About a year ago, Darren Shaw of Whitespark.ca and I had an idea:
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a free and easy way to make a single page of instructions that walks your customers through how to post a review on your Google+Local page?
Darren had created the superb Local Citation Finder. He was the “local SEO tools guy.”
I had already created simple, easy-to-follow Google+Local review “handouts” for my clients and other business owners. I was the “reviews guy.”
Darren had bought my Google review handout for a client and really liked it. I’d used and benefited from the Local Citation Finder since the day it came out.
So…our idea was that the Whitespark crew would build a free tool that instantly creates “how to write a review” handouts based on my tried-and-true design.
That tool is finally here. Darren unveiled it in his SearchFest presentation today, and I’m unveiling it here now.
You can use it whether you’re a business owner or a local SEO. You can use it whether you manage one business location or 100.
Go ahead – try the new review-handout generator at:
https://www.whitespark.ca/review-handout-generator
By the way, in case you’re wondering, there are only three differences between the documents you can make with the new Whitespark tool and the custom-made review handouts I’ve long offered on this site:
(1) I can easily add custom features to your handout (e.g. QR code, extra graphics, annotations, etc.).
(2) It’s easy for me to embed links in the PDF for you, so that if you email the doc to your customers, they can just click the steps to complete them.
(3) I offer review handouts for other sites.
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How do you like the Google+Local review-handout generator? Any questions or suggestions?
How about a great big “Thanks, Darren!”
Great idea and an awesome job by you both. Works great, too. Thanks, Phil and Darren.
Ahoy, David,
Thanks for the feedback. Do let us know how it works for your clients (/their customers).
I’m sure you also saw Darren’s new Rank Tracker, but that’s worth using as well. (It’s awesome.)
I’ll start with a great big “Thanks Phil& Darren”! This is an awesome new free tool.
I’ve just tested it and it works so quick!! Thanks for taking the time to develop this.
There are now some new designs and they look fantastic, even though I’m a big fan of the original. I suppose the new designs give a different tone to the original so it’s nice to have that option. I’d say that we are now “spoilt for choice” on what designs to use!
Hey Nick, thanks for stopping by and for the great feedback! I really like the 3 new designs Darren & crew have added. Definitely worth testing them all out and seeing which one(s) seems to have the best batting average with customers.
Looks great and works like a charm! I did notice the word ‘Google” was misspelled “Goolge” on the sample I generated. I publish newsletters and know all about typos!
Thanks, Eddie! Thought we got all them pesky typos, but I guess not 🙂
Formatting gets lost. Uploading the logo comes out too small on the pdf. Decided not to use it.
Thanks for the feedback, Scott. Obviously there is only so much space for a given logo, and it probably can’t be a large file in terms of memory, so I’m curious: what were the dimensions and size of the logo you tried to upload? That may help us work out any kinks.
I love the tool, but had a problem with the logo’s too. Logo sizes were small:
126 x126 jpg, 120 x 145 jpg and 180 x 171 jpg. I’ll try again and let you know – I think it’s a great tool if I can get the logos to work.
I use your review handout Phil for special clients that I know will use it. I actually created a screencast video following your steps and embellished it a bit. The video is a little over 3 minutes – just like you say in your review handout! The link to it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TrZhtef9j9k#! – We plan to send the link to our clients to see if they want us to customize one for their business. They can send the link in an email. Actually in GMail, we can link to the video without the link showing – you can do this in a lot of email programs so it looks neater.
Personally, I like hardcopy handouts better, but video is growing fast and good to have on your website.
Look forward to using this new tool!
Take care!
Hi Sue,
Thanks for the great feedback on the logos. We’ve also noticed some bugginess in that regard, and hope to get the logos uploads working at 100% soon.
Excellent video! It’s like the custom walkthrough videos I used to offer on this site – except better 🙂
It’s great to have this for my client. Makes it a great “free” tip or giveaway to a new prospect as well as to existing clients. Thanks to both of you. I haven’t tried the Rank Checker over at Whitespark but I will now!
Hey Michael, thanks for the feedback. You’ll love Whitespark’s Rank Tracker!
Hi,
I was wondering, did you remove the review generator? When I go to create one, it won’t let me.
Any help I can get would be great.
Thank you!
It’s working for me, Kaitlyn. (Created the desktop version.) I assume you’re signed into your Whitespark account?