Today Google Places for Business rolled out a new Reviews feature in the new Google Places for Business dashboard. Now you can view what customers are saying about your business on Google and across the web in one place, your Places Dashboard.

This brings more engagement with Google’s services because the new dashboard also has Adwords easily accessible in the interface.

What’s most important to me was the change in wording from Google regarding allowing business owners to encourage their customers to write reviews. It was previously thought that if left alone customers would naturally write reviews. Well guess what, consumers only write reviews when they are unhappy. Very few customers engaged in positive review writing. And if businesses asked customers to write reviews if they’d like to, those businesses were in violation of Google’s policies.

Today, Google representative Jade Wang announced, “And if you feel your business deserves more good reviews, or if you are missing feedback on your work, all you need to do now is to encourage your customers to post reviews on your Google+ page.”

As long as the business doesn’t interfere with the review process, I’ve always felt business owners should be allowed to encourage reviews, and today Google granted that wish.

Google Places on G+

Read more about the changes on Google Places and the new Reviews interface on my G+ profile:

Wow, what a big day for all things Google!

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