Responding to Online Reviews

Pretty much what I look like after reading a bad review!

In a digitally connected world, it’s not a question of whether whatever you do is reviewed online. It’s when it will be.

And how.

I do freelance work — copywriting, ghostwriting, developmental editing, that sort of thing — so pretty much the Internet is my marketplace. And the first time I got a bad review via Google Business… well, I’ll be honest. I cried. It’s easy to respond emotionally when you’ve put the work in and it’s not appreciated — and, in fact, is criticized. And somehow when that happens the whole web feels like a giant megaphone, telling the world what a failure you are.

So take your moment to respond emotionally if you need to. But what you do next is what determines, to some extent at least, whether you’ll still be in business this time in five years. Or even next year.

Responding to online reviews is crucial, because people read reviews. All the time. And — you know this is true because you do it — they’ll click away from a product or service if its review doesn’t stack up to what people are saying about the competition.

Online reviews have SEO value, too. The reviews you receive across platforms have a direct impact on the visibility of your website. Positive reviews can boost your online presence and bad reviews can weigh it down.