Tripadvisor is one of the most important review platforms for restaurant owners to focus on— up to 96% of diners choose a restaurant to visit based on Tripadvisor reviews. According to that same survey, the majority of respondents also stated that Tripadvisor reviews influenced them to try a restaurant they've never been to.

We'll explain how Tripadvisor reviews work and how to get good reviews on Tripadvisor using five simple strategies.

5 strategies to help you get Tripadvisor reviews

Before we dive into these strategies, let's answer a question that we frequently see—how do Tripadvisor reviews work?

Tripadvisor looks at three criteria when ranking restaurants:

• Quality : The platform looks for reviews that contain detailed information, first-hand opinions, and insights to help future customers.

• Quantity : This one is simple—the more positive reviews your restaurant gets, the higher it will rank on Tripadvisor.

• Recency : 85% of customers don't pay attention to reviews older than three months, and Tripadvisor takes the recency of your reviews into account accordingly.

Now that that's out of the way, here are five strategies you can use to get good reviews on Tripadvisor:

1. How to get Tripadvisor reviews using email and SMS

Email and SMS outreach are great options for engaging with your guests and encouraging them to leave Tripadvisor reviews. If you don't already have a database with your customers' email addresses or mobile numbers, you can collect this information by dropping off short surveys with their checks or implementing loyalty programs that offer guests a free drink, appetizer, etc., in exchange for signing up.

The key is keeping your messages short while making the process of leaving a review quick and easy. Let your guests know it only takes a minute to leave a Tripadvisor review, drop them a direct link to your business page, and thank them in advance for their feedback.

2. How to get good reviews on Tripadvisor using stickers

Using Tripadvisor stickers is a great way to encourage your guests to leave reviews on your restaurant's business page. The stickers are simple, non-disruptive, and to the point with phrases like "Review us on Tripadvisor" and "We're on Tripadvisor."

You want to place them in high-traffic areas, and for even better results, you can print out QR codes that lead directly to your company page and add them to the stickers to make it even easier for you to get Tripadvisor reviews.

Any restaurant can order Tripadvisor stickers for free—get yours here.

3. How to encourage Tripadvisor reviews with widgets

Restaurant owners can also get free widgets from Tripadvisor to use on their website. These widgets bring two features to your site—they showcase your recent customer feedback and encourage visitors to leave their own reviews.

Tripadvisor widgets are valuable because when potential guests land on your website to view your menu, hours, etc., they'll also see what others are saying about your restaurant and will already know where and how to leave you a review after their experience.

Like the stickers, any restaurant can take advantage of Tripadvisor's widgets for free, and there's really no reason not to.

4. How to use Review Express to get Tripadvisor reviews

Review Express is a Tripadvisor tool that lets you send requests to your guests to leave a review. You do need to know your customers' email addresses to use this feature, but as we described in the first strategy for how to get Tripadvisor reviews, it shouldn't be too difficult to obtain that information.

This Tripadvisor tool lets you create and send professional messages that encourage your guests to leave feedback about your restaurant. You can also add custom branding to the emails to make them stand out even more.

Review Express is free for restaurant owners to use, and it can help businesses get 28% more Tripadvisor reviews.

5. How to get more Tripadvisor reviews through your review responses

Regardless of whether a customer leaves you a positive or negative review on Tripadvisor, you need to respond. One of the best ways to bring new guests to your restaurant and encourage them to leave a good review is by responding to reviews the right way.

Interacting with your customers through their reviews won't directly affect your Tripadvisor rating, but it will help build a connection with current and future customers. When a business shows appreciation for good reviews and a genuine desire to resolve any issues brought up in bad reviews, customers are more likely to give them a shot and leave their own feedback afterward.

How to get good reviews on Tripadvisor with Localyser

With the right strategies and tools, it doesn't have to be a challenge to get Tripadvisor reviews. You can start with one or more of these five strategies to get more good reviews to boost your restaurant's online reputation and sales.

And with Localyser, it gets even easier to generate more positive reviews for your brand on Tripadvisor and the other top review sites. Localyser gives you a single interface to view and respond to your reviews across over 50 review sites, including Tripadvisor. With Localsyer, you can track your reviews, message your customers, generate feedback, and view your insights all in one place.

Learn more about how Localyser is helping restaurant owners worldwide manage their online reputations, increase their good business reviews, and more. Book your free demo and see how we can help you get more reviews and boost your sales.

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