In this episode of Craft on Tap, Stephen and Faustin make the case for why Google Reviews deserve a permanent spot in your marketing strategy. They chat about how reviews influence everything from search rankings to AI-powered recommendations, share compliance-friendly approaches that work, and explain how to turn your satisfied clients into your most powerful marketing asset.
👇 Watch the full discussion below:
Co-Founder Stephen Beach & Strategist Faustin Weber discuss Google Reviews
Craft on Tap Ep 24 Podcast Takeaways & Summary
Key Takeaways:
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Google Reviews Are Digital First Impressions: When prospects receive a referral, they immediately Google your firm. A 2-star rating creates doubt even when someone they trust recommended you.
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Reviews Directly Impact Search Rankings: Google uses your star rating as a reputation score in its algorithm, affecting how your website and blog content rank in search results.
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AI Tools Pull from Google Reviews: ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity reference star ratings when prospects ask for advisor recommendations, even though the AI tools claim they don't use Google Reviews.
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Compliance Allows Mass Review Requests: The marketing rule permits firms to systematically request reviews from all clients as part of regular processes like annual ADV mailings or quarterly meetings.
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Multiple Locations Require Strategic Setup: Firms with offices in different cities need unique URLs for each location and separate Google Business profiles to rank in local searches effectively.
Podcast Summary: People Care About Google Reviews (And So Should You)
Google remains the dominant search engine. Despite shifting behaviors toward AI tools, people still use Google primarily to look up specific brands. When someone hears about your firm through a referral, sees your LinkedIn posts, or discovers your YouTube channel, their next step is almost always typing your firm name into Google.
That search result prominently displays your Google Review rating. For many prospects, this becomes their first impression before they visit your website or watch your videos. Stephen shares a personal example that illustrates this point. A client referred him to another RIA firm. The first thing Stephen did was Google the firm name. One star out of five appeared with three scathing reviews. His immediate reaction: "I don't want to work with these people." It turned out the reviews belonged to a completely different company with the same name. The reviews weren't even for the right firm, but the damage was already done.
How Reviews Impact Search Rankings and AI Recommendations
Google Reviews also impact your search visibility. Google uses your star rating as part of its algorithm for ranking your website pages and blog content. Local searches particularly benefit from strong reviews. Google shows a map snippet with the highest-rated reviews before displaying traditional blue links.
The AI factor adds another layer of complexity. ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity reference star ratings when people ask for advisor recommendations. ChatGPT claims it doesn't use Google Reviews, but testing reveals it consistently pulls ratings like 4.9 stars and 4.8 stars from somewhere. When you type "best financial advisory firm in Columbus, Ohio" into ChatGPT, it returns three to five firms with star ratings and map locations.
One frustrating example: a client with phenomenal Google Reviews (five stars across the board) has a three-star Yelp review that ChatGPT factors into its overall rating. Anywhere you're rated on the internet matters for AI search results and traditional Google Search.
Compliance-Friendly Marketing And Reviews
The new marketing rule created specific disclosure requirements around testimonials, but reviews occupy an interesting space. You can't control what people write in reviews, which makes mass requests generally acceptable to compliance teams without extensive disclosures.
Simple, systematic approaches work best:
One of our clients couples their annual ADV mailing with a review request and gets 10 to 15 five-star reviews every January. Note: To stay within compliance restrictions, they don't ask for a five-star review specifically; they simply ask for a review.
Another successful method builds review requests into client meetings. After annual or quarterly meetings, firms make it part of their standard agenda. For in-person meetings, a QR code on the desk links directly to the review page. For virtual meetings, the follow-up email includes the link. This systematic approach satisfies compliance because you're applying the same process across all clients, not selectively soliciting individuals. Making it part of every agenda also reduces the awkwardness of asking.
More targeted campaigns require careful coordination:
Some firms send a survey to the entire client base first to establish a baseline (compliance needs this), then go back to individuals based on responses to ask for reviews. This requires responding to Google Reviews with a disclosure because the firm was specific about who was asked. It creates more work but can be worth it for the results.
You can utilize client interviews from messaging workshops. Firms ask those clients to leave reviews, sometimes providing a quote from the interview as a starting point. However, this gets trickier on the compliance end and requires discussion with your compliance team about the entire process.
Handling Negative Reviews
What do you do when you get a negative Google Business Review? To make a point, Stephen often shares this story from a manufacturing client. Their disgruntled employee's girlfriend left a one-star review in all caps with nasty commentary. The client asked how to delete it. Stephen's response: "You can't. People can write whatever they want on the internet."
The best approach is to respond professionally, share your side, and shed light on the actual situation. Most RIA clients don't run into these issues, but if you have something from years ago or from a former advisor, you might need to address it. The most effective solution is generating as many five-star reviews as possible. A single one-star review among 50 five-star reviews barely registers. That same one-star rating as your only review destroys credibility.
The Best Marketing Strategy Maximizes the Review Value
Once you've obtained reviews, repurpose them. Google Review widgets can be embedded on websites with proper disclosures about how reviews were obtained. These create powerful social proof. You can also pull Google Reviews as testimonials with permission from reviewers.
Think of your Google Business profile as a mini website you can optimize. Upload a good logo and team photos. List services you offer (retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning) with graphics. Making your profile robust helps with rankings and creates a more appealing place for clients to leave reviews.
Often, the default image is the Google Maps view of your building address, usually a generic brown brick building. Change the photos. Add service descriptions. Treat it as a marketing asset you can actively work.
Multiple Advisory Firm Office Locations Require Special Handling
Firms with multiple offices need unique URLs for each location and separate Google Business profiles. Creating multiple profiles with the same address and phone number doesn't work well with Google and is hard to verify.
Best practice: create specific URLs like firmname.com/nashville or firmname.com/miami with location-specific content, team photos from that office, and separate contact forms. Look at how Creative Planning handles multiple locations for a good example of this in action.
Final Thoughts: Search Rankings & Accomplishments
Google owns both Google Search and Google Reviews. The more time and effort you put into your Google Review profile, the more Google rewards you in search rankings. Reviews provide validation and credibility that reinforces referrals. The effort is worth it, making this a marketing tactic worth prioritizing.
One final thought: celebrate every review you get. Getting somebody to log into Google, write a review, and put themselves out there publicly is significant. Every review lives on your profile forever as an evergreen asset. As you build up 10, 15, 30, or 50 reviews, that's worth celebrating.
Shameless plug for Craft on Tap
Google Reviews might seem like a small tactic, but they influence first impressions, search rankings, AI recommendations, and client confidence. The firms that systematically build review profiles gain a marketing advantage that compounds over time.
This conversation is only a starting point. For ongoing insights and practical strategies for RIA growth, listen to the new Craft on Tap marketing podcast. Available now, wherever you find your podcasts.
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