Marketing Philosophy: A Google Review Solicitation Strategy that Doesn’t Suck (Too Badly)

What are reviews and why do they matter? Let’s look at this from a marketing philosophy perspective. The big picture – not just that marketers and small business owners love to complain about reviews. Google reviews. Reviews on Yelp. Amazon reviews. Pick your poison.

But why the entire review ecosystem feels like a swamp of hypocrisy. Fake reviews. Competitors gaming the system. Review gating. Super annoying pissed off customers slamming your business. Scammy reputation management companies. Meanwhile, the big tech companies threaten to ban you if you ask a customer to share their experience.

What is going on?

I’m Jason McDonald, and welcome to Marketing Philosophy, where we use philosophy to understand marketing, and marketing to understand how customers think, compare, trust, panic, and occasionally buy your product or service. The philosopher Frederick Nietzshce said, “There are no facts, only interpretations,” which sounds suspiciously like reviews of DUI lawyers and crime scene clean up services.

Today, we’re going to explore what reviews are, how they really work, why you should obsess over them, and some tips on how to create a review solicitation strategy that doesn’t (totally) suck. Because the reality is that almost every business has to solicit customer reviews, even though it is against the “TOS” (terms of service). Welcome to the swamp, Google-style!

Let’s get started.

 

 

A GOOGLE REVIEW SOLICITATION STRATEGY THAT DOESN’T SUCK

(TOO BADLY)

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REVIEWS MATTER

Why do we as marketers care about reviews? And, the deeper philosophical question – what does the whole review ecosystem tell us about the human experience? Today’s consumers believe reviews – whether it’s on Google, Amazon, Yelp, etc. They rely on reviews to make choices. They may not fully believe reviews – yes, they can be skeptical, but it’s clear that high review counts, high star ratings, and “authentic” sounding content in the reviews can sway readers to buy the product or service. But the contradictions are rife. Strangers write reviews, and if not strangers, bots or paid reviewers. Customers may like to read reviews, but few actually write them. And businesses may confront the “customer from hell” who hates you so much he or she trashes you thoroughly on Google, Facebook, Yelp, etc. Reviews get to the “performative authenticity” of online culture. Kind of fake, kind of real, and the smart people know that the whole thing is a kind of Kabuki theater yet you have to participate in the swamp because your competitors are.

WHY DO REVIEWS MATTER?

Let’s put our marketing hat on and be practical. Let’s take some sample searches, here in San Francisco.

  • Sushi Restaurant – look at me taking my girlfriend out for a night on the town. So special!
  • Plumber Near Me – my toilet works. I would like to share this.
  • DUI Lawyer – I was in a DUI, let me tell the world about how I nearly killed everyone. Oops.
  • Crime Scene Clean Up Service – I mean really, who reviews their crime scene clean up service?

In all cases, customers rely on reviews. They don’t necessarily totally believe them, but they read them, they analyze them, and they rely on them. The take-away as a marketer is you gotta get reviews! They matter, but they are “problematic.” Right away, you see a distinction between companies like Sushi bars that “spontaneously” can get a lot of reviews, vs. DUI lawyers and crime scene clean ups, that may not get any if they don’t push. Is your company review-friendly, or not? Are you more like the sushi bar or are you more like the DUI lawyer? Regardless, you can see that for a local business reviews matter – they help you surface on Google searches (Yelp searches, etc), AND they help customers to “trust you.”

WHY ARE REVIEWS PROBLEMATIC?

Reviews are problematic, and not just because customers rely on them. Why?

  • The Basic Contradiction. Customers may believe them (i.e., read them), but few customers will spontaneously write them.
  • Fake Reviews or at Least Solicited Reviews. Lots of reviews are fake. Lots of companies do rather unethical things to get reviews. More in some industries like DUI lawyers or crime scene clean up, less in an industry like plumbing, and still less in a fun industry like sushi bars. But there are lots of fake reviews. So what is well-reviewed on Google isn’t necessarily the “best.” Google is not reality!
  • Different Business Types. Some businesses are very photogenic, show-offy, and review friendly (i.e., Sushi bars). Others, like DUI not so much. But the systems, algorithms, and customer perceptions all favor reviews, especially for local businesses on Google.
  • Angry Customers. The most likely customer to write a review? The angry customer – the one who really, really hates you.  Check out “worst sushi ever” on Yelp. This means IF YOU DO NOTHING you MAY ONLY GET NEGATIVE REVIEWS!  Queue hatred of Yelp (and Google, and VRBO, and Amazon, and…)
  • Terms of Service. Google says “thou shalt not solicit reviews” in a corrupt manner, but you face a competitive market where if your competitors are doing it (and getting away with it), you kind of have to, too. This is the “yuck” or “gross” factor. However, inside your Google Business Profile there is a link to “Ask for Reviews.” Hashtag, Go Figure.

You are kind of damned if you do, damned if you don’t in terms of review solicitation on Google. Welcome to hell. You can ignore the problem (and fail, and lose your job). You can solicit reviews, using techniques like review gating and embrace the problematic nature. Hashtag risk.

PRACTICAL TIPS

There are things you can do. But first figure out your industry (is it fun and photogenic? Or is it a crime scene clean up business? Or somewhere in between?). These can be –

  • Ask for Reviews. Educate and motivate your staff to ASK FOR REVIEWS. Simply asking, especially at the happy, happy moment of a good experience can work wonders. You don’t need a zillion reviews. Just more than your competition. Just a better score than your competition.
    • Create an internal measurement system for your business of how many reviews you have in each month, and how many new reviews you are getting.
    • Make reviews a priority for your business.
  • Incentive Employees to Ask. Give your employees a bonus if they get a good review. At least a pat on the back. Something to incentivize the person at the point of contact to ask.
  • Incentivize Customers. Yes, against the TOS. But you might do it. You could give a free Starbucks card. 10% off their next order. Some swag. Something. Just don’t publicize it. Don’t be stupid and get caught. But yes “everyone is doing it,” and yes, everything is “High School.”

Accept the reality that the review game is pretty rigged, or at least “problematic.” Every actor in the system – looking at you, Google Business Profile – knows this, but no one wants to admit it, publicly. And that also tells you something deeply philosophical about human nature. A corrupt system can have incentives so that everyone in it, wants to, desperately needs to appears to be honest. A philosopher might call this, “Performative Authenticity.” Looking good and honest but knowing you are a little stinky. Not terribly stinky, but a little bit.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Thank you for watching. Click the link in the video description for show notes, resources, take-aways, and to-dos. I’m Jason McDonald and this has been, “Marketing Philosophy.”

TO-DOS AND TAKE-AWAYS

Here are the to-dos and take-aways from today’s episode.

  • Do reviews matter for your business? And, if so, on which platforms? Is it via Google Business Profile? Yelp? Amazon? VRBO? AirBnB? Which platform(s) matter?
    • Do reviews help you rank on Google? Yelp? AirBnb?
    • Do your customers trust reviews?
  • Measure your own reviews – quantity and stars vs. your competitors. Are you ahead? Behind? How do you stack up against the competition?
  • Accept the “performative authenticity” of reviews. Every actor in the system kind of knows it is problematic, but no one has a real incentive to say that, publicly. We are stuck with a very quirky, hypocritical system. Deal with it. Educate your team and management on this fact.
  • Create a review solicitation strategy that works for your business. This will be on a continuum from doing nothing, to just asking, to possibly soliciting more aggressively with incentives. It really depends on your business and your ethical comfort level. Enjoy the swamp!

LEARN MORE ABOUT JASON MCDONALD AND THE JM INTERNET GROUP

  • My name is Jason McDonald. I provide consulting, coaching, and teaching about digital marketing – SEO, Google Ads, and Social Media. I work with companies, both large and small, as well as individuals who want one-on-one training. Reach out for a free call if you might be interested in a paid relationship.
  • The JM INTERNET GROUP focuses on small business and local business digital marketing. We provide hands-on management of SEO, Google Ads, and Social Media for companies. Call 800-298-4065 or send a message to book an introductory call.