And since reviews are linked to Google+ (which is linked to search), the more positive reviews you collect on your business’ Google+ page the better. This is not simply because positive reviews are great to have for others to view, but also because Google uses your review ratings as one of their many ranking factors.

Google uses the quality and quantity of reviews as a way to mathematically measure a business’ reputation. Google also takes reviews into account that are posted on other well-known websites such as Yelp, MerchantCircle, Yellow Pages, Angie’s List, etc. Naturally, if you mostly have reviews with 5-star quality ratings, then Google will strongly take that into account when they are providing results, whether they appear in the organic section, the Google local carousel, or Google Maps.

Reviews don’t make up the only aspect of Google+ that helps determine search rankings. In fact, all activity on Google+ is taken into account. Just like activity on social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, Google sees updates on Google+ as another way to measure whether your business is active and is providing fresh content. (To a search engine, this makes you look like a better resource.) And since Google+ is Google’s own social media network, it gets more influence in Google’s search than all other social media channels according to industry research.

How to approach reviews

Every business claims to be the best. Consumers know this. So are they going to trust you when you say it? Most likely not. They want some type of proof, and a form of proof is others’ experiences with your business. The following infographic from “Marketers Guide to Customer Reviews” by Jon Hall shows us how much consumers trust online reviews:

As you would expect, great business practices will result in great online reviews. A study done by Cone Communications shows that 4 out of 5 consumers reverse their purchasing decision based on negative online reviews. If you do get a negative review, it is important to comment on the review to try to resolve the issue. In turn, this will show others that you care about your business and want to fix any bad experience that may have occurred. In the same way, it is also important to comment on the positive reviews thanking your customers for their business and the positive review.

What makes a good review?

The more detailed of a description earned from a reviewer the better. When someone goes to search for reviews they want to see a descriptive review to better understand why that review was earned.

For example, lets say I searched for, “best spaghetti in St. Louis” and one restaurant had a couple non-descriptive reviews like this:

“Great spaghetti.”

While another restaurant had a handful of descriptive reviews like this:

“The spaghetti at this restaurant is delicious. Friendly service. Their spaghetti sauce is made fresh daily! This spaghetti has led my taste buds to come back again and again for more.”

I don’t know about you, but I would definitely choose the spaghetti joint with the more descriptive review! Ultimately, your goal is to obtain reviews that show potential customers your product and/or service is a fit for them.

Recommendations

Since Google+ is becoming so important and reviews are so visible and accessible, we highly recommend that if you have a client who loves your service(s) and/or products that you ask them to post a positive review on your Google+ page. You could even send an email to some of your best clients with a link to your business Google+ page to leave a review. (The easier you make it, the more likely a customer will leave a review for you.)

If a customer/client of yours has any questions on how to write a review on Google+, they can follow these simple steps provided by Google.

And if you have any questions about Google+ or other search influencers, feel free to contact us at Clix!

The post Google Plus Reviews Have More Influence Than You May Think appeared first on Clix.

1. Understand that communication is a two-way street.

I believe Jeremy Girard, a web designer, explains it best in his article Keys to Better Communication with Clients when he says, “the fact of the matter is that quality communication is not one-sided. It has to flow in both directions: from you to your clients and from your clients back to you.”
An online marketing firm needs to be sure to communicate all necessary information to their clients. It is the online marketing firms responsibility to check-in with their clients, but it is also the client’s responsibility to communicate back with their questions, comments, and concerns.

2. Follow-up with a recap of every meeting via email.

It would be ideal for both the client and the online marketing firm to do this, but at the very least the online marketing firm needs to provide a recap of every meeting. This is an opportunity to clarify any confusion from the meeting and provide documentation of all issues that have been addressed.

3. Be sure your online marketing firm responds to your questions/comments/concerns quickly.

If your online marketing firm goes many days without any type of response to you, not even something like, “I will get back to you within x amount of days,” then that shows that you are not a priority to them. Marketing firms should make it a priority to respond to all client inquiries within 24 hours.

4. Clients should provide their online marketing firm with as much information about their business as possible.

The only information that a client should not share with their online marketing firm is their accounting information. Other than that, your online marketing firm should be treated as an internal marketing staff member. This will make for the best results because the better your online marketing firm knows you, the better they can market you.

The new Penguin 2.0 update released by Google has shifted a strong emphasis to content in websites, social media, press releases, and blogs. The more fresh, quality content that can be made relevant for searchers, the better. One of the key ways to produce effective content is for a client to notify their online marketing firm about new updates, events, community involvement, awards, or anything else that could potentially be turned into content.

The post 4 Communication Tips for Online Marketing Firms appeared first on Clix.

“What do you do in that office behind those computer screens everyday anyway?” 

Every online marketing firm wishes they could answer that question simply. The fact of the matter is that the answer is anything but simple. Since online marketing is a continually shifting and evolving industry, it can be a struggle for an online marketing firm to effectively educate their clients.

General communication with clients can also become difficult. Of course, there is no lack of reports or emails sent back and forth, but there is often a lack of face-to-face communication.

Email is a great communication tool, but, let’s check out the reality:

Face-to-face communication is important in every business. A study by the MPI Foundation revealed that approximately 40% of prospective clients convert to clients as a result of meeting in person, and about 28% of current business may be lost due to the lack of face-to-face meetings. These face-to-face meetings help create value. If someone does not see the value in what they are paying for, then they will not want it. Companies that do not provide that face-to-face connection with their clients are losing out in their profit margins.

AOL provides a short video on a study by Government officials that shows emails cause elevated stress in about 83% of people. If a client associates stress with their online marketing firm, the effects cannot be positive. This emphasizes the fact that email should not be the only form of communication used to communicate between a firm and its clients.

Online marketing firms that provide services such as SEO, PPC, website design, and content creation, typically use industry jargon that does not make sense to their clients. Relaying information to clients in a language they understand is imperative. It is important for clients to understand the concept of what they are paying for, but it is also just as important that communication does not result in confusion. As a client, don’t worry about an online marketing firm “dumbing down” the material. You hired them to do the work, so you don’t need to fully understand all of the technical details; just the results.

How does an online marketing firm handle not being able to communicate face-to-face with clients outside of their location?

I know this can be tough because many online marketing firms service states, and sometimes even countries, far away from their office’s location. There is not much of a choice but to conduct a meeting by phone or video. I have found that video meetings often have poor connections, so it may be best to conduct meetings by phone. That way you will not get cut off during the middle of conversation.

Stay tuned for part two of this article, coming next week! I will provide communication tips for online marketing firms and their clients.

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