Merchants in these countries can now sign up to Google Customer Reviews – a service which the search engine says will help online retailers to collect valuable feedback from customers who make a purchase via their website. The reviews collected are also eligible for use with seller ratings on Google Search and Display ads, providing a more cohesive experience for shoppers and ecommerce sites alike.
How it works
Image source: Google
The Google Customer Reviews program gives customers the option to take a survey after completing an online order from an ecommerce site. Shoppers are invited to opt in to the survey from the site’s checkout page and can then rate their experiences via a brief questionnaire.
The ecommerce site must display a Google Customer Reviews badge on their site, with the badge showing the seller’s current rating and providing a link to the seller rating landing page. Most sellers will be required to meet a minimum threshold of 150 reviews submitted within the last 12 months in order for a seller rating to appear on the Google Customer Reviews badge.
The survey
Customers who opt in to the survey will receive an email from the search engine after they complete their purchase. The survey asks shoppers to rate their experience using a scale of one to five stars, with additional room for other comments provided.
How seller ratings are used
For those with a strong seller rating and lots of strong reviews, the badge provides a visible showcase of great customer service. This can help to instill consumer confidence and generate additional purchases. Reviews also appear as ad extensions, which can help paid search ads to gain an edge over competitors. Google says that having a review extension displayed on a text ad can increase click throughs by as much as 10%. Seller ratings also appear on Google Shopping listings, which can again help to increase click throughs and conversions.
The importance of online reviews
Recent research has shown that more and more online shoppers rely on online reviews to help with purchase decisions. A good review can encourage a consumer new to your business to place their trust in you and choose your product or service over those of similar brands. Likewise, a negative review can send would-be shoppers to rivals.
You can read more on the importance of online reviews in these posts:
- 84% of shoppers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations: https://www.wordtracker.com/blog/84-of-shoppers-trust-online-reviews-as-much-as-personal-recommendations
- How to deal with negative reviews: https://www.wordtracker.com/blog/how-to-deal-with-negative-reviews
- Critic reviews for local businesses: https://www.wordtracker.com/blog/critic-reviews-are-now-available-for-local-businesses
Available countries
Customer Reviews has been made available in United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan and Australia this week. It was previously launched in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Russia.
Read the full announcement from Google here: https://adwords.googleblog.com/2017/04/google-customer-reviews-receive-and.html
