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.

Google Review Summaries: What’s New & Different

January 19, 2021 by Mike Blumenthal

Google Review Summaries have long annoyed and to some extent baffled business owners.1 But things appea[…]
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in: Local Search,

note:1 comments
Google Review Issue – New Reviews Not Posting

November 12, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

Update 11/15/2020 11 AM: I spoke too soon proclaiming that Google was back to normal (whatever Google norma[…]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

note:1 comments
What We Learned From A “Google Only” Marketing Approach

October 21, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

(This post is a 15-minute read, and/or take in the 60-minute video of Mike Blumenthal's presentation.) C[…]
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in: Case Study, Events & Presentations,

note:28 comments
How To Get A (whacko) Google Review Removed

September 29, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

Updated 1/22/21 Have you received any reviews like this? "I was denied service because I wouldn't wea[…]
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in: Covid, Reputation Management,

note:13 comments
What Impact Will Apple Reviews Have?

August 31, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

Last week, 9to5Mac discovered that the beta of iOS 14 offered the ability for consumers to leave review[…]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

note:5 comments
How One Business Made a Mess of Masking

August 18, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

Two companies, Menards and Costco, were first out of the blocks in requiring that all customers and employe[…]
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in: Covid, Reputation Management,

note:7 comments
The (Almost) Complete List of Google Review Attribute Categories

August 10, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

We've worked to compile a list of Google My Business (GMB) categories that have review attributes. Our titl[…]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

note:0 comments
Do Consumers Support Businesses Requiring Masks?

August 04, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

The pandemic has turned business upside down and we have observed how this has impacted reviews. Most busi[…]
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in: Covid, Customer Experience,

note:0 comments
Google’s Management of Reviews and Q&A During COVID-19 – Updated

July 14, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

This post is being updated as we follow Google's management of reviews and Q&A during COVID-19. The mos[…]
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in: Covid, Reputation Management,

note:12 comments
Reviews Don’t Mask The Truth: A Look At COVID-19 And Reviews

July 13, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

Last week a business, Teter’s Faucet Parts Center in Dallas, reported on the Google My Business forum tha[…]
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in: Covid, Reputation Management,

note:0 comments
Have Review Attributes Fixed A Google Review Problem?

June 30, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

Google is killing it on the review quantity front, but far too many of those reviews have zero content. Rat[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

note:4 comments
Will Google’s New Privacy Policies Affect Reviews?

June 26, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

Google recently announced that they would now delete private web and location history data from their serve[…]
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in: Company News,

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Reviews & Your Business: Developing Your Review Strategy

June 11, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

Right now is a good time to pause and think about your review strategy and where you are asking for reviews[…]
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in: Customer Experience, Pro Tips, Reputation Management,

note:0 comments
Survey: How Willing Are Consumers Willing To Write Reviews?

June 01, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

The latest update to our ongoing survey shows consumers are less likely to write a review than they used to[…]
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in: Pro Tips, Reputation Management,

note:0 comments
Google Review Attributes Expand To New Categories

May 20, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

Update 6/17/20: GatherUp Launches Google Review Attributes Monitoring Recently we started seeing Google […]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

note:2 comments
What Exactly Is A Review Rating?

May 04, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

As consumers and business owners we want review ratings to reflect some objective reality. We decided t[…]
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in: Reputation Management,

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Google Q & A is Starting to Return

April 24, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal

Update 5/6 Google Q & A has disappeared again. Status unknown at this time. Update 4/30 We tr[…]
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in: Local Search, Reputation Management,

note:0 comments
Listening To Customers

April 02, 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: Covid, Customer Experience, Reputation Management,

note:0 comments
The Law and Your Reviews – How Not To Run Your Review Campaigns

March 02, 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,

note:5 comments
B2B Services Need Reputation Management Too

November 21, 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,

note:2 comments
Google Q&A Drops 55%. What is Going on?

November 07, 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

November 06, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal

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

note:0 comments
Does Review Gating Impact Star-Ratings?

October 17, 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,

note:8 comments
What is Yelp’s Actual Impact in the Real World?

September 27, 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,

note:0 comments
When is a Review More Than a Review?

September 12, 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

September 05, 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,

note:2 comments
Tell Your Brand Story Across Search With Google My Business

August 28, 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,

note:0 comments
Google Launching Place Topics Adding More Value to Reviews

July 11, 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,

note:0 comments
Google Expands Business Profile Answers For Mobile Results

June 17, 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

June 10, 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

June 03, 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,

note:3 comments
The FTC Takes Action On Companies Barring Consumers From Writing Negative Reviews

May 16, 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,

note:0 comments
Google Upgrades Q & A to Auto-Suggest Answers To Your Questions

April 26, 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,

note:0 comments
How Google Uses Reviews To Understand A Business

February 26, 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

February 19, 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

December 03, 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

October 01, 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”?

September 21, 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

June 13, 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,

note:0 comments
When Asking for Reviews Is Just Too Much And Not Enough

May 31, 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

May 11, 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

April 02, 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

February 20, 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,

note:0 comments
5-Step Plan For Success With Google Q & A

January 23, 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)

January 22, 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,

note:15 comments
Google Q & A – Get To Know Google’s Latest Local Feature

January 18, 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

December 19, 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,

note:0 comments
A Google Combo That Works For Your Reputation

October 30, 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

October 02, 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

September 05, 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

August 21, 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

July 29, 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:7 comments
How Willing Are Consumers to Leave Reviews Internationally?

July 03, 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?

June 21, 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?

June 19, 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

May 30, 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

May 25, 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

April 25, 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

April 24, 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

March 31, 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,

note:0 comments
Basketball Referee Calls Lead To Death Threats & Fake Reviews

March 29, 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

March 27, 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

February 06, 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

February 03, 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?

January 30, 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

December 08, 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
3 Ways to Find the Google Review Link URL for Your Business

October 10, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal

Updated: May 28, 2020 Finding the Google Review link URL for your business is one of the most important thin[…]
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in: Pro Tips,

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

September 21, 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

September 09, 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

September 08, 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:11 comments
Updated Google Schema Review Guidelines for Local Businesses

August 26, 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

July 20, 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

July 14, 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

July 06, 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

June 29, 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

June 27, 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?

June 20, 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?

June 15, 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

June 13, 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

June 06, 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

June 01, 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

April 02, 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

February 29, 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,

note:0 comments
Customer Spotlight: An Insurance Agent Shares How He Uses GetFiveStars to Improve His Business

January 07, 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

December 03, 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?

October 27, 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?

September 14, 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

August 18, 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,

note:0 comments