website to ensure it is responsive across all devices, including desktop, phones, and tablets. Even if you optimized your site when it was first launched, that doesn’t mean that it remains optimized across all mediums. Be sure to regularly check how your website responds on different devices to ensure users have a seamless experience.

Updating your website also lets your current clientele and prospective clients know that you actively change your site to showcase new material. This prevents users from wondering if you are still active.

2. Don’t Create a Biased Wikipedia Page

We know what you’re thinking– Wikipedia is still a thing? Yes and it is more often than not among the first listings on the Google results page. Because of this, many companies are tempted to create their own Wikipedia page and embellish their accomplishments. However, by doing so you risk creating a sense of suspicion among prospective clients. Therefore, if you are going to create a Wikipedia page for your business, make sure to include legitimate links to your awards.

3. Don’t Neglect LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful social media tool for professionals in any field. Where Instagram and Twitter are great for posting fun content and giving your company a personality, LinkedIn enables you to expand your professional network. By building a page for your business you can post your own articles, long form posts, and visual posts to your clientele and other medical professionals.

4. Don’t Be Silent Online

There are too many platforms online for you to be radio silent. In addition to your own social media pages and website, consider joining forums and guest posting on other professionals’ sites. This can exponentially increase your patient reach and give you immediate authority as people who follow the forum already have an established trust with their audience.

5. Don’t Hire an In-House Reputation Manager

It is more affordable to either hire a professional or purchase a reputation management software than to hire an in-house manager. Hiring a third-party also ensures you get an objective perspective when it comes to your current standings and which initiatives you should pursue. 

Expert Reputation specializes in review generation, listings management, and feedback surveys so you can improve your online reputation. Automate review link invites via text or email so you can capture the patient experience immediately after appointments on the sites that matter most to you. Improve your ranking on Google My Business, Health Grades, Vitals, Facebook, and more!

Reputation management is unique to every business. However, these tried and true do’s and don’ts can help you gain control of your online reputation. 

Have any questions? Contact us at sales@expertreputation.com to determine which service can help you meet your reputation management needs!

How to Respond to Negative Feedback: Step-by-Step

Responding to negative reviews can be tricky. You can’t get upset and react irrationally, yet you need to respond promptly in order to salvage your doctor-patient relationship. By waiting to resolve the issue, you risk prospective patients running into the negative review and ruling out your practice. Therefore, you must learn how to respond to negative reviews appropriately.

1. Respond promptly

First and foremost, when you see a bad review, you cannot wait to react. It should take priority and you should immediately start planning your response. Read the review several times and try to control your emotions. You may find that the reason for their complaint was entirely out of your control. At this point, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you mitigate the repercussions of the public grievance.

2. Acknowledge their grievance

We get it, you run your practice with the intention of giving your patients only the best service. You’ve planned out the check-in process, scheduling system, and every other client-facing process. But that doesn’t mean that your plan is fool-proof. People have bad days and every business eventually deals with negative feedback.

So, again, read their complaint objectively and acknowledge how you could have provided better service. Or determine if there was a miscommunication somewhere down the pipeline that caused their poor experience.

3. Apologize and sympathize

Next, you should apologize for any wrongdoing on your part, even if it wasn’t intentional. Perhaps the patient experienced elongated wait times that was due to you being short staffed. That is not necessarily your fault, but it did impact the patient experience. Therefore, you should issue an apology, even if it means putting your ego aside.

4. Take responsibility

As a part of your apology, make sure you are taking responsibility for the poor service. The last thing your patient wants to hear is an excuse or you get defensive. Instead, try to remain objective and determine how the situation could have been avoided. Make sure to reiterate your practice’s quality standards and how you intend to uphold them.

5. Give an explanation

If the reviewer is not satisfied with your apology, then provide an explanation as to why they received the service that they did. Were you understaffed? Was there a miscommunication? Did your staff have a bad attitude? Whatever the circumstance may be, explain what happened and reiterate your apology. However, it is important to not justify the behavior but rather explain what caused it.

6. Continue the conversation privately

Remember, the review and all of your responses are public, which can be a double-edged sword. If you are able to deescalate the situation and resolve it amicably, it shows prospective patients your professionalism. On the other hand, if the situation escalates then it can hurt your reputation. If you see the situation turning sour, request to take the conversation offline and handle the matter privately.

7. Implement change

Last, and certainly not least, right the wrong and implement changes you deem necessary. This may mean offering a refund, discount on their next visit, or changing your processes to ensure the situation doesn’t occur again.

And there you have it! Seven steps on how to respond to negative reviews. If you want to further improve your reputation management practices, make sure to check out our service ReviewIQ which automates review link invites and alerts you whenever you receive a new review!

9 Different Ways to Use Reviews in Healthcare Marketing

Many businesses assume that after they build a positive review history, they’re done, not realizing that positive reviews hold much more value. Rather than letting your raving reviews just sit on other sites, you can take advantage of their power through your marketing efforts. Here are 9 different ways you can use patient reviews in marketing:

Display them on your website

First and foremost, you need to either implement a widget or graphic that showcases your best reviews. Prospective clients should run into reviews on all of your key pages, including:

• Homepage
• Pricing
• Testimonials
• Any other high-traffic pages

This will grab their attention and show them that you already have a proven track record. Make sure that you have at least 10 reviews and that they are recent.

Use them in marketing campaigns

Utilize this user-generated content in your own marketing campaigns, from Google display ads to social media promotions. Studies show that user-generated content receives 4x more clicks at half the cost-per-click (CPC) than traditional ads! Yes– you read that correctly. This is because consumers trust user-generated content more than a sales pitch.

So by using your reviews in marketing, you can actually optimize your ad performance while cutting costs.

Google even allows businesses that have over 100 verified reviews to show their star rating in their search ads. However, the reviews also have to be from within the past 12 months and equal a star rating of at least 3.5.

Feature them in email blasts

Do you have client or subscriber-facing email blasts? Feature your reviews to either capture the interest of prospective clients and give them a little push they may need to choose you. You can also offer a feature spot to your current clients, giving you free content while offering them more exposure.

Include them in trade show flyers

If you attend trade shows, you are aware of the hassle of creating captivating flyers, brochures, and graphics to pull new clients. They need to be eye-catching and informative, yet not too long-winded. It can be a struggle crafting the perfect hand-out.

We’ve all heard it before– a picture is worth a thousand words. So consider slapping your best star rating on your flyer followed by a raving customer review. Everyone likes to hear what patrons have to say about a business. So rather than leaving them up to research it, hand deliver it to them!

Highlight them in video promotions

If you have a client that is willing to film a video testimonial, promote it everywhere! This is content gold, you can place it on your:

• Social media
• Youtube channel
• Website homepage
• Blog
• Email blasts
• Commercials
• Trade show slide shows
• Advertisements

But remember to make sure they sign a release form that gives you permission to use their likeness for promotional purposes.

Promote them on social media

Whether it is a screenshot of an online review, submitted testimonial, or video, promote your best reviews on social media. After people look at online reviews, many look to social media next. Establish an Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn account to make sure prospective clients can easily find you.

This also gives you another place where you can feature clients and top employees, which is a huge selling point and a great way to engage your current team.

Include them in sales pitches

Sales pitches tend to follow the same format: hook, line, and hopefully, sinker. But most cold leads don’t even get that far. Consider adding a customer review in your pitch. Let them know exactly how your current customers feel about your product or service and encourage them to look up your reviews for themselves.

Put them on your business card

While it may seem slightly odd, putting a review on your business card will set you apart. Especially if you are attending a conference or trade show where everyone is passing their card, you want to make sure that yours stands out.

Write about success stories in your blog

If you have an engaged clientele, ask them if they are willing to be featured on your website as a success story. You can ask them how your product or service has impacted them, their honest feedback, and what they would tell prospective clients. By creating a longer-written format, you can grab the attention of consumers that enjoy reading rather than fast-paced content.

Please don’t be the person that leaves their good reviews just sitting online. Utilize them to drive  the impact of your marketing efforts.

How to Build a Review Marketing Strategy: Step-by-Step

If you have been keeping up with our blogs up until now, you understand the importance of online reviews for businesses. However, we haven’t really discussed exactly how to develop a review marketing strategy–until now.

Stick around to learn how to build a review marketing strategy step-by-step!

What is a review marketing strategy?

Firstly, a review marketing strategy is a plan to expand your reach to prospective customers by showcasing your positive patient experience. Why is this necessary? Well, because 91% of people read online reviews and a single negative review can deter them from making a purchase decision.

And that is not all. Consumers expect to see recent reviews and responses from the company. They like to see that a company is active and engages with their customers.

So by consistently generating reviews, you can show potential clients that you strive to keep your patrons happy. Also, the more reviews you have, the higher you rank on Google–just saying. 

How to Build a Review Marketing Strategy

1. Audit your most active review sites

There are so many review sites out there, but try not to get overwhelmed. Start with the most popular sites, including:

• Google
• Bing
• Yellow Pages
• Healthgrades
• Vitals
• Yelp
• Facebook

Perform a thorough audit of these sites, paying close attention to:

• Review quantity- how many reviews are there?
• Review quality- are the majority of the reviews positive or negative?
• Review recency- how old are the reviews?
• Response rate- how long does it take you to respond to reviews?

2. Generate as many reviews as possible

First, and most importantly, you need to capture your client’s reviews whenever they interact with your business. The more reviews you have, the more content that Google scrapes when ranking you on the results page. Plus, the average customer reads 4-6 reviews before even considering a company.

So, if you have a 5-star rating but only 2 reviews, that isn’t very impressive. In fact, by sacrificing a bit of your rating for more reviews, you will have better luck attracting new customers. A 4.8 star rating with 900 reviews is much more impressive and, frankly, more believable than 5 stars.

Start generating reviews on the sites that matter most to you. For medical practices, these review sites often include Google, Healthgrades, and Vitals. 

3. Improve your star rating

While customers do stop to read your reviews, the first thing that they notice is your star rating. Studies show that customers will typically not consider a business if they have less than a 3-star rating. And while 5 stars is definitely something to strive for, many get suspicious with a perfect record. 

Many customers will look for negative reviews just to see the worst case scenario, and if there are no negative reviews, it may seem as though your reviews are fake. So do not fret if a negative review affects your online rating, use it to your advantage. 

4. Consistently solicit feedback

Review generation isn’t a one-and-done thing. It is something you have to do consistently as you grow your business. Think about it–do reviews that old customers left you three years ago still accurately reflect your company? No, you’ve probably expanded your services, hired more people, and fixed some issues.

When researching a new provider, or any business really, prospective customers want to see recent reviews so they know that the company has an active client base. 

5. Respond to reviewers

As previously mentioned, a negative review isn’t always a bad thing as it makes your online listing more believable. However, in some cases, you can get the customer to improve their rating simply by replying to their review.

It is very common for customers to leave negative reviews because of a misunderstanding or something that was out of your control. By promptly responding to negative reviews you may be able to resolve the issue and have them improve their rating. Even if they are unwilling to change their review, you will show them that you appreciate their business and seek to improve your service. 

You should also respond to positive reviews to show your patrons that you appreciate them taking time to leave you a rating. Of course, it is not feasible to respond to every review. But by responding to a few a day, you show other clients and interested parties that you remain active in your community. 

How do I capture Reviews?

Keep it simple. Use review management software that automates review link invites and allows you to monitor review in real-time. A review management software should offer the following:

• User-friendly invites

Modern reputation software eliminates all of the friction involved in filling out surveys, making it simpler than ever for patients to leave a review. Otherwise, patients are less likely to leave a review if they have to navigate through long-winded survey screens. 

Expert Reputation allows customers to leave a review in just a few clicks. With ReviewIQ, review link invites are automatically sent to patients after their visit with a simple review request. After they type their review and choose their rating, it’s done. It’s that simple!

• Direct links to review sites

Make sure that after your client leaves a review it is automatically posted on your chosen review site. Otherwise, you will manually have to read each review and post it to the review site that matters most to you. You don’t have the time nor the patience to do that–you’re too busy treating your patients!

ReviewIQ uses Direct Link Technology that automatically posts patient reviews to the review site of your choosing. That means no busy work left for you!

• Review alerts

You will want to know exactly when someone leaves a review that way you can be sure to respond to negative feedback. Studies show that 70% of patients think it is important for practices to respond to online reviews. This could be the make or break for some prospective clients. 

You guessed it, Expert Reputation gives you real-time alerts when someone leaves a review on any of your monitored sites, regardless if it was generated from a review invite or not. 

• Detailed Analytics

Review management is a continuous process, meaning it is never quite finished. You will need a system that gives you detailed analytics and insights so you can routinely assess your reputation. The analytics should report your weekly review quantity, quality, and sites.

Expert Reputation sends you weekly report cards that give you a letter grade based on your overall review health across all of your monitored sites. 

Developing a review marketing strategy is a thorough process that requires attention to detail and dedication. When done manually, it can be very tedious. However, reputation management software automates review link invites and monitoring so you can focus on building your practice.