So, you're actively collecting reviews, but what's next? Monitoring them! Keeping track of what's being said about your business online isn’t just about ego-boosting or damage control; it’s a key part of reputation management and improving your local SEO. Done right, monitoring reviews can enhance your local visibility and make sure customers see you’re engaged and responsive.
Let’s dive into why monitoring reviews matters and how you can do it efficiently.
Why You Need to Monitor Reviews
First off, online reviews are often the first thing potential customers see when they search for your business. Responding quickly to both positive and negative reviews isn’t just good practice—it’s a must for improving customer trust and SEO. Here’s why:
Better Local Search Performance: Businesses that regularly monitor and respond to reviews tend to perform better in local searches. Google likes active businesses.
Consumer Engagement: Today’s consumers don’t just look at reviews; they’re checking out how businesses respond to them. People want to see that you care about their feedback. In fact, reviews with thoughtful responses can turn an unhappy customer into a loyal one.
How Do You Monitor Reviews?
Monitoring your online reviews means keeping tabs on all the feedback customers are leaving about your business across multiple platforms. You can either go the manual route (good luck with that) or use review monitoring tools that automate the process.
Step 1: Identify Review Platforms
The first thing you need to do is figure out where people are leaving reviews about your business. This isn’t limited to the big dogs like Google, Yelp, and Facebook—there are also niche sites that matter depending on your industry. If you’re running a restaurant, you’ll need to monitor Tripadvisor. Are you a contractor? Better be watching Houzz.
Here’s a simple trick: check out where your competitors are getting their reviews. Do they have badges from Trustpilot or high ratings on Angi? A quick search of their name can show you where they’re most active.
Step 2: Manual Monitoring
Sure, you could check each platform manually (but why?). While this might work if you’re a small business with just a handful of reviews trickling in, it gets tough to manage as you grow. Still, if you’re going to do it manually, make sure to:
Register your email with each review platform.
Opt-in to notifications, so you get alerts whenever a new review is published.
While it’s doable, this method runs the risk of missing reviews, and with online feedback moving so quickly, speed is key—especially with negative reviews.
Step 3: Automated Monitoring
A review monitoring tool can save you time and stress. These tools keep tabs on all platforms, alerting you the moment someone leaves feedback. You’ll be able to respond quickly and avoid missing out on crucial feedback, good or bad.
For example, tools like BrightLocal or Podium can monitor all review sites in one dashboard, helping you respond quickly and consistently.
How to Understand and Use Your Review Data
Once you’ve gathered reviews, what’s next? It’s not enough to just read them—you need to analyze the trends.
Track Trends and Sentiment
If you're handling reviews manually, you’ll want to consolidate them into one place. A Google Doc or Excel spreadsheet works great. This is where you’ll store the reviews so you can look for common themes, both positive and negative.
Use tools like word cloud generators to see which words pop up most frequently. Are people always mentioning "great service" or "fast delivery"? That’s your clue as to what’s working. Are they frustrated by "long waits"? Now you know where to focus improvements.
Monitor Google Review Highlights
Ever notice those little highlights on your Google Business Profile? Things like "fast service" or "outdoor seating" show up because Google notices repeated mentions of these in your reviews. Google takes hints from your reviews, so keep an eye on which aspects of your business are being mentioned most.
Tracking and Handling Negative Reviews
Negative reviews happen. It’s not a matter of if—it’s when. What matters is how quickly you can respond and what you do next. Speed matters here. Negative reviews left unaddressed can cause real damage.
Use your review monitoring tools to be proactive. Once you get an alert about a negative review, you can start damage control:
Respond publicly and acknowledge the issue.
Take it offline. Invite the reviewer to contact you directly to resolve the problem.
Once it’s resolved, ask them politely to update their review.
How Do You Monitor Google Reviews?
For Google reviews, monitoring is easy. Google sends email alerts for new reviews, so all you have to do is ensure your business is properly set up with Google Business Profile (GBP). From there, log in, and click "Reviews" to respond.
But don’t stop at just reading the reviews. Make responding part of your daily routine, even if it’s just 10-15 minutes a day. Speed and consistency in your responses build trust and authority with both customers and search engines.
In a digital world where visibility is everything, GMB Fox ensures your business isn’t just online—it’s the first choice customers make. Let us handle the complexities of digital marketing, so you can focus on what truly matters: growing your business.
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