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I have some good news for you today. Car dealers can now respond positive and negative reviews on Google Maps! The feature that many dealers have been waiting for is finally here. If you have verified your Google Maps listing proving that you are the owner, you can now respond to any comments, positive or negative, when you are logged in to your account.

This is great news for dealers who have an Automotive Internet Reputation Management (IRM) process setup and who have been monitoring reviews on sites like Google Maps, Yelp, CitySearch, InsiderPages and Dealerrater. I also like the strategy of thanking people who place positive comments!

Here is the official notice from Google:

Whether you’re looking for a great lounge to hang out with your friends or a trusty shop to repair your bicycle, the web is a great place to discover and learn about local businesses and services. Some of the listings on Google Maps showcase reviews to help prospective customers make informed decisions and find the places that are just right for them. Reviews on Google Maps are assembled from a variety of sources on the web to give you the best possible overview of what people are saying about a specific place. We also encourage users to share their opinions by writing reviews directly on the Place Page of any place they’ve visited, be it a local business, tourist attraction or the like.

Starting today, if you’re a verified Google Places business owner, you can publicly respond to reviews written by Google Maps users on the Place Page for your business. Engaging with the people who have shared their thoughts about your business is a great way to get to know your customers and find out more. Both positive and negative feedback can be good for your business and help it grow (even though it’s sometimes hard to hear).

By responding, you can build stronger relationships with existing and prospective customers. For example, a thoughtful response acknowledging a problem and offering a solution can often turn a customer who had an initially negative experience into a raving supporter. A simple thank you or a personal message can further reinforce a positive experience. Ultimately, business owner responses give you the opportunity to learn what you do well, what you can do better, and show your customers that you’re listening.

This new feature will make some serious competition for Yelp…but for now, it’s time for car dealers to take charge and come up with an review response policy and be careful how your comment on a negative review.

Demo of Comments

What is your reaction to this news?

I’m very excited to see that negative comments or characterizations can be challenged by car dealers who have been unfairly judged.  This of course reminds me to say that dealers must have an IRM policy in place with guidelines on who should respond, if at all.  Responding the wrong way to an angry customer or a negative review could compound the problem.

PCG Digital Marketing welcomes Kirkwood Mitsubishi in Missouri to their family of growing automotive dealerships.  The St Louis Mitsubishi dealer has contracted PCG Digital Marketing to kick-start their automotive Internet marketing initiatives that will include executing Search Engine Optimization strategies and managing Social Media activities such as connecting with consumers via Facebook and Twitter.

As part of their new strategic digital marketing strategy, Kirkwood Mitsubishi will receive the most advanced automotive digital marketing strategies developed by PCG.   Enhancing the dealer’s online visibility will be accomplished through on-site and off-site SEO strategies, content development and the opportunity to be included in PCG’s exclusive Automotive Advertising Network (AAN).  The AAN combines PCG Digital Marketing’s proven strategies in Search Engine Optimization, content marketing, social media and blogging to provide dealers with an industry leading solution for lead generation and direct sales.

Additional PCG services will include blogging, writing and publishing press releases, link building, posting customer reviews, Twitter, Facebook, Google SEO compliance, Analytics, Google Maps, video uploads and more.   The goal of the new Internet Marketing campaign will be to increase the frequency that their vehicles appear in local and regional search results and to generate additional traffic and leads to their business.

PCG Digital Marketing welcomes Nissan Darien in Connecticut to their family of growing automotive dealerships.  The dealer group has contracted PCG Digital Marketing to kick-start their online marketing initiatives that will include executing Search Engine Optimization strategies and managing Social Media activities such as connecting with consumers via Facebook and Twitter.

As part of their new strategic digital marketing strategy, the Fairfield County Nissan dealer will receive the most advanced automotive digital marketing strategies developed by PCG.   Enhancing Nissan Darien’s online visibility will be accomplished through on-site and off-site SEO strategies, content development and the opportunity to be included in PCG’s exclusive Automotive Advertising Network (AAN).  The AAN combines PCG Digital Marketing’s proven strategies in Search Engine Optimization, content marketing, social media and blogging to provide dealers with an industry leading solution for lead generation and direct sales.

Additional PCG services will include blogging, writing and publishing press releases, link building, posting customer reviews, Twitter, Facebook, Google SEO compliance, Analytics, Google Maps, video uploads and more.   The goal of Nissan Darien’s new Internet Marketing campaign will be to increase the frequency that their vehicles appear in local and regional search results and to generate additional traffic and leads to their business.

Nissan Darien serves the greater part of Stamford Nissan shoppers, extending their reach all the way into White Plains and Port Chester, New York. Nissan Darien is a part of the Darien Automotive Group, in business since 1956.

To learn more about Nissan Darien, please visit http://www.nissandarien.com/