Google Business Profile: Best Practices for the Construction and Service Industry.
3 min read.
What This Article Is About: Google Business Profile is a critical platform that, when properly utilized, enables construction and contracting businesses to stand out in their industry and acquire significant Google Search Engine Result Page (SERP) traffic - which ultimately results in more traffic to their website, more calls, and higher revenue. This article reviews the best practices and some of the most commonly asked questions and ‘grey areas’ around Google Business Profile.
While our clients are eager to understand this (potentially) exponential source of leads, they often don’t realize that Google employs a strict set of rules around the profile platform that are designed to preserve the integrity of rules and the veracity of ratings. Violating their rules can get reviews deleted or, even worse, GBP accounts and businesses permanently suspended.
Lush Digital is delighted to share with you the rules and best practices for harnessing the full potential of Google Business Profile (GBP) Reviews. A well-managed GMB profile can significantly impact your online presence, credibility, and lead-generation capabilities. In this article, we will explore the rules governing GMB Reviews, ensuring that your business thrives in the digital realm.
Pictured Above: A Google Business Profile for a regional pressure washing company.
Genuine Feedback:
Don’t approach family, friends, team members for reviews unless your organization has genuinely done work with them. Google insists on authentic and unbiased reviews. Genuine Feedback: Emphasize the importance of authentic and unbiased reviews. Never solicit fake or incentivized reviews, as it can lead to severe penalties, including suspension of your GBP.User Privacy and Content Policy:
Adhere strictly to Google's privacy and content guidelines. Ensure that reviews avoid personal information, hate speech, explicit content, and irrelevant material.3. Timely Response:
Aim to respond to reviews within 24-48 hours. A prompt response demonstrates your attentiveness to customers' needs and shows that you value their feedback.4. Encourage Honest Reviews:
While incentives are prohibited, you can politely prompt customers to share their genuine experiences through CTAs (calls to action) on receipts, SMS messaging, emails, or your website.
5. Monitor and Track Reviews:
Regularly monitor your GBP to stay informed about new reviews. For this, Lush Digital provides tools and notifications for real-time alerts as new reviews are posted.
6. Address Negative Reviews Constructively:
Respond to negative feedback professionally and publicly. Acknowledge the customer's concerns and offer solutions, showcasing your commitment to continuous improvement.
7. Highlight Positive Reviews:
Showcase your best reviews on your website or social media platforms to boost credibility and trust among potential customers.
9. Use Rich Media:
Encourage customers to upload photos and videos of their experiences. Visual content adds authenticity to your GBP and provides valuable insights to others.
10. Leverage Customer Feedback:
Analyze reviews to identify recurring themes or trends. Use this information to refine your products, services, and customer experiences.
11. Stay Compliant with Review Policies:
Keep yourself updated on Google's review policies to ensure compliance and avoid penalties. Here at Lush, we advise our clients on new and impending policy changes to ensure compliance is achieved and our GBP profiles remain in good standing with Google.
12. Address Fake And/Or Inappropriate Reviews:
Report and request the removal of fake or spam reviews promptly. Google takes these reports seriously and will take action if necessary. At Lush Digital, we assist our clients in securing the removal of fake and inappropriate reviews, and reviews that violate Google’s GBP policies.
13. Professionalism Matters: Maintain a professional and courteous tone in all interactions, whether it's responding to reviews or engaging with customers.
14. Showcase Brand Personality:
Infuse your responses with your brand's unique personality to create a memorable and personable experience for customers.
“We often see contractors and construction companies under-leveraging GBP or not using it at all. Usually, this is because of a lack of understanding of the exponential revenue-increasing potential that a world-class GBP can bring to their company.
Once we onboard the company and provide a deep dive analytics into their performance and the revenue potential - they realize that this was one of the things they’ve needed all along.”
How to incorporate these best practices with Lush Digital:
By incorporating these best practices into your Google Business Profile Reviews strategy, you will build a strong online reputation, foster trust among customers, and solidify your position as an industry leader.
At Lush Digital, we go beyond the ordinary with our 6-month Google Business Profile Sprint. The GBP Sprint is a profit-proven framework that unleashes the power of AI-driven applications and processes to acquire high-value reviews, optimize your GBP, and enhance your search engine result page performance. Our expert team’s guidance will work with you to transform your GBP into a customer-centric lead-generating powerhouse.
