I told a lawyer last week I wouldn’t hire them.
Not because of their ads. Those were fine. Not because of their website. That looked professional enough.
Because their Google rating was 4.4 stars with unanswered one-star reviews sitting there like open wounds.
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We were doing a mid-quarter check-in, reviewing campaign performance. One of the line items was their online reputation. 4.4 stars. A few brutal one-star reviews. Zero responses.
I said, “We need to address this. It’s holding you back.”
They looked surprised. Started listing reasons why they couldn’t respond. Time. Legal concerns. Not wanting to engage with angry clients.
So I told them straight: “I wouldn’t work with a business rated 4.4 out of 5, especially with one-star reviews just sitting there. And I’m looking at hiring you as a lawyer. Nobody wants a lawyer with one-star reviews.”
Still surprised. Almost defensive. Like responding to reviews was some impossible task.
And this is where I’ll defend marketing agencies for a second. We’re like car detailers trying to restore the shine on a dulled, scratched-up vehicle. We can polish. We can buff. We can make things look better.
But if the bodywork is dented, there’s only so much gloss we can apply.
Everyone wants to talk about ads. Click-through rates. Cost per lead. All the sexy metrics that make you feel like you’re doing marketing.
But the real killers of campaign performance are the things most businesses completely ignore. Your reviews. Your reputation. Your sales process.
Because until you fix those, no ad campaign in the world can save you.
Key Takeaways
Before we dive deep, here’s what you need to know:
- Your Google rating acts as a multiplier or divider on your entire marketing spend. A 4.8+ rating amplifies good ads. A 4.4 rating tanks them.
- Unanswered negative reviews are trust killers. They signal you either don’t care or can’t handle criticism, neither of which attracts high-value clients.
- Review management isn’t optional anymore. It’s the foundation of local search visibility and conversion optimisation.
- Most businesses focus 90% of their effort on getting clicks and maybe 10% on what happens after someone clicks. It should be the reverse.
- The best ad campaign loses to mediocre competitors if their reviews are significantly better than yours.
The Real Cost of Ignoring Your Online Reputation
Let’s talk numbers for a second.
Say you’re spending $3,000 per month on Google Ads. You’re getting decent traffic. 100 clicks at $30 each.
Now, 80% of those people do what every sensible person does before calling a business. They check your Google Business Profile. They read your reviews.
That’s 80 people out of 100 who are going to see your 4.4 rating and those unanswered one-star reviews.
How many of them call you? Maybe 10. Maybe 15 if you’re lucky.
The other 65-70 people? They click away. They go to your competitor with the 4.8 rating and 200+ reviews.
You just paid $30 per click for 65-70 people to not call you.
That’s $1,950 to $2,100 per month burning a hole in your pocket. Not because your ads were bad. Not because your targeting was off.
Because your reputation made them bounce.
Here’s what happens when businesses ignore their reviews:
The Trust Gap Widens
Every unanswered negative review is a red flag. It tells potential clients you don’t monitor feedback. You don’t care about client experience. Or worse, you can’t handle criticism professionally.
In professional services especially, trust is everything. People hire lawyers, accountants, consultants because they need someone competent and reliable.
A 4.4 rating with visible complaints doesn’t scream competence.
Your Competitors Look Better By Comparison
Your competitors aren’t necessarily better than you. They might even be worse.
But if they have a 4.7+ rating with recent, positive reviews, they look like the safer choice. The professional choice.
And when someone is deciding between two similar businesses, they’re not conducting a detailed analysis. They’re going with their gut.
Their gut says the business with better reviews is probably the better business.
You’re Working Harder For Lower Quality Leads
Think about the quality of leads you get when people are already sceptical. They’re comparing prices. They’re asking more questions. They’re less likely to commit.
Compare that to leads who come in already trusting you because they’ve read 50+ five-star reviews saying you’re brilliant.
The sale is easier. The client relationship starts on better footing. The lifetime value is higher.
Google Is Watching
Here’s something most businesses don’t realise. Google doesn’t just show your reviews to potential customers. Google uses them as a ranking signal.
Businesses with better reviews, more reviews, and active review engagement get better visibility in local search results.
So not only are you converting fewer of the people who find you, fewer people are finding you in the first place.
It compounds.
Why “We Don’t Have Time” Is The Wrong Answer
I hear this constantly. “We don’t have time to manage reviews.”
Let me translate that: “We don’t have time to manage the single most influential factor in whether people trust us enough to spend money with us.”
You have time for ads. You have time for social media posts. You have time for networking events.
But you don’t have 10 minutes per week to respond to reviews?
Here’s the truth. Review management doesn’t take much time when you have a system. The problem is most businesses have no system.
What Actually Takes Time
Without a system, here’s what happens. A review comes in. Someone eventually notices it. Maybe. If it’s bad, there’s internal discussion about how to respond. Maybe legal gets involved. Maybe you decide not to respond at all.
That’s not a time problem. That’s a process problem.
What Should Happen
You get a notification when a review comes in. You have templates ready for common scenarios. You respond within 24-48 hours. Every time.
Good review? Thank them. Acknowledge the specific thing they mentioned. Invite them to refer others if they were happy.
Bad review? Acknowledge their frustration. Apologise if appropriate. Offer to resolve it offline. Stay professional.
That’s it. Five minutes per review, maximum.
The Practical Guide to Fixing Your Reputation Fast
Alright, enough about the problem. Let’s talk about how to actually fix this.
This isn’t theory. This is the exact process I walk clients through when their reviews are holding them back.
Step 1: Audit Your Current Situation
Before you can fix anything, you need to know where you stand. Pull up your Google Business Profile. Look at your rating. Read every review from the last 6-12 months.
Make a list of:
- Your current overall rating
- How many total reviews you have
- How many are unanswered (especially negative ones)
- Common themes in negative reviews
- When you last responded to any review
This gives you your baseline. You need to know this because you’re going to track improvement from here.
Step 2: Respond to Everything (Yes, Everything)
Start with the negative reviews. The ones that are sitting there making you look bad.
You can’t delete them. You can’t ignore them away. You can only respond professionally and move forward.
Here’s how to respond to a negative review without making things worse:
Thank them for the feedback. People want to be heard. Start by acknowledging that.
Address the specific issue if you can. If they complained about wait times, acknowledge that. If they had a bad experience with a staff member, acknowledge that.
Apologise if appropriate. You don’t have to admit fault, but you can express regret that they had a poor experience.
Offer to make it right. Give them a way to contact you directly to resolve the issue. This shows other readers that you’re proactive about fixing problems.
Keep it short and professional. Don’t over-explain. Don’t get defensive. Two to three sentences is enough.
Example response to a one-star review:
“Thanks for your feedback. I’m sorry your experience didn’t meet expectations. I’d like to understand what happened and see if there’s a way to make this right. Please contact me directly at [email] so we can discuss this further.”
That’s it. Professional. Direct. Shows you care.
Now do the same for positive reviews. Thank them. Mention something specific they said. Make it personal, not templated.
Step 3: Build a Review Generation System
Here’s where most businesses completely drop the ball. They wait for reviews to happen organically.
That’s like waiting for sales to happen organically. Sure, some will. But not enough.
You need a system that consistently asks happy clients to leave reviews. Not complicated. Not pushy. Just consistent.
The best time to ask is right after you’ve delivered value. Just finished a successful project? That’s your window.
Don’t overthink the ask. Keep it simple:
“I’m glad we could help with [specific thing]. If you were happy with how things went, would you mind leaving us a quick review on Google? It really helps us reach more clients like you.”
Make it easy. Send them a direct link to your review page. Don’t make them search for you.
Here are the options that work:
Option A: Automated Email Follow-Up
Set up an automated email that goes out a few days after you complete work with a client. Include the direct review link. Keep the message short and specific to what you just helped them with.
Option B: Personal Ask During Final Meeting
When you’re wrapping up a project or final call, and you know the client is happy, ask right then. “Mind taking 60 seconds to leave us a review?”
Pull up your phone. Show them the link. Make it immediate.
Option C: Strategic Timing Based on Client Milestones
For longer relationships, ask at natural high points. Just won their case? Just closed their deal? That’s when they’re most grateful.
The key is consistency. You need to be asking regularly, not just when you remember.
Step 4: Monitor and Maintain
Set up alerts so you know immediately when a new review comes in. Google My Business has notifications. Turn them on.
Response time matters. The faster you respond to reviews, especially negative ones, the better it looks.
Make this someone’s job. Even if it’s 15 minutes per week, assign it. Put it in a calendar. Treat it like any other critical business task.
Because it is.
What Happens When You Actually Fix This
Let me paint you a picture of what changes when you take this seriously.
Your Ad Performance Improves Without Changing Your Ads
Same targeting. Same ad copy. Same landing pages. But now when people click and check your reviews, they see 4.8 stars instead of 4.4. They see recent, positive feedback.
More of them call. Your cost per lead drops. Your conversion rate goes up.
You’re spending the same money. Getting better results. Because you fixed the foundation.
You Start Attracting Better Clients
High-value clients do their research. They’re not calling the first business they find. They’re comparing.
When your reputation stands out, you attract people who are further along in their decision process. They’ve already decided they want to work with someone. They’re just deciding if that someone is you.
Better reviews mean they’re pre-sold before the first conversation.
Your Team Gets Clearer Feedback
Reviews aren’t just for prospects. They’re a mirror for your business.
When you start actively managing reviews, you notice patterns. You see what people love. You see what needs work.
Maybe clients consistently praise one team member. Maybe they consistently complain about one part of your process.
That’s valuable data. Use it.
Your Local Search Visibility Increases
Google rewards businesses that are actively engaged with their online presence. More reviews, better reviews, and consistent responses all signal to Google that you’re a legitimate, active business.
You show up higher in local search results. You show up in more search results.
The SEO benefit alone justifies the time investment.
The Real Reason Businesses Avoid This
Let’s be honest about why so many businesses neglect their reviews.
It’s uncomfortable. Reading negative feedback about something you’ve built is hard. Responding publicly to criticism feels vulnerable.
You know what else is uncomfortable? Watching your marketing budget deliver mediocre results because people don’t trust you enough to call.
The businesses that win aren’t necessarily the ones with perfect reputations. They’re the ones who manage their reputation actively and professionally.
They respond to criticism. They acknowledge mistakes. They show potential clients that they’re accountable and professional.
That builds more trust than pretending to be perfect ever could.
Stop Polishing a Dented Car
Here’s where I’ll bring this full circle.
Marketing agencies like mine can optimise your ads. We can improve your targeting. We can write better copy and design better landing pages.
But if your reputation is damaged, we’re just polishing a dented car.
The shine only does so much when the underlying structure needs repair.
Fix your reviews first. Build that foundation. Then invest in ads.
Or keep investing in ads that drive traffic to a Google Business Profile that makes people bounce. Your choice.
But if you’re spending thousands per month on marketing and ignoring a 4.4 rating with unanswered complaints, you’re leaving money on the table.
A lot of money.
Want help fixing this? I offer free reputation audits where I’ll review your current Google Business Profile, identify what’s holding you back, and show you exactly how to fix it. No hard sell. Just a clear roadmap of what needs to happen. Get your free audit here.
