How Responding to Google Reviews Drives More Visibility (and When to Automate)

How To

24 Jan, 2025

Noel Pullen

Have you ever walked into a store, asked a question, and been totally ignored by the staff?

That’s exactly how customers feel if you never respond to their Google Maps reviews.

Many businesses work tirelessly to get more reviews—yet completely miss the chance to boost their Google visibility by replying to them. Keeping an eye on your Google Maps reviews is more than just good business etiquette—it’s a critical part of your local visibility and online reputation. While collecting positive reviews is vital, how you respond to them can dramatically influence your search visibility and customer loyalty. 

In this post, we’ll break down:

  • Why responding to Google reviews is so important
  • Best practices for different review types
  • When you should automate your review replies with Map Labs

Why responding to reviews is important

Google Maps (also known as Google Business Profile) rewards businesses that demonstrate consistent engagement, and responding to reviews is a key way to show your attentiveness.

Every time you reply to a customer’s review—whether offering thanks for positive feedback or acknowledging an area of improvement—you signal to Google that your business is active and relevant. This results higher visibility in local search results and more trust from potential customers who see your willingness to engage. 

Equally important is the way responses reflect your commitment to customer care. In an era when online reviews often shape consumer decisions, a personalized reply can set you apart from competitors.

Whether you’re expressing gratitude for a glowing testimonial or addressing a dissatisfied customer’s concerns, taking the time to engage indicates that you value every piece of feedback. By acknowledging praise or promising to remedy issues, you demonstrate genuine interest in each reviewer’s experience—often a key factor in winning over potential customers who are evaluating your brand.

Lastly, responding to reviews actively encourages more people to share their experiences. When prospective reviewers see that businesses pay attention and reply, they are more likely to invest effort in writing their own comments. Even a brief response confirms that feedback won’t simply disappear into a void, which motivates others to contribute. Engaging with reviewers not only adds credibility to your existing collection of reviews but also promotes the ongoing growth of your online reputation, ultimately strengthening your presence in local search.

However, you’ll need to follow these best practices to ensure every response you provide is both meaningful and effective.


Best Practices for Responding

1. Personalize the Response

Ever read a reply that starts with “Dear valued customer…” and immediately zone out? Same. Instead, use their name if it’s available and perhaps even a keyword from their comment. For example:

Hi Linda, we’re so glad you loved our veggie burger! Thanks for the great review.

It doesn’t have to be long or complicated—just show the customer you’re paying attention to what they actually said.

2. Acknowledge Their Sentiment

We all want five-star raves, but sometimes you’ll see fewer stars. Take the time to address it specifically. For a five-star review, you might say:

We’re thrilled you had a five-star experience—your support means a lot to us!

For four stars, a simple:


We’re sorry we missed that last star! We’d love to hear what we could have done better.

By referencing the star rating, you’re letting the customer know you’re actually reading and valuing their feedback.

3. Don’t Get into Fights

Negative reviews can sting, but responding with anger or sarcasm can escalate things.

Reviewers have the ability to update their reviews, and an overly confrontational response may prompt them to double down, potentially worsening their feedback.

Keep it calm and straightforward. Even a brief, thoughtful message like:

Thank you for sharing your concerns. We understand you were disappointed, and we appreciate the opportunity to improve.

…shows you’re listening. Remember, the reviewer can update their review after seeing your reply—so if you handle it graciously, they might just bump up your rating.

😱 Below is an example of how an aggressive response inspired a Google reviewer to update their feedback with harsher criticism:

4. Don’t Only Respond to Negative Reviews

This one is huge.

When you only respond to bad reviews, Google sees those interactions as more “relevant,” which can push negative reviews to the top of your listing.

We reccomend responding to all reviews (positive, negative, and everything in between) to keep your profile balanced. 

5. Be Mindful of Response Time and Ratio

Quick question: Should you bother replying to reviews that are years old? Absolutely

Responding to legacy reviews is a great way to reconnect with past customers. Imagine someone left an amazing review for your restaurant five years ago but hasn’t been back since—life gets busy, and there’s plenty of competition out there.

By responding to their Google Maps review, you remind them of how much they enjoyed their visit and can even encourage them to follow you on Instagram or check out your latest updates on your Google Business Profile. It’s a simple way to remarket to people who already love your business and invite them back.

The more reviews you respond to, the higher your response ratio. In addition, aim to reply within 24 hours for new reviews. You don’t want to respond instantly (people might think it’s a bot!), but speed is a sign of attentiveness.


When to Automate

Map Labs’ Review Assistant is a powerful tool your business can use to save time and automate custom review responses.

Here is when your business should start automating reviews:

👩🏻‍💻 High Volume: If you only get 5-10 reviews a month, automation might be overkill. You can easily take a few minutes each week to reply manually and give that personal touch. But, if your business is getting hundreds of reviews each month… automating your Google review responses is a guarenteed way to increase engagement and relevancy on your Google Business Profile.

💬 Using Templates Already: If you find yourself copying and pasting from the same document, that’s a big sign your team should be automating your review responses. By setting up parameters for custom review responses with Map Labs, your marketing team is freed up to focus on higher value tasks.

⭐️ Four or Five-Star Reviews: Automated responses are great for four or five-start reviews. These are generally positive customers who won’t be offended if your reply is slightly generic (“Thanks for the five stars; we appreciate your feedback!”). You can also handle “no-comment” reviews automatically—if there’s nothing to address.

🚨 Three Stars or Below: Tread carefully. These tend to be highly specific and negative. A generic automated reply like “We’re sorry” might come across as tone-deaf. Often, these reviews reveal important details about your business that you can only address by reading them carefully. If you go the automation route for these, you risk missing vital feedback that could genuinely help you improve.

When Not to Automate

A lot of businesses worry that once they automate Google Business Profile replies, they’ll stop reading reviews altogether. It’s a valid concern! 

Negative or constructive feedback can be a great resource for growing and refining your business. That’s why at Map Labs, we recommend setting up automation for the low-risk reviews—especially the positive ones, or reviews with no feedback.

However, it’s best to handle negative or mixed reviews (1-3 star reviews) the old-fashioned way. These critiques often contain essential details about what went wrong—from cold food to poor customer service, that need a human touch to address effectively.

Nothing turns a frustrated customer off faster than a generic “bot-like” reply that doesn’t acknowledge their specific concerns.


Ready to Grow Your Business with Maps Marketing?

Review generation and responses are a critical piece of the Maps Marketing puzzle—but they’re just one part of a larger strategy.

Your business has countless opportunities to rank higher and inspire customers to choose you over the competition. From enhancing visibility to creating a seamless customer experience, there is so much more you can do on Google Business Profile (formerly, Google My Business) to strengthen your online presence and ultimately, drive sales.

Visit MapLabs.com to discover how we can help your business get results with a comprehensive Maps Marketing strategy.

Contact us for a closer look at our proprietary industry-leading software, or explore our Coaching and Full-Service management options if you’d prefer to leave the heavy lifting to us. Whether you’re looking for full automation, hands-on responses, or a thoughtful blend of both, we’ll help you craft the perfect approach so you can focus on what you do best: running a fantastic business.

Want to know more?

🎥 Watch our free masterclass on Google Review Responses!

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