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Beyond Just the Stars: Proven AI, Trust & Review Tactics That Boost Google Visibility
Reviews are make-or-break trust signals on SERPs. Is AI changing the way people write, trust, and act on reviews? What review response frameworks actually drive loyalty and higher ROI (instead of just damage control)? đ Get your proven playbook to turn reviews + AI into measurable gains in visibility, conversions, & more. Consumers are now scanning for credibility, evaluating how businesses respond, and increasingly, letting AI decide which brands to trust. Our August 2025 study of 1,000+ U.S. consumers revealed exactly how people evaluate authenticity, decide when to leave feedback, and choose which businesses to support. This session translates those findings into agency-ready frameworks for proving ROI, protecting reputation, and strengthening client retention. Turn Reviews Into SEO Wins That Boost Rankings, Visibility & Conversions, Even With AI Agents Youâll walk away with playbooks to prove the business impact of reviews and frameworks to position your agency as an AI-chosen leader. Youâll Learn: How trust signals like recency, authenticity, and response style influence rankings and conversions. Where consumers are reading, leaving, and acting on reviews (Google, social media & beyond). Proven frameworks for responding to reviews that build credibility, mitigate risks, and increase loyalty. đ Register now for the most up-to-date, research-backed tactics to leverage reviews as strategic growth drivers. đ Canât make it live? Sign up anyway and weâll send you the on-demand recording!
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Beyond Just the Stars: Proven AI, Trust & Review Tactics That Boost Google Visibility
- 2. gatherup.com How American ConsumersUse Reviews to Choose Local Businesses GatherUp Local Business Review Survey â Q3 2025 Beyond The Stars, 2025
- 3. Agenda: Beyond the Stars, 2025 How AmericanConsumers Use Reviews to Choose Local Businesses Welcome & Context Methodology & Survey Overview Key Takeaways The Discovery Evolution The Power of Reviews The Human Factor: Review Writers The Brand Response Imperative Action Plan & Discussion
- 4.
- 5. Why This Matters Reviews drivelocal choice AI reshapes discovery Trust = growth currency
- 6. 1,000+ US consumersâ Aug 2025 Ages 18â60+, all regions & incomes Figures rounded for clarity Methodology
- 7. Impact of reviews Habitsof review writers Power of responses Survey Structure
- 8. Top Takeaways 98% readreviews 55% trust customers > brands 65% prefer brands that respond 70% lose trust in AI- written replies 81% say responses = service 94% trust reviews (somewhat+) ~50% reading more
- 9. Discovery Is Changing 6/10want to âtalkâ (voice/AI/people) 6/10 55% 48% 16% 48% use conversational AI Only 16% havenât tried alternatives to search 55% use AI summaries
- 10. Search Still Starts theJourney 58% begin on search Maps 14% Voice 11% AI 8% Social 1%
- 11. Search Still Starts theJourney 58% begin on search Maps 14% Voice 11% AI 8% Social 1%
- 12. Typing > Talking typequeries Voice primary Optimize typed intent
Editor's Notes
- #3Â âThank you for joining me for Beyond the Stars 2025. This is one of my favorite sessions each year. Itâs where we look at how consumers use reviews, how behavior is changing, and what that means for your business moving forward.â âHereâs what weâll cover today.â âWeâll discuss how people are finding local businesses todayâ âWeâll go into what consumers told us drives trustâ âAnd what actually works when it comes to asking customers for feedbackâ âFinally, Iâll close with five concrete steps you can take right now to improve your reputation strategy and grow through reviews in 2025.â âMy goal is to make this practical. Youâll leave today with clear, data-backed takeaways you can use immediately â not just ideas, but actions to strengthen your brandâs trust and visibility.â
- #4Â âBefore we dive into the research, let me quickly introduce myself and tell you why this topic matters so much to me.â âMy name is Matt Saeger, and Iâm the Vice President of Customer Experience here at GatherUp. Iâve spent my career helping businesses connect the dots between feedback, service, and growth â because when you understand what your customers are saying, you can turn that insight into opportunity.â âAt GatherUp, I have the privilege of working with agencies and local businesses that use reviews not just as a measurement of performance, but as a growth engine. And thatâs really what today is about â understanding how reviews, responses, and authenticity drive customer choice in a world where technology and AI are changing discovery faster than ever.â So my goal today is to share real data, practical takeaways, and a few examples you can take back to your own teams right away.â
- #5Â âSo, letâs start with the bigger picture â why this research matters. Why are we still talking about reviews after all these years, and why are they more important than ever in 2025?â âThe short answer is: because trust is changing. Consumers used to find businesses through ads, referrals, or even just walking by the door. Today, that discovery starts â and often ends â with what other people say online. A review has become a digital first impression. âAnd that matters because trust drives choice. Customers donât just want to know what you sell â they want to know how you treat people. They read reviews to see proof of your service, not just your promises.â âWhatâs different in 2025 is how reviews interact with everything else. They donât just influence people â they influence algorithms. AI, maps, and search engines are all reading and summarizing your reviews. That means your reputation isnât just visible â itâs being interpreted, condensed, and shared back to customers in ways you canât always control.â âSo, if your business isnât actively collecting, managing, and responding to reviews, youâre essentially letting AI write your story for you. Thatâs why this work is foundational to growth.â âReviews arenât just feedback. They are your brandâs most trusted form of marketing â and the most visible proof of how you deliver on your promises.â
- #6Â âFor Beyond the Stars 2025, we surveyed over 1,000 American consumers across all major regions and age groupsâ The goal was simple: to understand how people are using reviews to find, evaluate, and choose local businesses â and how those habits are changing as AI becomes part of everyday search and discovery.â âThe survey was conducted in August to capture the most current behavior in an environment where AI summaries, voice search, and map results are influencing customer decisions faster than ever before. âSo the data youâll see today is drawn directly from how consumers are behaving right now.
- #7Â âOur research focused on three main pillars, each revealing a different part of how reviews influence both customers and businesses.â âFirst, we looked at the impact of reviews â how they shape consumer decisions, how much trust they carry, and how people use them to choose one business over another. âSecond, we studied the habits of reviewers themselves. When and why do customers leave feedback? How often are they writing reviews? And what motivates them to share their experience âAnd third, we focused on the power of responses. Because reviews might start the conversation, but how a business replies determines how the story ends. âTogether, these three pillars â the impact of reviews, the habits of reviewers, and the power of responses â give us a complete view of how trust is built, lost, and earned again in todayâs marketplace.â
- #8Â âAlright â letâs jump into the key findings. Here are the headline takeaways that really capture whatâs happening with consumer behavior around reviews right now.â 1. 98% of consumers read reviews. âThatâs almost everyone. Reviews are still universal. Before visiting a business, booking a service, or making a purchase â consumers check what others say first.â And. ~50% are reading more reviews than last year. âReview engagement is actually increasing. Even with AI summaries and snippets available, consumers still want to see real experiences in full context before they decide.â 55% trust other customers more than brands. âThis is a big one. People believe people Thatâs why the most authentic and unfiltered reviews are now worth more.â and 94% say they trust reviews at least somewhat. âEven with skepticism and fake review concerns, consumers still put their faith in peer feedback. The trust factor is still incredibly high â itâs just more nuanced now.â 4. 65% prefer brands that respond. âWhen they see a business take time to reply it signals attentiveness, care, and accountability. To 81% of responders, a response equals service.â 5. Lastly, 70% lose trust when a reply sounds AI-written. âThis is new, but itâs critical. Consumers can spot automation instantly. If a response feels robotic or generic, it breaks the human connection. Weâll dig into this more later â but authenticity now matters as much as speed.â âSo, if we zoom out: reviews remain the most influential trust signal in local search and digital decision-making â but expectations are evolving. Consumers donât just read reviews anymore; they analyze them. They notice tone, timing, and authenticity â both from the reviewer and from the businessâs response.â
- #9Â âSo consumers are reading and trusting reviews â but letâs walk through this journey to trust from beginning to end. Discovery looks very different today than it did even a year ago.â âTraditionally, discovery started in one place â a typed search. But now, consumers are using a wider mix of tools to find local businesses, ask questions, and make decisions.â Key behaviors from the data âSix in ten consumers say they want to talk their way to answers â whether thatâs through voice search, AI chat, or direct messaging. People want natural, conversational interactions.â â55% of consumers use AI summaries â those bite-sized overviews at the top of search results that condense reviews and details.â â48% have used conversational AI tools â like ChatGPT or Gemini â to help decide where to go or what to buy.â âAnd only 16% say they havenât tried alternatives to traditional search yet â which means 84% of consumers are already exploring something beyond the search bar.â âSo what does that mean for businesses? It means discovery is no longer linear â itâs layered. Consumers might start a query in Google, see an AI summary, click into Maps, and then confirm their choice by reading reviews â all in one flow. Theyâre not replacing search; theyâre expanding how they search.â âThis shift also means your reputation needs to be visible and consistent wherever discovery happens â because reviews are showing up in new places, often summarized by AI or voice tools before the customer ever lands on your site.â
- #10Â âSo while discovery is definitely changing â and consumers are experimenting with new ways to find answers â one thing hasnât changed yet: most journeys still start with search.â âWhen we asked consumers where their search for a local business begins, the results were clear: 58% still start on a traditional search engine like Google or Bing. Itâs still the front door to discovery.â âFrom there, other tools come into play: 14% begin directly in Maps, 11% start through voice assistants like Alexa or Siri, 8% are starting with AI tools, and just 1% begin their discovery on social media. So, search still dominates the starting line â but now, itâs surrounded by new options that branch off from that same starting point.â âThe takeaway for local businesses and agencies is that SEO isnât dead â itâs evolving. You still need to optimize for typed intent â those specific keywords and questions â but you also need to think about what comes after that search: the AI summary, the reviews, and the responses that reinforce trust.â If you want to win discovery, you need to win the review layer that sits on top of search results.â
- #11Â âTyping remains the default behavior because it gives people control. They can phrase things precisely, skim results faster, and refine their search instantly. Even with the rise of voice assistants and conversational AI, most consumers still prefer to type â especially when theyâre comparing local options or reading reviews.â âThis is an important insight for local businesses because your review content, responses, and listings for typed phrasing still gives you the greatest visibility.â âReviews play into this too. Typed search results are often where reviews appear first â in map packs, knowledge panels, and snippets. So the words your customers use in their reviews actually influence which searches you show up for.â
- #12Â âWeâve seen how people start searches and that typed intent still rules. Now letâs look at how AI fits into the discovery journeyâand where consumers are cautious.â âAI is clearly part of the toolkit, but many consumers are still testing the waters. 42% have never asked AI for a local business. Thatâs changing as people learn how to use these tools day-to-day.â âWhen people do use AI, most arenât validating what it shows them: 67% donât rigorously check the sources behind AI summaries. This raises a big operational pointâif your listings and profiles arenât consistent across the web, AI may assemble a version of your business you donât control.â âAI helps surface options, but reviews still seal the decision. Your job is to keep your digital footprint consistent and your reviews fresh so AI and humans both see the same, authentic story.â
- #13Â âSo while AI is changing how people search, one thing hasnât changed â nearly everyone still relies on reviews to make decisions.â âOur data shows that 98% of consumers read reviews before making a purchase or visiting a business. Thatâs essentially everyone â reviews have become a universal part of the buying journey.â âAnd this habit is growing deeper: half of consumers say theyâre reading more reviews than they did last year. People arenât just glancing at star ratings anymore â theyâre analyzing tone, detail, and how businesses respond.â âWhy? Because reviews remain one of the last, authentic trust signals in an increasingly AI-driven discovery world.â âThey also influence both pre- and post-sale trust â helping customers feel confident that if something goes wrong, a business will make it right.â One possible explanation for the decrease of âAlwaysâ from 47% to 39% could be the users driven to AI search results and are not a deep dive into the AI results like we saw on the previous slide. Key takeaway âReviews arenât going anywhere. In fact, as AI summarizes and aggregates information, reviews have become the data source behind the summaries. Keeping them fresh, authentic, and visible is critical â for both people and algorithms.â
- #14Â So another important question is: where are they actually getting their recommendations if they are not turning to traditional reviews? âSocial media and local groups are growing, but they still trail reviews and personal referrals by a wide margin. Theyâre more for discovery than decision-making.â âWhat this shows is that consumer recommendations have gone digital. Reviews have become the modern version of word-of-mouth â faster, broader, and always accessible. It reinforces what weâve already discussed: your reviews donât just support discovery; they drive recommendations at scale.â âWhen people look for a trusted business, they donât just ask friends anymore â they ask the internet. And the voices they trust most are the ones inside your reviews.â
- #15Â âBut itâs not just that people are reading them. Theyâre spending more time doing it.â âConsumers today are digging deeper before they decide. Nearly half of all consumers say theyâre reading more reviews than they did a year ago â and theyâre not just scanning star ratings anymore. Theyâre scrolling through detailed feedback, comparing experiences, and looking for patterns or authenticity in what other customers share.â âThat shift tells us something powerful: Trust now takes more than just a quick glance. Customers are doing their homework â and theyâre using reviews to validate whether a business consistently delivers what it promises.â âThis ties directly to what we discussed earlier about discovery. Search still starts the journey â but the decision is made in the reviews. That extra time consumers spend reading is where trust is built or lost.â âAnd this shift in behavior sets up an even bigger opportunity â because as consumers spend more time reading, theyâre rewarding businesses that keep their feedback fresh and visible. Weâll talk more about that later â but for now, think of it this way: Fresh activity isnât just nice to have anymore â itâs what signals that your business is current, responsive, and real.â
- #16Â âAnd the reason people spend more time is simple â theyâre trying to decide who they can really trust.â â94% of consumers say they trust reviews at least somewhat. Thatâs nearly universal â reviews have become the primary trust signal for local businesses. But this trust isnât static or automatic anymore â itâs earned and verified across multiple touchpoints.â âAs AI and conversational search continue to grow, the way consumers encounter your reputation is changing. AI tools are now pulling review content and business data from everywhere to summarize your brand story for the customer. That means if your information isnât consistent across those sources, AI might end up telling an incomplete version of your business. Consistency across the web â names, hours, categories, services â has quietly become a new foundation of trust.â âSo this 94% figure isnât just about believing reviews. Itâs about believing whatâs consistent across the internet. âOver the next few slides, weâll look at the details behind that trust: What people actually notice when they evaluate reviews, How different review thresholds shape decision-making, And how visibility across channels reinforces credibility. Each of these metrics gives us insight into how to maintain trust in this new AI-driven landscape.â
- #17Â âWhen we asked consumers which platforms they trust most for reviews, Google continues to dominate â by a wide margin. Itâs the first stop for most people, not just because of habit, but because Google integrates reviews directly into the discovery experience â maps, search, and even AI summaries. Right behind Google, we see Yelp and Facebook still holding meaningful trust with consumers, especially in service industries and local community-based businesses. Then thereâs Amazon, which remains a powerhouse for product reviews â though its influence in local service decisions is lower.â âAnd now, with AI pulling data from all these platforms, that consistency we talked about becomes even more critical. If your reviews say one thing on Google and another somewhere else, AI and customers both notice. Inconsistency introduces doubt â and doubt costs conversions.â âSo, when we talk about âmanaging your reputation,â weâre not just talking about Google â weâre talking about the ecosystem of reviews. Each platform serves a different purpose, but together, they tell one story about your business.â The goal isnât to be everywhere â itâs to be consistent everywhere.â
- #18Â âMaps continue to play a major role in local discovery. When consumers start their search, 58% still begin with a traditional search engine, but maps are now the second most common entry point â with 14% starting their journey directly inside map apps.â âAnd when we break that down further, Google Maps accounts for about 60% of that traffic, while Apple Maps represents roughly 26%.â âAgain, whatâs important here is consistency. AI, search engines, and consumers all cross-check your listings. So if your hours, services, or categories differ across Google and Apple Maps â or across directories like Facebook â it can cause confusion or even lower your visibility.â âThink of this as digital hygiene: ensuring that every version of your business online is consistent, current, and complete.â âMaps are not just navigation tools â they are also discovery engines. If your information isnât correct there, youâre not just missing directions â youâre missing customers.â
- #19Â On this journey we have gone through discovery, but âWhat exactly are they looking for in those reviews once they get there? âThe data here is pretty revealing. When consumers land on a review profile, their top priority is recency. They want to see whatâs happening right now. âNext, theyâre checking for low ratings and how businesses respond to them. People know that no company is perfect â but what matters most is how you handle imperfection. Do you reply? Do you make it right? A thoughtful response can completely flip perception.â âAnd of course, average rating still plays a big role. So while a perfect 5.0 may look suspicious, falling below four stars can quickly affect conversions.â âWhatâs interesting here is that consumers are pattern-spotting. Theyâre looking for signs of authenticity that helps them build confidence.â âRecency, responsiveness, and rating â those are the three Râs of trust. Keep your reviews fresh, reply thoughtfully, and protect your average rating. Together, those elements drive purchase intent.â
- #20Â âLetâs break those down a little further into those trust signals within reviewsâ âWhen we asked consumers how star ratings influence their decisions, 93% said they require at least a three-star rating before theyâll even consider a business. Thatâs essentially the baseline for credibility.â âBut to compete, you need to be in the four-to-five-star range. Thatâs where the majority of purchase decisions are made and where trust is cemented.â âAnything below four stars signals uncertainty â not necessarily failure, but a lack of consistency that makes people hesitate. And in a world where every click counts, hesitation can cost you the lead.â âWhatâs important to remember here is that consumers arenât expecting perfection. In fact, too many flawless five-star reviews can sometimes feel not authentic. What theyâre looking for is a credible average supported by authentic responses and recent engagement. Thatâs what convinces them youâre a trustworthy business.â âSo when you see a dip in your rating, donât panic â see it as an opportunity to strengthen your response strategy, address trends, and demonstrate care. The way you manage reviews below five stars can actually drive more loyalty than the perfect ones.â âRatings matter, but credibility matters more. A steady stream of honest four- and five-star reviews â with consistent, human responses â is far more powerful than chasing perfection.â
- #21Â âWhen we asked consumers about when reviews come into play in their buying process, nearly half â 43% â said they start with reviews right away. Before looking at a website, before calling the business, before comparing prices â theyâre scanning reviews to answer two key questions: Can I trust the product or service? Can I trust the company behind it?â Reviews are no longer the last step in validating a choice â theyâre the first filter in deciding who even makes the shortlist. That means your reputation is influencing leads before you ever have the chance to make a pitch.â
- #22Â âWhen people dive into reviews, theyâre not just skimming star counts. Theyâre reading for authenticity signals. 60% of responders were looking for detailed text â descriptions of real experiences. Photos or names â which help validate that the review came from a real person. And consistency in tone â a mix of praise and constructive feedback that feels believable.â
- #23Â âWe also heard something that should make every business sit up straight: consumers are highly sensitive to anything that feels fake. If reviews seem AI-written, overly generic, or repetitive, they start to doubtâ âThis reinforces a key theme of this yearâs study: authenticity builds trust. The content and tone of your reviews â not just the score â determine how much trust you earn.â âIt also means that encouraging detailed, story-driven reviews is more valuable than collecting a pile of short, repetitive five-star posts.â
- #24Â âSo if reviews influence trust, the next question is what kind of reviews earn it fastest.â âFrom our survey, consumers told us the most important factor when reading reviews is recency. 24% want to see reviews less than a week old, and 30% want to see reviews less than a month old. That means over half of consumers are judging credibility by whatâs happened in the last 30 days.â âTheyâre also scanning for authenticity markers â real names, specific details, natural tone, and photos. Anything that looks thin, vague, or AI-generated triggers skepticism. Consumers are savvier than ever â they can spot automation in a heartbeat.â
- #25Â And bending the rules only leads to further distrust. âAnd hereâs a big one: 51% of people say they wonât choose a brand thatâs been flagged for fake reviews. Google has already started labeling businesses when it detects patterns of fake feedback. Those warnings are highly visible â and incredibly damaging.â You canât let a single fake or suspicious review go unchecked.
- #26Â âWhen we asked consumers about their comfort level with AI summaries and suggestions, the results were clear: 39% said they donât trust AI recommendations if theyâre not backed by real reviews. 28% said they love the convenience of AI summaries â fast, simple overviews that help them narrow choices quickly. This tells us something powerful: consumers appreciate AIâs efficiency, but they still rely on reviews for validation.â âAnd remember, 67% of consumers donât rigorously check AIâs sources. That means AI may be pulling and summarizing outdated or inconsistent data about your business. If your listings, website, and reviews arenât aligned, youâre letting the algorithm write your brand story for you.â âThis is why owning your digital footprint is more important than ever. Every inconsistency â a mismatched business name, an outdated photo, missing reviews â introduces noise into how AI describes you.â
- #27Â âSo now that we know how reviews shape trust â and how AI amplifies that reputation â letâs talk about the part thatâs completely within your control: asking for reviews.â âOur survey found that only 5% of consumers said they would never leave a review. That means 95% of people are open to giving feedback â you just have to ask.â âSo when asking meet customers where they are â by email, SMS, or in person. If youâre a service business, verbal requests work great. If youâre brick-and-mortar, QR codes at checkout are simple and powerful. For recurring services, even printed handouts or follow-up cards can help.â âThe key is frictionless access. One click, one tap, one scan â and theyâre right where they need to be to leave a review.â âAsking is free but forgetting to ask is expensive.â
- #28Â âSo what motivates someone to actually follow through. First, to reward a great experience. When someone feels genuinely appreciated or impressed, they want to pay that forward â itâs a moment of emotional reciprocity. A simple, heartfelt âthank youâ moment where the customer becomes your advocate. Second, they write reviews because they were asked. Itâs easy to forget that many customers simply need permission or a prompt. When you ask sincerely â not as a transaction, but as part of the relationship â people are surprisingly willing to help. And third, they write to help others â or to warn them. Consumers see themselves as contributors to a shared network of trust. They want to inform, protect, or guide others in their community. What this tells us is that reviews are as much about belonging and connection as they are about feedback. When we treat customers like participants in our story â not just data points â we get richer, more authentic responses.â
- #29Â âLetâs move from the request to the results: does asking actually work, and when do customers want you to ask?â Why asking works âIt does. 72% of consumers will write a review when a business asks, and 73% will respond to simple rating prompts like NPS or stars.â âA meaningful slice (~24%) say theyâll leave a review simply because they were asked.â âand remember only ~5% say theyâd never leave a review.â When to ask âTiming is clear: 77% prefer the request within three days of the experience.â âThereâs also appetite for speed: 35% like it at time of service, and 22% prefer same day.â What this means for you âMake the ask part of your standard flow, not an afterthought.â
- #30Â âSo, we know asking works â and we know timing matters. But the channel you use to ask can be just as important as when you ask.â âDifferent customers respond to different kinds of outreach. Some will answer a text within minutes; others only check their email once a day. Thatâs why the most effective review strategies use multiple channels to reach people naturally, in the ways they already communicate. Start with email â itâs reliable and familiar. It gives customers a chance to reflect and respond when itâs convenient for them. Add SMS â itâs quick, direct, and perfect for service-based experiences where youâve just wrapped up the interaction. For in-person moments â like a checkout counter, front desk, or field visit â verbal requests backed by a QR code or small printed card make the ask feel personal and immediate. And donât forget print or signage â something simple that customers can scan later if theyâre in a hurry. The key is to reduce friction; one tap or one scan should take them straight to the review page.â âThe goal isnât to overwhelm customers with choices â itâs to make leaving a review effortless, wherever they are and however they prefer to engage. When you show up across channels consistently, you multiply your chances of collecting authentic feedback without sounding pushy.â
- #31Â But hereâs the reality: most people still wonât respond the first time. Not because they donât want to â they just forget.â âThatâs where reminders come in. Reminders arenât pressure; Theyâre a friendly nudge that says, âHey, weâd still love to hear how we did.â Think of them as part of the customer experience. When done right, reminders feel helpful, respectful, and personal.â âStart with timing. A gentle follow-up a few days after the initial ask is often all it takes. If your customers have recurring visits, you can space those reminders further apart â maybe once a month or quarterly â depending on your business type. Mix up your channels. If the first ask went out by email, try a text for the reminder. If you asked in person, follow up digitally. Keep the tone simple: friendly, brief, and authentic. âWeâd love your feedback â it helps us improve and keeps our team motivated.ââ When reminders are part of your process, you capture honest, timely feedback youâd otherwise lose.
- #32Â Now lets round out the journey to building trust with the final step of responding to reviewsâ âOur data shows that how you respond to reviews directly impacts whether someone chooses your business. In fact, 65% of consumers say theyâre more likely to choose a business that responds to reviews, and 81% say that seeing responses is a sign of good service. That means your replies are no longer just courtesy â theyâre conversion drivers. Every response you write is a public proofpoint of how your business treats people.â âWhen someoneâs researching where to spend their money, theyâre not just reading the stars â theyâre reading the tone. They want to see empathy, accountability, and gratitude. A simple âthank youâ for a positive review makes a customer feel valued. A thoughtful response to a negative review shows professionalism and integrity. Both build confidence in the next potential buyer.â âSo, think of your review responses as your frontline of customer experience. Youâre not just replying to the person who wrote the review â youâre speaking to everyone else who will read it later. And in many cases, thatâs hundreds or thousands of people making decisions based on how you handle feedback.â âResponses arenât just reactive â theyâre reputation marketing. Each one reinforces your brandâs voice, your values, and your commitment to service.â
- #33Â âAnd how you respond is just as important as the fact that you do.â âThere are really two kinds of review moments â the thank-you moments and the make-it-right moments. And both deserve intention.â Responding to the Positives âWhen you get a positive review, itâs tempting to just move on â but thatâs a missed opportunity. 73% are looking for a short, sincere âthank youâ. Use it to reinforce whatâs working: Mention the service, product, or team member they appreciated. Use their name if itâs visible â it personalizes the reply. Keep it conversational: warm, grateful, and human. It tells future customers that you notice and appreciate your clients, not just the complaints.â Responding to the Negatives âNow, for the tougher ones â negative reviews. This is where you can truly stand out. A calm, empathetic response can completely change perception. The goal isnât to defend â itâs to acknowledge and act. Quickly. 72% expect a response and 58% expect in within 3 days. Remember a lot of times people will leave a negative review to warn others especially if they don't think they will get a response. Show you are responsive and you will still likely get negative feedback but it may come directly instead of posted online.
- #34Â âAnd when someone takes the time to share a negative experience, theyâre giving you a second chance in public. And consumers have clear expectations for how businesses should handle that. And our responders have given us great insight into what a great response to a negative review includes. Four things: rich detail, an apology, direct contact, and a fix. Letâs walk through those.â 1. Offer to make it right 66% âGeneric replies donât work. âWeâre sorry you had a bad experienceâ might check the box, but it doesnât build trust. Consumers want to see that youâve read their review and understand what went wrong. Reference what they shared â without repeating private details â to show youâre listening and taking it seriously.â 2. A Real Apology A sincere âIâm sorry we missed the markâ or âI understand how that feltâ humanizes your business and diffuses tension immediately. You canât argue with someoneâs experience â but you can validate it.â 3. Direct Contact âInvite the reviewer to connect with you personally to resolve it. âPlease reach out to me directly at [contact info] so we can make this right.â That does two things: it protects privacy and it shows the public that youâre committed to resolution â not just words.â 4. The Fix âFinally, always include the action where possible â what youâre doing to prevent it from happening again. This âwe fixed itâ moment closes the loop and turns a negative review into proof of accountability.â âResponding to negative reviews isnât about defending your business â itâs about demonstrating your values. Thatâs what todayâs consumers expect â and reward.â
- #35Â And how do they reward you? âOur study found that 69% of consumers will give a business a second chance if their issue is handled well, and 48% will actually update their review after seeing the business make it right. Thatâs huge. Because it means every bad review has the potential to become a public turnaround story â one that not only wins back a customer but shows everyone else that you care enough to fix problems.â âWhen you respond with empathy and accountability, youâre doing two powerful things at once: Youâre bringing a customer back â turning a one-time critic into a repeat buyer. Youâre preventing dozens or even hundreds of future customers from being scared away by that same review. Thatâs the double win. Youâre recovering lost revenue and protecting future business â all with one thoughtful reply.â âThis is the moment to remember: reviews arenât just feedback. Theyâre growth drivers. Your replies donât live in customer service silos â they live in search results, on maps, in AI summaries, and social feeds. Theyâre influencing decisions before your ads ever have a chance to. Thatâs why review management isnât optional anymore â itâs one of the most visible, high-impact parts of your brand strategy.â âSo when you think about the time you spend responding to reviews â even the tough ones â realize that youâre not just repairing relationships. Youâre actively driving business growth, protecting reputation equity, and building trust that multiplies over time.â
- #36Â But what happens when we donât respond? When we stay silent?â âLetâs be clear - silence is a response but it just says the wrong thing. It tells potential customers, âWeâre not paying attention,â or worse, âWe donât care.â And consumers notice. Half of them say they wonât choose a business that ignores reviews â especially the negative ones. When you stay quiet, youâre not just losing the reviewer. Youâre losing every future customer who reads that comment and assumes youâd treat them the same way.â âThe cost of silence is lost trust â and lost trust is lost business. Responding is free and silence is expensive.â
- #37Â âGreat responses can win customers back and drive real business growth. But not all responses build trust. To reiterate some, unintentionally, undermine it.â âConsumers today are paying attention not just to if you respond, but how you respond. A reply can either strengthen your credibility or slowly erode it. âOver 70% of consumers say they lose trust if a response sounds like it was written by AI. People can spot automation instantly â stiff phrasing, vague empathy, repeated language. Even if AI helps you draft responses, make sure the final message sounds human, personal, and specific.â
- #38Â âSo, weâve talked about how reviews build trust, how responses influence choice, and even how the wrong approach can erode credibility. Letâs wrap things up with a clear, simple plan â five steps you can take right now to strengthen your reputation strategy.â âThese five steps are how you move from reactive review management to proactive reputation growth. Each one connects directly to what consumers told us they expect â and what actually drives business.â The Five-Step Action Plan Step 1: Own your profiles. âClaim and update every profile that represents your business â Google, Facebook, Bing, Apple Maps, Yelp, and industry directories. Consistency builds credibility, and it ensures that customers â and AI â are seeing the same story everywhere.â Step 2: Earn fresh, detailed reviews. âRecency is key. Encourage customers to share their experiences often and in detail. A steady stream of authentic, specific reviews signals reliability and keeps your business top of mind â both with people and algorithms.â Step 3: Ask and remind. âMake asking for reviews part of your process, not an afterthought. Use email, SMS, in-person requests, and even printed QR codes to make it easy. And if they donât respond right away, a friendly reminder helps close the loop. Itâs not pressure â itâs partnership.â Step 4: Respond like a human â and fast. âYour responses are your reputation in motion. Be prompt, be personal, and be empathetic. Thank people for the positives, own the negatives, and always make it sound like it came from a real person â not a template.â Step 5: Monitor and defend authenticity. âKeep an eye on your profiles to catch fake reviews or spam before they damage trust. Authenticity isnât just a value â itâs a ranking factor and a conversion signal. Protect it like itâs part of your brand assets, because it is.â Bring It Home âWhen you do these five things consistently, your reviews stop being just a rating â they become your most powerful marketing channel. Youâll earn trust faster, rank higher, and close more customers â all by showing up authentically and consistently.â Key takeaway (say clearly) âReputation is no longer a byproduct of good service â it is the service. This is the framework that moves you and your business beyond the stars.â
- #39Â âSo that brings us to the close of our findings today â a look into how consumers are thinking, searching, and trusting differently in 2025.â âThis study was a comprehensive look at how reviews shape the modern customer journey â from discovery, to trust, to the decision to engage. Weâve seen how authenticity, recency, and visibility drive trust, how responses create connection, and how AI is reshaping the landscape of discovery itself. But what weâve shared today is just a snapshot â a high-level overview of an incredibly deep dataset.â âYou can download the full research report using the QR code on screen. âThank you for spending time with us today and for your engagement throughout. Whether youâre already a GatherUp customer or exploring what we do, weâd love to help you apply these findings â to build trust faster, create more consistent visibility, and drive measurable growth through reputation.â âAs we move into 2026, one thing is clear: The businesses that win will be going beyond the stars and managing the story behind them. Consistency, authenticity, and proactive engagement are what separate trusted brands from the rest.â âSo again, use the QR code to access the full Beyond the Stars 2025 Report, and please reach out if youâd like to talk more about how we can help you build, manage, and defend your reputation online. Thank you all â and weâll stay on for a few minutes to answer any final questions.â