How online pet owner reviews help in search
Remember the days when reviews were the sole domain of consumer bodies. The internet and free platform tools have changed all that. Though in general consumers still like to know what the experts think – and take note of awards and industry classifications – 90% of people make online review platforms their first point of call. A positive rating on websites like Google is an extremely valuable marketing tool. If pet owners are considering using a vet, a four-star or five-star rating can confirm their decision; while less than that may cause them to look elsewhere. Star ratings are clearly visible in Google search results – and with social media platforms like Facebook amassing more reviews for businesses by the day, it’s more important than ever to effectively manage your online reputation as part of your overall digital marketing strategy.
Which platform is most important for your practice?
While you want to have good reviews everywhere (who doesn’t?), you need to focus on where most of your target customers are likely to look first. Here’s CV’s quick rundown of several free review platforms suitable for Vets.
| Platform: | Google My Business |
|---|---|
| Essential for: | Businesses – particularly venues and services, but also products |
| How it works: | Anyone with a Gmail account (Google’s email) can leave a review for local businesses listed on Google+ (Google’s online directory). It hasn’t yet amassed as many users as the likes of TripAdvisor, but reviews are visible within Google search results and growing. |
| Platform: | Yelp |
| Essential for: | Local businesses |
| How it works: | Users must become members in order to add a review – with categories including hotels, bars, restaurants, care homes, vets, etc. By the final quarter of 2014, Yelp had 135m unique visitors and 71m local reviews. |
| Platform: | Yell.com |
| Essential for: | Local businesses |
| How it works: | The digital version of the traditional Yellow Pages directory has the facility for people to leave reviews, but has nowhere near the level of engagement of platforms like TripAdvisor. Nevertheless, it remains a well-known brand which often appears high in search results. |
| Platform: | |
| Essential for: | Businesses – particularly venues and services, but also products |
| How it works: | Like Google, anyone with a Facebook account can add a star rating and comments to a local business listing, either upon ‘checking in’ while there, or after visiting. Businesses can control what appears on their page to some extent. |
How about Vet unique products and services?
There are also specific platforms for vet reviews, but as the mainstream free options continue to develop specialist platforms will be used less and less.
In organic search results, listings for businesses on websites like Google and Facebook will often rank more highly than the brand’s own website, attracting phenomenal levels of traffic. Furthermore, each of these listings provides a linking opportunity, boosting the search engine optimisation (SEO) performance of the official website. In July 2014, Google created a greater spotlight on local visibility. Keen to present searchers with the most relevant content possible, it loves local-level reviews, as they prove that particular local businesses are genuine and represent a hot topic of discussion. Regularly updated content is always a firm favourite of Google’s.
Is your vet practice correctly listed?
If any details of your business are missing or listed incorrectly – such as location, description or contact details – it could harm your visibility when people are searching. So make sure they’re exactly as they should be.
How are you handling reviews and feedback?
If you’re getting positive comments, that’s great – but you need to engage with your reviewers regardless of the nature of the feedback.
- RESPOND – Remember the saying, ‘the customer is always right’? Even if in some cases a pet owner has been difficult, you won’t score any points with the public by responding with anger or criticism. Always take a professional and friendly tone, no matter what’s been said about your practice.
- NEGATIVE REVIEWS – Don’t ignore these. If a pet owner is already irritated by a disappointing experience, they’ll become even more irritated if their feedback isn’t acknowledged. In many cases, knowing that a practice cares can have a positive effect. Plus, they (and others reading the review) are more likely to return if you apologise and are determined to do put a situation right.
If you’re stressed by keeping your online listings up to date with changes at your practice – or responding to reviews – there’s a way to make it easier. Here at Connected Vet we have dedicated digital monitoring teams who can help by:
- Assisting you with the claiming of each review profile at a practice and clinic level.
- Optimising written content, images and other media for every listing, making sure that all your practice details and correct.
- Regularly checking your listings and applying updates, which is especially important for multi-unit vet practices estates.
- Monitoring comments and responding with messages that have the appropriate tone, style and content for your brand – promptly and around the clock (seven days a week, including outside office hours).
- Ensuring that any potentially volatile crises are escalated to your own communication teams for expert handling.
Do you need support with managing your online reputation? CV’s specialist digital team can help