Google reviews are an indispensable part of any business’s marketing strategy. Not only do reviews on Google increase the trust customers place in your brand, but it also helps to showcase the quality of your products and services to a much larger audience. 

Google is the most visible online review site, with over 71% of online reviews written on the platform. The more accessible businesses can make the process of leaving a Google review for a customer, the higher the chances are of collecting more Google reviews. If you are a business owner and want to know how to leave a Google review, then read on. 
Share this guide with your customers to increase your chances of generating more Google reviews. And if you want to know more about managing your Google reviews, listen to this quick 20-minute audio guide that covers everything you need to know.

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Why businesses need Google reviews

While there are thousands of review sites online, Google reviews are undoubtedly the leader and significantly impact every business’s success. By getting more Google reviews, businesses can: 

  • Improve search rankings on Google 
  • Feature in the local map pack results, improving click-throughs  
  • Build credibility in the market, making lead conversions easier 
  • Grow a strong brand in the industry due to higher ratings and testimonial volume 
  • Make operational improvements based on genuine feedback from customers. 
  • Display an accurate picture of what the customer experience looks like.

Bottom line: Google reviews can help you grow your business. Learn more about the importance of Google reviews for local businesses with our detailed article.

How Google reviews impact customers

Most businesses need help persuading their customers to leave a Google review. To remedy this, you can share the following benefits customers gain just by leaving a Google review. 

Influence purchase decisions

Google reviews help customers find the best product or service for their needs. Google chooses businesses with higher review volume, star ratings, and recent reviews to answer “best <product/service> near me queries. This means that by leaving a Google review, customers have the power to influence many purchase decisions based on their experience. 

Accurate search results

Google reviews provide detailed information about a business from existing customers. The search engine scans customer reviews and returns the best possible match for a search query. By leaving a Google review, customers help make the search process easier for potential and returning customers to find you online. 

Creates a feedback loop

Businesses value customer appreciation. If a customer is happy with your service, you must encourage them to leave a Google review for your business. If an unhappy customer leaves a Google review, businesses can address those concerns and benefit from the feedback loop. Real-life experiences help potential customers better understand and make informed decisions. 

Information to know before leaving a Google review

Your customers should keep the following things in mind before they write a Google review for a business. 

Google reviews display your profile

When someone leaves a Google review for a business, the platform displays it with a name next to it. If the customer has added their name and other information to their Google account, visitors can see this and the other reviews they have written. 

Google forbids fake reviews

Google takes the authenticity of reviews very seriously. The platform forbids fake reviews, spam, and unprofessional content in reviews. Google reviews are moderated, and if they do not pass the Google quality check, they will not be published. 

Local Guide program

Google rewards regular review contributors through its “Local Guide” program. To qualify for this, customers must leave high-quality reviews and help Google improve its search algorithm by providing details of the establishment. Local Guides get points that take them to higher levels within the program and grant access to Google features and rewards from partners.

How to leave a Google review on desktop

Now that we know how critical Google reviews are for businesses, here is a quick guide for your customers on how to leave a Google review for a company on a desktop. 

Before we go any further, make sure that your customer has signed into their email account. Send them the process as is detailed below to help them write a Google review for your business:

Use Google Knowledge Panel to leave a Google Review
  1. Find the business’s Google Business Profile. Usually, you can type in the business’s name and the city where it’s located in Google search. 
  2. Click the “Write a Review” button on the business’s Google Business Profile panel.
  3. A “Rate and Review” pop-up will appear on their screen. Leave a star rating, a description, and a photo (the description and photo are optional).
  4. Once the review is complete, click post, and submit the Google review.

The review will go live once it passes Google’s moderation desk.

google reviews guide

How to leave a review on mobile

Your customers can also leave a Google review from their mobile devices. This process makes it easy for people to leave a Google review for a company on the go. If your business is not on Google Maps yet, check out our detailed article on how to add a business on Google Maps.

This is the process that customers can use to leave a review for your business using a mobile device:

  1. Open the Google Maps app on mobile devices to leave a Google review on mobile devices.
  2. Next, type the business’s name in the Google Maps search bar.
  3. Once the business listing comes up, click on that to open the Google Business profile.
  4. Next, click the tab labeled reviews.
  5. The reviews tab takes them to a section called “Rate & Review,” where they can add a star rating with a detailed review. 
  6. Next, click the “Post” button to submit the Google review.
ultimate guide to online reviews guide

How to leave a Google review on Android

If your customers use an Android-based phone, then they can use their mobile phones to leave a Google review for your business via Google Maps. 

All they have to do is to locate the Google Maps app on their Android phone and follow the steps mentioned in the section above. Customers are usually logged into their Google account and can see the businesses they previously visited, so this is an easy process to follow. 

How to leave a Google review on iPhone

If your customers use an iPhone, they, too, can leave a Google review for your business via the Google Maps app on their mobile device.

The Google Maps app is not preinstalled on an iPhone, so they would have to start by installing the application from the App store. 

Next, they have to log in using their gmail address and get started with the app. 

Once they are in, they can follow the steps in the previous section to look up the business and leave a Google review. 

How to edit a Google review

Sometimes, your customers may have left a review with just a few words or remembered they wanted to add more detail to it. If you want to help your customers edit a Google review they left for your business, this is the process: 

Customers can edit Google reviews via the Google Maps app (mobile or desktop version).

On a desktop: 

  • Customers can find the reviews they left for businesses by clicking on the Menu option in the left corner under the “Reviews” section, next to “Contribute.”
  • The next step is to locate the review they want to edit, click on the three dots icon, and find the “Edit review” option. 
  • They must click on edit review and add or remove information from the review. 
  • Click on post to submit. 

On a mobile device: 

  • Customers must open their Google Maps app and click on the “Contribute” tab available in the bottom menu bar. 
  • In the “Contribute” section, they must click the “view your profile” option to see their past reviews. 
  • They can now select the review they wish to edit and proceed to do so by clicking the three-dot menu next to the review. 
  • Click on post to submit. 

The edited review will now be available for everyone to see. 

How to delete a Google review

Customers may leave incorrect or overtly negative reviews for businesses at times. Businesses can reach out to customers directly to resolve their concerns or cite the inaccuracies in the review. 

When this happens, customers may want to delete their old reviews but should be aware of how to do it. 

The process to delete a Google review is a bit similar to that of editing a Google review: 

  • Either on a desktop or a mobile device, locate the review on their Google Maps profile. 
  • Once you find the review, customers click on the three dots menu and click on the “Delete the review” option. 
  • The review is deleted upon confirmation.

Please note that customers must delete reviews of their own accord, and businesses must not force them to do so. 
If you want to remove a spam review or an unfair review, you can contact the Google team to get it removed. Check our detailed guide on how a business can request to delete a review to know more.

negative reviews guide

Can you leave an anonymous Google review?

Google no longer allows anonymous reviews and removed all previous ones without a name. There are a few reasons for this. 

First of all, Google wants to make sure that the reviews are coming from real people. This helps to prevent fake reviews, which can artificially impact the ratings of a business. 

Secondly, Google knows that people are likelier to be honest if their name is attached to their review. Businesses are more likely to get genuine feedback if reviewers can’t hide behind anonymity.

Know more about the end of anonymous reviews and how it contributed to increased trust in Google reviews with our detailed blog post.

How to leave a Google review without a Google account

To maintain the authenticity of reviews, Google has eliminated the ability for customers to leave anonymous Google reviews. Still, customers can leave a review on Google Maps without a Google account. 

Here’s how :

  1. Customers must go to Google Maps and search for the business they want to review using the search bar. 
  2. If the customer is not logged into a Gmail account, the screen will prompt you to do so. Customers can connect their other email address to Google Maps if they do not have a Google account.
  3. Google will allow the customer to use Google Maps once they have verified their non-Google email address with the confirmation code.
  4. Once customers can access Google Maps, they must find the business and leave a business review on Google per the abovementioned process.

By simplifying the process of leaving a Google review for their customers, businesses can build a high volume of reviews easily in a short time. 

Frequently asked questions on how to leave a Google review

Why can’t I leave a Google review?

If you are facing difficulties leaving a Google review, it could be because the Google Business profile is no longer available, or you may be trying from a mobile browser. 
Recheck the business details and try from a desktop or Google maps app. 

How to leave a Google review on an iPhone?

Open the Google Maps app on your iPhone. 
Tap the Contribute section and find the place you wish to review. 
Tap write a review for the selected business. 
Leave a star rating and your comments based on your experience.

Who can leave a Google review?

Anybody can leave a Google review for a business with a valid email address. 

Where do you leave a Google review? 

Customers can leave a Google review on a business’s Google Business Profile and Google Maps listing. You can use a desktop or a mobile device (Android and iOS). 

Do Google reviews ever go away?

Google reviews don’t go away unless the reviewers delete them or Google removes them due to spam detection. If a Google Business Profile is deleted, then the reviews of that business go away. 

Are Google reviews free? 

Yes, requesting, writing, and responding to a Google review is free. Google does not allow buying Google reviews or paying customers to write one for the business. 

Grow your google reviews with Birdeye

Consistent review generation, monitoring, and analytics is the key to a successful online reputation management program. Higher the volume of Google reviews, better are your chances of featuring higher in local search results. 

Automate review requests and manage all your reviews from a single easy-to-use dashboard with Birdeye, the #1 review management tool in the industry. 

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