Regardless of whether your moving company’s online review page is your crown jewel or the bane of your existence, the reality is that online reviews fundamentally shape your company’s online presence and directly impact your bottom line. Consistently earning positive reviews can even complement your online marketing efforts. Read on to learn more about recent updates to Google reviews – and what these updates mean for your moving company.

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Google review lovers, listen up! Earlier this month, Google announced a few feature updates that change the way that consumers will be able to leave a review on your business page. First, consumers no longer have to have a Google Plus account in order to write a review on your company’s page.

… Say what?! We’re excited, too, since this update has a few positive ramifications for your moving company’s page! By not requiring that users have a Google Plus account, Google is making it easier for a wider group of consumers, who may not necessarily have a full Google Plus account, to write a review. While consumers will still need to have a Gmail account in order to leave a review (sorry, Yahoo and Hotmail lovers), the update is expected to increase the number of Google business reviews.

Second, Google also updated its sign-in flow when consumers wish to leave a review. If a user clicks on the “Write a Review” button when they’re not signed into their Gmail account, they will be seamlessly prompted to sign into their account, leave their name, and write their review. This updated workflow is intended to make the review process that much more streamlined and seamless for customers to leave a review. After all, the easier it is to write the review, the more reviews that you’ll likely receive!

And last, but not least, Google also recently updated its local ranking signals such that the quantity and the quality of the reviews on your business page can improve your moving company’s local search rankings. Thus, the more positive online reviews that your business has, the higher up that your business will be featured in local searches.

This final feature update is an important reminder that as a moving company, you’ll only get out as much as you put in! If your moving company offers an excellent customer experience, your customers will be that much more likely to leave a positive review of your company, and your online reputation will benefit too. Think of it like a win-win!