The Google reviews short link not only helps you request reviews on one of the most important review sites and boosts the impact of your Google Business Profile, but it also makes it easier for customers to write reviews with a few simple clicks. The more reviews you have, the higher your profile will rank in local SEO and improve the views your business gets from local customers.
A recent Birdeye study shows that 92% of review requests sent via Birdeye in 2023 were automated, improving customer experience and seeing a higher conversion rate with SMS and email.
Knowing how to generate the short link and use it efficiently can help you boost your business’s online reputation.
This blog post lets you explore the top ways to generate the Google reviews short link and simplify your review generation process.
Table of contents
Why you need a Google reviews link
While you probably have tons of happy customers, not all of them would be willing to go out and find your Google Business Profile on their own. Even if you request them to leave a Google review, the process may seem too long or tedious to them. The chance of them forgetting the request as soon as they leave the store or end the conversation is relatively high.
We've been using Birdeye for about two years, and we now have over 900 reviews and our overall rating is between 4.5 and 4.9. That's just been a game changer for us, and we really believe that Birdeye helps us bring those key ingredients together that really lead to successful reviews and an online reputation.
-- Steven Greer, COO at Genesis CounselingBusinesses can improve their review generation conversion rates by simplifying the process for the customers. Sending a request via text or email also gives customers the extra push they need to leave a review in addition to serving as a reminder.
More reviews
More revenue
Want to see the impact of Birdeye on your business? Watch the Free Demo Now.
Getting a Google Business Profile short link makes the job easier. All your customers need to do is click the link and leave a review. It’s simple, quick, and gets results.
What is a Google My Business short link?
The Google reviews short link or the Google Business Profile short link is easily accessible within the profile itself. Before we talk about accessing the short link and employing it for your benefit, let’s look at what it actually looks like.
Before this update, Google Business Profile URLs were usually a long string of numbers and letters like the one we had for Birdeye. It’s tough to remember something like this, and it’s not a very attractive asset to use in marketing materials.
With a short URL, sometimes called a vanity URL, you can have a simple link that is easier to share.
Earlier, the Google short link looked like this:
This custom short URL was much easier to share with customers online, in-person, and on marketing materials. However, the customization is now discontinued. You can still generate a short link for your business profile, but it wouldn’t contain your name or business features. If you already have a custom link, then this update will not affect you.
Customers who access the link can see your business’s information on Google, including how customers rate your business through Google reviews.
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Google reviews short link
While your Google Business Profile’s short link serves to market the profile as a whole to prospective customers, sometimes you just need a direct link to the Google reviews form. This helps customers leave reviews faster and brings in a lot more reviews than if customers have to find the form themselves.
This is why Google now lets businesses generate a short link for the Google reviews form directly. Google earlier allowed businesses to customize this with a short name picked by the manager/owner, but this feature no longer exists.
Note: You can only generate this link for your Google Business Profile if you have completed the verification process.
How to get a Google reviews link
Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a Google reviews short link URL for your Google Business Profile.
Step 1: Sign in to your Google account
Sign in to your Google account linked to your business. Access the Business tab from the app launcher to open your Google Business Profile dashboard.
Step 2: Choose your location
If you have a multi-location business, choose the location from the group for which you want to create a short link.
Step 3: Create the short link
Scroll down and click on the “Get more reviews” option on the dashboard.
Step 4: Share the link to your Google Business Profile
A share popup opens and shows you a URL. Copy the URL. It would look like: g.page/r/<business code>/reviews. If you wish to share the link to your Google Business Profile, you can remove “reviews” from the link. Now, the link to your GMB profile would look like this: g.page/r/<business code>.
With the short link for your Google Business Profile and Google reviews form, you can now share it with customers via text messages, emails, and other communication materials.
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How to use your Google reviews link effectively
Now that you have a Google reviews link, let’s talk about how you can use it to collect more reviews. Here are a few effective ways of using the Google reviews short link:
- Include the link in the post-purchase email
- Generate reviews via a text message campaign
- Generate reviews via social media
Let’s explore these in detail below.
Include the link in the post-purchase email
After a customer visits your business, email them a review request that includes your Google short link. Most customers understand how reviews benefit businesses and would be happy to leave one.
Here’s a template that you can use for review request emails.
Subject Line: Thanks for choosing (Business Name) Thank you for choosing us! Please take a moment to leave us a review. Your responses will help us serve you better in the future. Click here to leave us a review (hyperlink to the Google Business Profile short link for reviews)
Generate reviews via a text message campaign
While there’s nothing wrong with sending email review requests, text review requests have a much better chance of reaching your customers. Studies show that texts from businesses have an open rate of 98%, compared to an email open rate of 40-50%.
Here’s a template that you can use for review request texts.
Thanks so much for visiting (Business name). Please let us know how you felt about your experience by leaving a review, (followed by the link).
Generate reviews via social media
Social media has become a place for customers to review products publicly, including giving recommendations and positive testimonials. Businesses do well by engaging with these positive reviews and sharing them with their followers. Just like email and text, encourage customers to review you on Google by sharing the short link via a comment or direct message.
This way, the social proof you generated on social media gets added to your Google Business Profile.
How to add a Google reviews link to a website?
You can add Google reviews to your website by embedding the link via a widget or by hyperlinking to your Google reviews form.
1. Embedding via a widget
There are various online tools and services that offer widgets specifically for displaying Google Reviews. Here’s what you need to do:
- Customize the widget to match your website’s design.
- After configuring your widget, copy the snippet of code that gets generated.
- Paste this code into the HTML of your website where you want the reviews to appear.
2. Hyperlinking to your Google Reviews form
This method involves creating a direct link that when clicked, takes your website visitors to your Google My Business page where they can leave a review. Here are the steps to create this link:
- Search for your business on Google.
- Go to your Google My Business listing, and click on the “Write a review” button.
- Copy the URL from the address bar.
- Insert this link into your website using an HTML anchor tag, such as <a href=”YOUR_GOOGLE_REVIEW_LINK”>Leave us a review on Google</a>.
- Place this link strategically on your website where visitors are more likely to see it, like the footer, sidebar, or on a dedicated ‘Contact Us’ or ‘Testimonials’ page.
How to share a Google reviews link with customers?
Sharing a Google reviews link with your customers is an effective way to encourage them to leave feedback about their experiences with your business. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Sharing via email
Include the link in your email communications with customers. This can be part of a follow-up email after a purchase or service. You can add a friendly message asking them for their feedback and provide the link for them to click on.
2. Sharing on social media
Share the link on your business’s social media profiles, such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, or Instagram. You can create a post thanking customers for their business and asking them to share their experiences by leaving a review.
3. Sharing via text messages or messaging apps
If you communicate with customers via text messages or messaging apps, you can send them the link directly. Ensure that the message is personalized and not too intrusive.
4. Add it to your website
Place the link on your website where customers are likely to see it, like on a testimonials page, in the footer, or as a pop-up message. You can use a call-to-action like “Leave us a review on Google” to encourage clicks.
5. Share it via newsletters
If you send out regular newsletters, include a section where you ask for feedback and provide the Google Reviews link.
6. Printed materials
On business cards, brochures, receipts, or packaging, you can print a short URL or QR code that leads to your Google Reviews page.
Stay on top of your reviews
Once you start sending review requests with your Google reviews link, chances are that you’ll start seeing more reviews coming in. Stay on top of your reviews and respond to them in a timely manner.
Responding to reviews is vital as it keeps your business profile active and shows customers that you care about their feedback. An active Google Business Profile can also help your business rank higher for search queries.
FAQs about Google reviews short link
Go to your Google Business Profile dashboard and click on the “Get more reviews” link. Copy the URL that shows up, which is your Google reviews link.
To leave a Google review, customers can click on the short link shared by the businesses, find the business’ Google Business Profile, or write a review directly.
You can get a short Google review link for your Google Business Profile by using a link shortener, such as Bitly on the internet.
Generate more reviews with Birdeye
Want to start collecting more Google reviews for your business? Automate this process and make it seamless with Birdeye Reviews. Birdeye allows you to send review requests, manage and respond to reviews from over 150 sites, and grow your business from a single easy-to-use dashboard.
Sign up for a free demo to learn more about Birdeye today.
This blog post is part of our Complete Google My Business Guide:
Google Business Profile
Google My Business Related Training
About the Author
Birdeye Staff Writer
Originally published
