My presentation from SMX West 2013 - on the "Must Have Local Search Tactics" panel on March 12, 2013. I describe a technique for asking customers for reviews, in a way that maximizes the number of reviews you have on the most-important sites, while minimizing the number of reviews that get filtered. Phil Rozek www.localvisibilitysystem.com

1. Must Have Local Search Tactics March 12, 2013
The Zigzag Approach
to Requesting Customer Reviews
Phil Rozek
LocalVisibilitySystem.com
(Twitter: @philrozek)

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Business owner asks:
“I have happy customers.
I know they’ll review me if I ask.
What do I ask them to do?”

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Me:
“Depends on the customer.”

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No such thing as
“asking for a review”
It’s more complicated than that.
You need to deal with
at least 3 obstacles:

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Obstacle 1:
Diversity
You need to try to get reviews on a
variety of sites.
Why?

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So you’ll rank well in Google+Local,
Bing, Yahoo, and Apple Maps.
And more importantly, so you get…

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Obstacle 2:
Review Filters
Google+Local and Yelp filter out LOTS of
legit reviews.
Unnatural in any way = gets filtered.
Many reviews don’t make it far…

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Why? Nobody’s 100% sure, but...
The frequency at which you ask for
reviews is a factor for the filters.
Google & Yelp also are more likely to
filter reviews by first-timers, AKA…

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Obstacle 3:

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“Noobs” are a challenge because:
-By definition, they aren’t in the habit
of writing reviews. So it’s confusing.
-They’re more likely to be filtered
(looks unnatural to Google & Yelp).

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BUT you want need reviews!
Can’t be pushy, but you still need
to give them direction.

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Solution?

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Direct the traffic…

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…but NOT in a straight line
You don’t direct each customer to
the same review site.
Enter the “zigzag technique”:

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Concept of zigzag:
Guide with Questions
Guide them through their options.
Ask diagnostic questions to
determine where a customer should
review you.

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Concept of zigzag:

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Specifics
Let’s take a look at some instructions a
business owner could give customers.
(Wanted to show you the whole PDF,
but it wouldn’t fit!)

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Had to improvise…

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Example of “zigzag”:

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Option 1: Yelp

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Option 2: Google+Local

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Option 3: Yahoo

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Option 4: CitySearch

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Option 5: Whatever

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By the way…
You’re not asking any one person
to write multiple reviews.
Just one review – on one site.

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What’s the idea behind the
zigzag layout?
3 principles:

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Principle 1:
Start with toughest sites
Specifically

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You’re asking customers:
Active user? Good!
Not an active user?
Write review elsewhere.

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Principle 2:
Easier sites = 2 nd choice
Sites that are good to have reviews
on but that are easier.
Yahoo, InsiderPages, CitySearch, ma
ybe industry-specific sites…

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Principle 3:
No unnecessary steps

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They’re not having to create new accounts.
The “2nd choice” sites must be EZ.
= No frustration
= Fewer filtered reviews
= You consistently get reviews somewhere

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Think darts

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Goal? Get bulls’-eyes.
One way to get them is to have a
good aim. (Gee, really?)
But there’s another way:

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Create more bulls’-eyes

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Takeaway: What to do
1. Figure out which sites you want reviews on.
Definitely Google+Local and Yelp,
plus 2-3 easier options.
Can always research competitors’ reviews.

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Takeaway: What to do
2. Create instructions in which you
show customers their options one at a time.
Can be a PDF, page on your site, or email.
Or you can ask them verbally.
It’s the guiding technique that counts.

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Takeaway: What to do
3. Ask questions at every step
– questions that channel active
Google+ users and Yelpers in
one direction, and everyone else
in other (easier) directions.

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No matter what…
Make your instructions interactive.
Give them logic circuits.
Give them a brain.

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Thanks!
Phil Rozek
@philrozek
LocalVisibilitySystem.com