Review-Gating: Changes to Acquirly to Comply with Google’s Updated Review Policy and Submission Guidelines

Google recently made changes to their review policy and submissions guidelines and they now prohibit the practice of review-gating. As such, we are releasing an update to our review acquisition system Acquirly in order to comply with Google’s policy changes.

What is Review-Gating and Why is Google Making the Change?

Review-Gating is a practice used by many review generation systems including Acquirly that asks customers about their experience before prompting them to leave a review. Google made changes to their terms of service because they feel that review-gating prevents reviews from being entirely honest and fair.

Google’s new policy requires customers to have an equal opportunity to leave a review, regardless of whether they had a positive or negative experience. We expect Facebook, HomeAdvisor, and the Better Business Bureau will release similar requirements in the near future.

Updates to Our Acquirly Review Generation App

In order to comply with Google’s new policy, we have released a change to our Acquirly app. Previously Acquirly only displayed a private feedback form when a customer indicated a negative experience. Now it will include links to your chosen review sites regardless of the customer’s experience.

Although it sounds counter-intuitive, a small number of negative reviews actually add legitimacy to your positive reviews. Additionally, negative feedback is pretty rare throughout all Acquirly customers.

We do not expect this change in policy regarding review-gating will result in a significant increase in negative reviews on your review sites. If you have any questions or concerns, contact us at [email protected].

Why Reviews Are Important

More than half of consumers rely on reviews before hiring a contractor or making a decision to purchase a service. Reviews can boost visibility for your business, helping you to rank higher in search results.

According to a recent BrightLocal customer survey, 85% of consumers trust reviews just as much as a recommendation from family, friends, or colleagues. Put simply, the more positive reviews you have the more likely a customer is to choose you.

Getting More Positive Reviews Has Never Been Easier

Getting your team to use any new system can be a challenge. However, Acquirly is easy for both your staff and customers to use. No matter the level of technical experience, asking for and getting more positive reviews has never been easier.

Just ask customers if they would be willing to leave you a review. If they agree, have them enter their email address and phone number in the Acquirly App. The app then sends them a request to leave a review. It will even follow up if they don’t respond within five days.

But I’m Not a Contractor

While generating water damage leads for disaster mitigation contractors is our core business segments, you don’t need to be a contractor to use Acquirly. Any business can use Acquirly to easily generate more positive reviews.

Start Getting More Positive Reviews Today

Acquirly makes asking for and getting more positive reviews easy. Plus, you get to manage reviews before they get posted, allowing you to address negative reviews immediately. Start getting more positive reviews with our Acquirly review generation app.