Author: Mike Blumenthal

Mike Blumenthal is a co-founder of GatherUp and helps oversee our research, industry insight and agency offering. Mike has long been regarded as the foremost expert on local search and Google Maps, earning the nickname “Professor Maps”. Mike also co-founded Local University, which provides small business and agency training in sustainable local search marketing. His motto: All Local All the Time. He writes at his blog and does a twice a week LocalU podcast about Local marketing.

Listening To Customers

04 April 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

Now, more than ever, listening to your customers is one of the most important things you can do as a busine[…]
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in: Customer Experience, Reputation Management,

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Google Announces No New Reviews or Q&A During COVID-19 Emergency

03 March 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

On the Google My Business Covid alert page, Google has just stated that: "New reviews, review replies, and […]
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in: Company News,

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The Law and Your Reviews – How Not To Run Your Review Campaigns

03 March 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

Poorly run online review programs have been a topic we have covered from multiple angles over the years. Am[…]
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in: Company News,

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B2B Services Need Reputation Management Too

11 November 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

Recently I spoke with Apoorv Dwivedi, the head of an agency that specializes in servicing accountants and f[…]
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in: Company News,

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Google Q&A Drops 55%. What is Going on?

11 November 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

Update 11/23/19: It might be too early to "declare victory" but several Google Product Experts have noted […]
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in: Local Search,

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The FTC Takes on Fake Reviews, Kinda

11 November 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

FTC Mission Statement: Protecting consumers and competition by preventing anticompetitive, deceptive, and u[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

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Does Review Gating Impact Star-Ratings?

10 October 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

In April 2018, we performed a grand experiment. Google had publicly declared that "gating" was formally ban[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

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What is Yelp’s Actual Impact in the Real World?

09 September 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

Yelp seems to focus into view at every turn in the review space. Yet, in looking at website analyti[…]
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in: Company News,

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When is a Review More Than a Review?

09 September 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

As you work to earn new reviews, don't overlook the value of aggregate review content This headline[…]
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in: Company News,

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The Best Review Incentive is… No Incentive

09 September 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

A good friend showed me an eco-hotel that was offering a very creative review incentive and asked if I thou[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

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Tell Your Brand Story Across Search With Google My Business

08 August 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

The other day I was asked to contribute to a blog post by answering the following question: What is the mos[…]
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in: Company News,

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Google Launching Place Topics Adding More Value to Reviews

07 July 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

Last month Google rolled out Google Q&A Auto-Suggest Answer, using reviews to help consumers answer the[…]
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in: Company News,

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Google Expands Business Profile Answers For Mobile Results

06 June 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

It appears that Google has expanded and enhanced the display of "Business Profile Answers" on mobile search[…]
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in: Company News,

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TextBack Case Study: Driving Big Reviews For A Small Restaurant

06 June 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

The TextBack call to action sits on every table top and at the front counter. I am a sucker for a go[…]
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in: Case Study,

note:2 comments
Google Fully Rolls Out Q & A Auto-Suggest Answers

06 June 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

In April, Google rolled out a cool Business Profile (aka Knowledge Panel) feature that auto-suggested answe[…]
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in: Local Search,

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The FTC Takes Action On Companies Barring Consumers From Writing Negative Reviews

05 May 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

Including language in your contracts or agreements that bar your customer from writing a negative online re[…]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

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Google Upgrades Q & A to Auto-Suggest Answers To Your Questions

04 April 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

Google appears to be rolling out an upgrade to Google Questions & Answers (Q & A) that uses previou[…]
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in: Local Search,

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How Google Uses Reviews To Understand A Business

02 February 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

It's been known for some time that Google looks at reviews for long tail information and that reviews with […]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

note:14 comments
The Economics of Customer Complaint Resolutions

02 February 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

What is the optimal path to recover from a complaint? When things go wrong and your business ends up with[…]
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in: Company News, GatherUp Tips & Tricks, Reputation Management,

note:1 comments
When You Don’t Need to Ask for Reviews – You Are Just That Good

12 December 2018 by Mike Blumenthal

I recently returned from a vacation to Vietnam and Cambodia. It was amazing as we motorbiked around Ho Chi M[…]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

note:2 comments
Why I Love 1st-Party Reviews & Just Might Marry Them

10 October 2018 by Mike Blumenthal

When my children were in elementary school and I would say that I loved something like asparagus, they would[…]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

note:2 comments
The Whacky World of Reviews: A 5 Star Spam Review “Attack”?

09 September 2018 by Mike Blumenthal

Online reviews and the world that swirls around them can often descend into the surreal. Two weeks ago th[…]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

note:4 comments
Reviews & Lawsuits – You Can Win for Losing and You Can Lose for Winning

06 June 2018 by Mike Blumenthal

Several weeks ago two businesses were in the news having started lawsuits in regards to reviews. In one ca[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

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When Asking for Reviews Is Just Too Much And Not Enough

05 May 2018 by Mike Blumenthal

It's a brave new world of online reviews. As a business owner you get that. You won't just wait for reviews […]
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in: Pro Tips, Reputation Management,

note:1 comments
Google to Notify Reviewers of Owner Responses

05 May 2018 by Mike Blumenthal

Google announced on the Google My Business Forum today that when owners respond to reviews, the reviewers wi[…]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates,

note:18 comments
Google Write a Review Link Generator – Free Chrome Extension

04 April 2018 by Mike Blumenthal

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that slow us down. As an agency or digital marketer, one of those[…]
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in: Local Search, Pro Tips,

note:5 comments
Webinar: The Ins & Out of Reviews & Reputation in 2018

02 February 2018 by Mike Blumenthal

With the start of the new year, our team members Aaron Weiche and Mile Blumenthal took part in a webinar l[…]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

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5-Step Plan For Success With Google Q & A

01 January 2018 by Mike Blumenthal

This is the 3rd article in a 3-part series on Google Q&A. We started with an introduction to Q&A, […]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates, Local Search,

note:1 comments
The Big Guide To Google Questions And Answers (Q & A)

01 January 2018 by Mike Blumenthal

Update: Download our new eBook - GOOGLE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS - What you don't know can hurt you Our firs[…]
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in: Local Search,

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Google Q & A – Get To Know Google’s Latest Local Feature

01 January 2018 by Mike Blumenthal

This is the first post in a three part series on Google Q & A. Part 2 is a Big Guide To Google Q&A a[…]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates,

note:2 comments
Indiana Attorney General Sues Hotel for Deceptive Review Practices

12 December 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

In what goes down as one of the dumbest review policies and practices ever, a hotel in Indiana solicited rev[…]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates,

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A Google Combo That Works For Your Reputation

10 October 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

Google Posts is a very cool product that allows a business to tell their story directly in Google's search r[…]
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in: GatherUp Tips & Tricks, Local Search,

note:1 comments
New Testimonial Widget, Rich Snippets + Speed = Real World Benefits

10 October 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

We're excited to announce that we updated our Testimonial Widget and Badges to a new javascript based format[…]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates,

note:1 comments
Something Amazing Happened On The Way To A Google Review

09 September 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

For Barbara Oliver, of Barbara Oliver Jewelry, something amazing happened on the way to a Google review. She[…]
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in: GatherUp Tips & Tricks, Local Search,

note:5 comments
Google As the New Home Page – One Big Tactical Guide

08 August 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

Increasingly, consumers are getting in touch with your business directly from the Google search results […]
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in: Local Search, Pro Tips,

note:18 comments
Cool Google SMB Review Marketing Tool

07 July 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

First noticed by Chris Barnard, the owner of 1LocalBusiness.com, Google is offering up this very slick way f[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

note:6 comments
How Willing Are Consumers to Leave Reviews Internationally?

07 July 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

Our previous survey results showed clearly that US Consumers have been increasingly embracing the idea of wr[…]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

note:3 comments
Why Won’t Happy Customers Write A Review?

06 June 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

Irene Abdou, a photographer, asked this question on a recent post about how willing folks are to leave a rev[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

note:2 comments
How Willing Are Consumers to Leave Reviews?

06 June 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

We all know that most consumers read reviews. But how many are willing to actually leave reviews? In the U.S[…]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

note:4 comments
New Feature: Tag Testimonial Widgets

05 May 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

Using GetFiveStars to collect customer feedback and testimonials provides a great way to understand customer[…]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates, Local Search,

note:3 comments
Google Upgrades Hotel Reviews With Granular Detail & Graphics

05 May 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

Google has recently update hotel reviews to include much more granular review detail by traveler type abou[…]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

note:0 comments
Case Study: In Local Attribution Word of Mouth Dominates

04 April 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in local digital marketing are an indicator of your marketing success. But[…]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates, Local Search, Pro Tips,

note:3 comments
Case Study: Key Performance Indicators in Local Digital Marketing

04 April 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

Finding, tracking and collating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)* that demonstrate the performance of your […]
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in: Local Search,

note:4 comments
Understanding Google Schema Guidelines: Review Snippets vs. Critic Reviews

03 March 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

We recently received this question via support: Google guidelines state the following: "Only include crit[…]
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in: GatherUp Tips & Tricks, Reputation Management,

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Basketball Referee Calls Lead To Death Threats & Fake Reviews

03 March 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

This story falls right into my sweet spot; the intersection of sports and reviews.1 [caption width="784" id[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

note:1 comments
Car Dealers Fined $3.6 Million For Fake Reviews & Deceptive Practices

03 March 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

Cars play a huge role in the local economy and a large part of every family’s budget. Because of that and[…]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates, Reputation Management,

note:9 comments
Google Drops Review Star Threshold to 1 or 2 Reviews AND Stops Using Bayesian Average

02 February 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

Last week we reported the fact that Google had lowered the threshold for showing review stars in the search […]
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in: Reputation Management,

note:28 comments
Google Lowers Local Pack Review Star Threshold to 3

02 February 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

Update: Google Drops Review Star Threshold to 1 or 2 Reviews AND Stops Using Bayesian Average A post at the[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

note:13 comments
Can 5-Star Reviews Backfire?

01 January 2017 by Mike Blumenthal

In the new world of online reviews where users describe your products and services many customers will make […]
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in: Reputation Management,

note:2 comments
Reviews, Incentives and the Law

12 December 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

In an effort to gain visibility in Google search, some businesses have made a mad rush to solicit and acqui[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

note:2 comments
5 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Google “Reviews From The Web”

09 September 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

Google's research has indicated that having reviews on your Google listing resulted in a 140% increase in dr[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

note:2 comments
Google Updates Schema Review Guidelines – Again

09 September 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

With the rollout of the Reviews from Around the web feature showing aggregate review summaries on non-Google[…]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates, Reputation Management,

note:14 comments
Why A Business Needs Reviews Everywhere – Including Your Website

09 September 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

Often I hear from business owners and marketers that they just want Google reviews or just Yelp reviews or […]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates, Reputation Management,

note:10 comments
Updated Google Schema Review Guidelines for Local Businesses

08 August 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

Google with release of their critic review snippet extension has also significantly updated their rules for […]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates,

note:49 comments
The Real Reason That Review Incentives Are Bad

07 July 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

I've written in the past about review incentives and the risks they involve. While a big part of this can be[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

note:5 comments
Yelp Implements Active Cleanup Alerts When a Business Review Hits the News – Tituss Burgess Vs Frank’s Express

07 July 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

Tituss Burgess from the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, tangled with one of the infamous NYC Moving crooks compan[…]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates,

note:1 comments
Net Promoter Score – Your Word of Mouth Index

07 July 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

Most businesses track their online reviews religiously yet they have no metric to assess an even more impo[…]
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in: Customer Experience, Net Promoter Score (NPS),

note:0 comments
13 Ideas to Make Your Business More Complaint Friendly

06 June 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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in: Customer Complaint Series, GatherUp Features & Updates,

note:2 comments
8 Steps for Dealing with Customer Complaints

06 June 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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in: Customer Complaint Series, Customer Experience, Reputation Management,

note:3 comments
SURVEY: How Quickly Should A Business Respond to a Complaint?

06 June 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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in: Customer Complaint Series, Customer Experience,

note:4 comments
SURVEY: Are We As Good As We Think We Are?

06 June 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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in: Customer Complaint Series, Customer Experience, Reputation Management,

note:1 comments
SURVEY: What Happens When Things Go South? You Lose More Customers Than You Ever Know

06 June 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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in: Customer Complaint Series, Customer Experience, Reputation Management,

note:3 comments
Survey: 8 Things That Really Cause Consumers to Complain

06 June 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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in: Customer Complaint Series, Customer Experience, Reputation Management,

note:8 comments
5 Good Things About Customer Complaints

06 June 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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in: Customer Complaint Series, Customer Experience, Reputation Management,

note:14 comments
Google Reviews Just Got Easier – G+ No Longer Required

04 April 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

It would appear that Google is now allowing users with just a Google account to leave a review. The account […]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates,

note:27 comments
Integrating GetFiveStars Into Your Email Marketing or CRM Platform

02 February 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

At GetFiveStars we pride ourselves on making the whole flow of reputation development, customer feedback, […]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates,

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Customer Spotlight: An Insurance Agent Shares How He Uses GetFiveStars to Improve His Business

01 January 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

Allan Kaplan runs Kaplan Insurance in Wappingers Falls, NY. His agency is a full service, independent agency[…]
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in: Customer Spotlight,

note:1 comments
Google Reviews – One URL To Rule Them All

12 December 2015 by Mike Blumenthal

It’s never easy running a business. This is particularly true if you are running your own online review ma[…]
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in: GatherUp Features & Updates,

note:11 comments
Review Incentives? Are the Benefits Worth the Cost?

10 October 2015 by Mike Blumenthal

Reviews and testimonials are powerful social proof of your business’s capabilities but they are often hard[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

note:0 comments
SURVEY: Why Do Consumers Leave Reviews?

09 September 2015 by Mike Blumenthal

I have long wondered why consumers leave reviews. Using Google survey we asked 600 consumers that report bei[…]
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in: GatherUp Tips & Tricks,

note:0 comments
6 Good Things About Negative Reviews

08 August 2015 by Mike Blumenthal

Running a business is hard. The long hours, the unrelenting demands, the physical and emotional investment s[…]
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in: GatherUp Tips & Tricks,

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