Supporting Small Businesses with Google Reviews During COVID-19

As we grip with the realities of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, we must all stay strong and continue to push business forward. The reality for a lot of us is still a big question mark.

I don’t know about you, but when local businesses started shutting down because of COVID-19, the first thing I wanted to do was put together a game plan and figure out how to continue to support them. Being in the marketing industry, the first thing that came to mind was to highlight those local businesses that I frequent by creating a blog post, leaving a review, and sharing their content across my social platforms (there are so many ways to show your support). One of my coworkers vowed to order take-out for dinner from local establishments during this epidemic in an effort to support them. We can each do our own part to show our support!

As I started to write reviews, I noticed that Google disabled local reviews functionality – both for consumers and business owners (Search Engine Land). According to Search Engine Land, this shift is temporary, and Google is just trying to prevent a flood of reviews that may be ill-informed or malicious.

Google also announced that there will be some temporary limitations with Google My Business accounts as they prioritize other services. Right now, Google’s focus is on the quality and reliability of information on Google Search and Maps. It’s important to ensure your business hours of operation have been updated and whether or not you are still open for business (to keep your customers informed during this epidemic). Take 5 minutes to login to your Google account and verify that your information has been updated and is accurate.

You can read the full article from Google, here.

Do you have a Google My Business Page?

If you don’t already have a Google account, you should add your business (it will help you get found if you are still open with limited services). Even better, this listing service is FREE.

Take these tips into consideration when setting up your new Google My Business account from our “What Is Google My Business” blog post.

• Add your business name (keep this consistent across all channels)
• Add a profile image
• Add a cover image (make sure it’s relevant to your business)
• Add photos of your business
• Fill in business information, such as hours, services, link to your website, etc.
• Choose your industry

Need help with your Google My Business Page?

At Atilus, we stay on top of all the latest marketing news and industry trends to provide the best services to our clients. Whether you are looking to setup your Google My Business page or are looking for an agency to monitor it on an ongoing basis, we’d be happy to help. Contact us today to learn more!