Pub. 9 2019 Issue 2

21 rank fluctuating along with their review quality and quantity. On average, dealerships with reviews fare better than those without; dealerships with good reviews perform better than those without, but that isn’t the whole story. Star Map: A Route to Better Rankings and Reviews 1. Seek Google Reviews: Google shows star ratings only for businesses with at least one review. So, make it your mission to collect them. Remember: New reviews take about a week to display. 2. But Don’t Cheat: Google’s algorithms are keen enough to detect review patterns. If your business only gets a few reviews each year and suddenly receives dozens in a day, your account could get flagged for manual review. You definitely don’t want that. Request legitimate reviews from legitimate customers. 3. Give Customers a Direct ReviewLink: Customers must now log into their Google account to leave reviews, and they can leave them only through Maps. Therefore, you must either give them directions for how to leave a review or provide them a direct link to your GoogleMaps listing. 4. Local SEO For the Win: Since organic rank plays such a big role in making your way into the top three, fall back on good local SEO. Feature excellent, relevant branded content. Seek quality local links and mentions. Acquire multiple link sources and continue to collect links steadily over time. Local social media shares help, too. 5. Play the Long Game: The more positive reviews you have, the harder it is for an occasional negative review to impact your local Google Maps results. On the flipside, businesses with more reviews need even more positive reviews to move the needle. Play the long game and take proactive control over your search ratings, social reputation and SEO. Tips for the Road Google Maps means more to its users than navigation, and it should mean more to you. Whether you’re a car dealership, a dental office or a retail shop, your business is affected by this part of the digital world. Learn how to collect and maintain strong reviews across Google and other key industry sites and respond to both positive and negative posts right away. Maintain a healthy social presence, optimize your website, consider mobile users and think locally. That’s what it takes to build and maintain a strong online reputation and give Maps users another great reason to visit you.  For more information, contact sales@digitalairstrike.com or 888-713-8958. DigitalAirStrike isthe leadingsocialmediamarketing,reputationmanagement,and lead response technology partner that helps 5,000+ businesses get measurable ROI fromall digital marketing initiatives. Find out how our award-winning solutions can help you sell moreatwww.digitalairstrike.comandgetacustomanalysisofyouronlinepresencewitha freesocialmediaandonlinereputationIntelReportatwww .digitalairstrike.com/get-intel.