How Should Business Owners Respond to a Google Review?

Should you respond to Google reviews? Absolutely yes. There’s no question—that much you know.

But now, you’ve found yourself wondering, “How do I respond to a Google review?”

What should you say to someone who hated the service you delivered? Is it even worth replying to a good review? After all, the customer is already on your side.

In this guide, we’ll get to the bottom of these questions and equip you with two customizable templates.

Before we share them, we’ll first explain why responding is a must for your business. Then, we’ll explore the best practices for crafting an effective response.

We’ll look separately at how to respond to negative and positive reviews. We’ve thrown in a couple of tips to help you get more reviews too.

To finish up, we’ll offer up a list of four things you’ll definitely want to avoid when responding to reviews.

Let’s get started!

Why You Need to Respond to Google Reviews

Google reviews help you win trust. They are social proof. Potential customers use them to inform their buying decisions.

But did you know that replying to reviews is almost as important as the reviews themselves?

Almost nine in 10 consumers use businesses that reply to all reviews. In contrast, just 47% would choose businesses that don’t reply at all.

In other words, about twice as many Google searchers will pick your business if you respond to your reviews. How’s that for a quick win?

More customers means more revenue. More revenue means more growth.

But the benefits go even deeper. When you publish replies to your reviews, you:

Demonstrate the high level of customer service you’re committed to delivering.

Show that you are a problem-solver. You listen, accept feedback, and take steps to improve.

Convey that you’re a clear communicator. You know this is important to your clients, so you make it a priority.

Confirm your business is active. This isn’t a business that’s been closed for years. It’s up and running and ready to welcome new clients.

FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: How to See My Google Reviews

How to Craft an Effective Response

That’s the why. What about the how? How can you write a response that does what you want it to do—show great service, engage readers, and inspire action?

Here are some best practices to follow:

Be Professional but Authentic

Professionalism is a given when running a business. It’s what’s expected from you. It encompasses things like being respectful, putting the customer first, and using coherent, well-crafted sentences.

But professionalism isn’t the be-all and end-all—not when it comes across as robotic or insincere.

Instead, stay true to your brand voice.

Be authentic. It’s tricky to define exactly what that means. But according to Berkeley ExecEd, it includes:

Being yourself rather than putting on a “fake face”

Taking ownership of your actions and not pinning them on someone else

Following through on your promises

These three traits are worth bringing to your Google review responses.

See Things from the Customer’s Perspective

If one of your reviews details something that went wrong, don’t jump straight into the defensive.

It’s not about winning or losing a fight. It’s about actively listening to and acknowledging the customer’s concerns.

Here are some dos and don’ts:

Don’t: Offer a hundred-and-one excuses, blame them for the problem, or accuse them of lying. You don’t want to come across as petty or spiteful.

Do: Step into their shoes and imagine how they’re feeling. Use this perspective to guide your response.

Suggest a Solution or Next Step

After you’ve acknowledged the customer’s experience, offer a next step.

Maybe ask the reviewer to call you to discuss the issue further. Or invite them to book a follow-up service at a discounted rate.

This best practice is about focusing on solutions, not problems. Even if the reviewer refuses to meet you halfway, you’ve shown your true colors to anyone reading.

Express Your Gratitude

It’s an incredible thing when a client takes time out of their day. They put in the effort to write up a positive review and post it to your profile.

They have nothing to gain. They did it to help you.

Express your gratitude for their kindness. Let them know how much it helps your business. This could even inspire others to leave a review too.

Make It Unique

Avoid copying and pasting the same response under every review. This does the opposite of what you intended.

Reviewers don’t feel appreciated and heard. They feel ignored.

You probably don’t want to use an artificial intelligence (AI) tool like ChatGPT either. Studies have shown people don’t like it when they suspect they’re talking to a robot.

Yes, it’s a bit of extra work to write a response for each review. But you can use a template (like the ones below) to help you. Just be sure to customize it. The rewards are more than worth it.

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How to Respond to Negative Google Reviews

Negative reviews are a part of doing business. You truly can’t win them all. But you can be prepared to respond and open to constructive feedback.

Why Respond to Negative Reviews?

You don’t want prospects to think you ignore all negative feedback. This suggests you’re stuck in your ways and unwilling to do and be better.

In contrast, publishing a public response to negative reviews puts your professionalism on display. You demonstrate that you listen. You’re solutions-focused and someone willing to put in the extra effort to make your clients happy.

3 Tips for Responding to Negative Reviews

Follow these guidelines to turn a negative experience into a positive resolution:

Address feedback directly. Fully consider the feedback and let the reviewer know about it.

Ask the reviewer to reach out privately. You don’t want to air the dirty laundry on such a public platform. Add your contact details and suggest that they get in touch.

Apologize sincerely—even if you feel like you did nothing wrong. You are sorry for their bad experience, so tell them. Good manners will get you far.

FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: A Business Owner’s Guide to Responding to Negative Customer Reviews

Negative Google Review Response Template

Use this template to make responding easier (but remember to customize it!):

Hi [First Name],

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. We have taken your feedback on board.

We never want our clients to feel this way. We’re so sorry you weren’t happy with [service].

We hold ourselves to a much higher standard. Things go wrong from time to time, but we are committed to finding a resolution.

Please reach out to us at [phone number] or at [email address]. We’d love the opportunity to discuss the matter further.

Thank you again, and we look forward to hearing from you.

[Your name]

[Your position]

[Your business name]

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How to Respond to Positive Google Reviews

Positive reviews are what you love to see. And even though you’ve already won the customer over, it’s a good idea to post a response.

Why Respond to Positive Reviews?

Your customer took the time to celebrate your business. Send the positivity right back their way.

Responding to good reviews is all about saying a big thanks to the reviewer. Their kind words make your job as rewarding as it is. They also help you attract more customers. It’s wins all around!

3 Tips for Responding to Positive Reviews

Not sure what to say? Follow these three tips:

Show just how much you appreciate their review. Acknowledge the time and effort it took to post it.

Mention something specific from their review. This little personal touch will keep them engaged. They might be more likely to choose your business again.

Encourage them to refer others to your business. It’s a simple trick that can bring in more customers at no extra cost.

Positive Google Review Response Template

Customize this template and respond fast to good reviews:

Hi [Name],

We are so grateful you took the time to share your experience. We are thrilled that you love the results of [service]. We particularly enjoyed working on [something specific from the service].

It’s clients like you that inspire us to be the best we can be. We’d be honored to work with you again in the future.

If you know someone who might need a [your role], don’t hesitate to send them our way.

Have a fantastic rest of your day, and we look forward to hearing from you again.

[Your name]

[Your position]

[Your business name]

How to Get More 5-Star Reviews and What to Do with Them

It goes without saying—the more 5-star reviews you get, the better. In fact, a higher average star rating can help your business rank higher in search results.

To get more reviews, consider:

Adding a link to your Google Business Profile in your follow-up emails. Write a friendly sentence encouraging customers to leave a review.

Incentivizing reviews. You might offer a small discount or reward for posting a review.

Including a QR code in your printed marketing materials. You can create one for free online.

Using integrated software that easily folds review collection into your existing work processes.

You can get even more value out of your reviews. How? By turning them into marketing opportunities. Add your best reviews to:

Your website, including the home page and services pages

Your social media platforms as posts

Your printed marketing collateral, like brochures and flyers

4 Things to Avoid When Responding to Google Reviews

Don’t run into these common pitfalls when responding to your reviews. Here are four things to avoid in your responses:

Don’t get defensive. Listen, learn, and fully consider constructive criticism.

Don’t ignore negative reviews. This makes it look like you ignore any client that disagrees with you.

Don’t use generic responses. Make them personal.

Don’t share too much detail about the client and the job. You don’t want to expose anyone’s personal information online.