How to Write an Anonymous Review on Google
As of May 28, 2018, it is no longer possible to post anonymous Google reviews. In addition, Google has deleted all previously-posted anonymous reviews.
This change represents a larger shift in the mural past Google and other review platforms. We'll talk over how Google's policies have changed, what this ways for you, and how businesses and customers tin can both do good from this change.
Here's what you'll find in this article.
- Bearding Google Reviews- A Short History
- What is the Trust Economic system?
- Why Y'all Should Support the Trust Economy
- What the End of Anonymous Google Reviews Means for Businesses
- Birdeye and the Trust Economy
Before nosotros get started, want to discover how your business tin climb the ranks and go more visibility on Google? In this 20-minute sound guide, learn everything you need to know well-nigh reviews, SEOs, review collection strategies, and ways for encouraging customers who had a negative experience with an edit. Let'south dive right in! In this audio guide, you lot'll accept a clearer understanding of 5 easy tips that volition help ensure customer satisfaction every bit well every bit increase the likelihood of collecting positive feedback from clients and then they're incentivized enough to leave good reviews when prompted by businesses like yourself.
Anonymous Google Reviews – A Short History
Anonymous Reviews Earlier 2018
Some of you might remember a time when information technology was easy to get out a review of whatsoever concern without leaving whatsoever personal information. There was no sign-in or authentication required. On some platforms, you could leave a review with a imitation name like "Mickey Mouse" without a problem.
Though it might feel like ancient history, it really wasn't too long ago. Prior to 2013, Google allowed all users to leave bearding reviews. This format was problematic. Competitors could hypothetically go out dozens of fake reviews on a rival'southward page. Business concern owners wouldn't know where these reviews were coming from.
In 2013, Google decided to make the process of leaving bearding reviews subject to more than regulation. This was partially a response to complaints by business owners.
Bearding reviews were notwithstanding allowed, but the process of leaving one was harder than before. In order to mail anonymous reviews, customers were required to use Google+. Anonymous reviews appeared posted equally "A Google User" on Google My Business profiles.
Since the master account was connected to Google, there was somewhat more accountability than the previous system. Yet, business organisation owners would often have no idea if the person who left the review was a real client.
Last year, anonymous Google reviews officially became a thing of the past. Google now requires reviewers to evidence a name when leaving feedback.
Are Other Platforms Shifting Away from Anonymous Reviews?
Google isn't the simply review platform that has decided to shift away from anonymous reviews. Well-nigh every review platform is taking steps to ensure that reviews are coming from real customers.
At Birdeye, our review policies have followed a similar trajectory to Google'due south. Birdeye profiles, which display local business organization reviews from all over the Internet, once immune customers to submit reviews without leaving a name.
In the by twelvemonth, we've launched new features in order to ensure authenticity in our reviews. Nosotros at present require user authentication with a Google or Facebook login. We've as well introduced tighter review content relevance requirements and enhanced spam and slander detection algorithms. These are all part of our attempts to make sure that businesses and customers can be sure that every review that they wait at is based on a real experience.
It's not just Google and it's not merely Birdeye. The entire review ecosystem is transitioning abroad from the anonymous review model. The reason for this change can be summed up in two words: trust economy.
What is the Trust Economic system?
Trust Economic system Divers
And then what do anonymous reviews have to practice with the trust economy? Kickoff, let's take a step back and talk well-nigh what the trust economy is.
In the trust economy, customers make transactions with businesses and institutions that they feel comfortable dealing with. Maybe you heard good things most a sure restaurant from one of your friends. You check out the restaurant because you trust your friend's judgment.
Nowadays, review platforms make it easier for customers to trust businesses they oasis't tried earlier. You're comfortable getting into a stranger'south car because you can see his reviews on Uber. You try out a new barbershop after seeing great reviews on Google.
The trust economy is not a new concept. It's every bit erstwhile equally business itself. The exchange of goods and services has ever required an underlying foundation of trust. Customers have traditionally done their best to avert businesses with bad reputations.
In the age of online reviews, customers can judge a business organization's reputation more easily than ever. A business organization's reputation is now easily accessible for anyone, not just by those lucky enough to hear about previous customer experiences through word-of-oral fissure.
That's not all that has changed. Businesses also have direct access to customer opinion. When a customer leaves a negative review, businesses can employ this every bit constructive feedback and meliorate their overall client experience. The trust economy allows businesses to turn feedback into activeness.
Bearding Reviews and the Trust Economic system
In the early days of the review ecosystem, it was easy for everyone to leave a review. Review platforms wanted to make leaving a review easy for anybody, just that came at a toll: the integrity of the organisation.
Anonymous reviews made the whole review ecosystem harder to trust. Customers didn't know if the reviews they were reading reflected real experiences. Businesses didn't know if the reviews they were reading were from real customers.
For the trust economy to function properly, customers demand to be able to trust reviews. Customers will only trust online reviews if it's clear the reviews are accurate and represent an unbiased view of the concern. Trustworthy reviews do good both businesses and customers, which is why preserving an accurate review ecosystem is important.
When y'all run across reviews that have been left by "A Google User", information technology's harder to trust that review over one with a real proper name. With bearding reviews, the foundation of the entire trust economic system is eroded.
More importantly, businesses cannot effectively respond to feedback if it's left from an anonymous reviewer. When a business cannot see the proper name of a customer, they cannot reach out and make attempts to understand the complaint and solve the problem.
How Else Has the Review Mural Shifted Towards the Trust Economy?
Ending anonymous Google reviews wasn't the only policy alter that Google made last year. In April 2018, Google officially ended the practice of "review gating". This is when businesses selectively request reviews from customers who they are sure volition leave a positive review.
Just like anonymous reviews, review gating went against the foundations of the trust economy. Review gating could lead to a positive bias towards reviews. If reviews were biased, so customers not trust them.
Considering of Google'south new review gating policy, businesses need to make an attempt to inquire all customers for feedback, not just a select group. Information technology'due south now prohibited for businesses to offer incentives, such as discounts, to customers who go out a review. After all, these practices motivate customers to get out positive reviews, not unbiased reviews.
Why You Should Support the Trust Economy
The transition to the trust economy does come with a few setbacks. Yes, information technology's a petty bit more difficult for customers to leave reviews. Yes, businesses are beingness forced to change old practices like offering incentives for customers to leave reviews. Some people might be complaining about these changes.
In the big motion picture, this shift towards the trust economy is a good thing for both consumers and business concern owners. Research shows that 92% of customers wait at reviews before making a buy conclusion. Google'due south policy changes accept allowed these customers to have more trust in these reviews than ever before.
A trustworthy review ecosystem allows businesses to collect real insights from real customers. Now when a business sees a negative review on their Google My Business page, they tin can reach out to the client and preclude the same problem from happening over again. This would accept been a lot harder to do before last year when customers still had the pick to leave bearding reviews.
What the End of Anonymous Reviews Means for Businesses
The finish of anonymous reviews is just one part of a much larger shift. To win in the trust economy, businesses need to stay on elevation of feedback and maintain client trust. Here are a couple of things y'all can do to stay ahead of the curve.
Ship automated review asking emails or texts to all your customers.
Since review gating is now prohibited by Google's policies, y'all need to inquire all of your customers for reviews. With Birdeye's automated review requests, you can send a text or electronic mail to your customers equally soon as they have left the building.
Automated review requests allow you to collect genuine, accurate customer reviews. It'due south truthful that you might get a negative review hither and there, simply don't panic. Studies bear witness that customers trust businesses with some negative reviews more than businesses with all positive reviews.
Use customer surveys to collect authentic feedback.
In the trust economy, businesses need to collect feedback from their customers to ensure that their business is providing the best customer experience possible. Birdeye allows businesses to do this with automatic NPS surveys.
NPS surveys let you lot to how customers are ranking your concern on a 0-10 scale. Your "promoters" will rank your business organization as a ix or 10, while passives rank it equally a 7 or 8 and detractors rank it as a 0 to 7. You take the selection of directly asking detractors how they think the client experience can be improved.
Birdeye and the Trust Economic system
At Birdeye, we are strong supporters of the trust economy. Nosotros are dedicated to preserving an authentic review ecosystem for both businesses and customers.
Using Birdeye, businesses can go accurate reviews from customers and use this feedback to improve client experience. Customers can exist sure that the reviews that help them make purchase decisions reflect genuine experiences. Everybody wins.
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Source: https://birdeye.com/blog/end-anonymous-google-reviews-trust-economy/