Google will now be sending email notifications to customers when a business responds to their Google My Business reviews.
For businesses, this should be seen as greater incentive to respond to reviews—whether they’re positive or negative.
Previously, a response from a business to a Google My Business review may have gone unnoticed unless the reviewer deliberately went back to look for one.
These new email notifications mean there’s a greater likelihood that responses will be seen.
This presents an opportunity for businesses when it comes to either making things right with negative reviewers or building a stronger relationship with positive reviewers.
Responding to reviews is generally a good practice anyway, regardless of notifications, because it shows that the business cares.
However, responding inappropriately could do more harm than good, so businesses would be wise to follow Google’s tips.
“We’re excited to announce that we’re launching email notifications to inform customers when you respond to their reviews! We’re rolling this out over the next few days, so check out some tips for responding to reviews,” announced Google My Business on Twitter on May 11, 2018.
