Plain English definitions for Australian business owners. No marketing jargon.
A feature that uses artificial intelligence to suggest a professional response to a Google review. Saves time and helps businesses respond consistently and quickly. Available in Testimo on every plan.
Related: Reputation management
The overall Google rating for your business, calculated as the average of all your review scores. Displayed as a number between 1.0 and 5.0. A rating above 4.5 is considered strong for most Australian local businesses.
Related: Star rating, Rich snippets
The percentage of people who see your business in Google search results and click through to your profile or website. A higher star rating and more reviews directly increases your CTR.
Related: Average star rating, Rich snippets
A public written assessment of a business left by a customer on a platform like Google, Facebook, or TripAdvisor. Google reviews are the most valuable for Australian local businesses due to their impact on local search rankings.
Related: Google Business Profile, Review request
A free business listing on Google that controls how your business appears in Google Search and Maps. Your Google reviews live here. Formerly known as Google My Business (GMB).
Related: Google My Business (GMB)
The former name for Google Business Profile, rebranded by Google in 2021. If you see GMB referenced anywhere, it means the same thing as Google Business Profile.
Related: Google Business Profile
The practice of filtering customers before sending a review request, asking only happy customers to leave a public review while directing unhappy ones elsewhere. This is against Google's review policies. Testimo is not review gating: every customer receives a Google review link, with optional private feedback in parallel.
Related: Private feedback, Negative feedback capture
A message (SMS, email, or in-person ask) sent to a customer inviting them to leave a review. The most effective review requests are sent promptly after a positive experience and include a direct link to the review platform.
Related: SMS review request, Review velocity
The rate at which a business receives new reviews over time. Google's algorithm values recent reviews: a business receiving 10 reviews per month ranks higher than one with 200 reviews received 3 years ago and nothing since. Consistency matters.
Related: Review request
Star ratings and review counts that appear directly in Google search results beneath your website link. Adding structured data (schema markup) to your website enables rich snippets and can significantly increase click-through rates.
Related: Schema markup, Average star rating
An optional channel where customers can send feedback directly to the business alongside their public review option. Available in Testimo on all plans.
Related: Private feedback, Review gating
Feedback submitted through a review request that goes to the business owner rather than being published publicly. Customers can send private feedback directly to the business alongside their Google review link, so owners can follow up fast.
Related: Negative feedback capture, Review gating
The practice of monitoring, influencing, and improving how a business is perceived online. Includes collecting reviews, responding to feedback, tracking mentions, and addressing negative content. Testimo focuses on Google review reputation management for Australian small businesses.
Related: Review request, AI reply suggestions
A piece of code embedded on a website that displays your Google reviews automatically. Adds social proof to your site and can improve conversion rates. Testimo includes a review widget on all plans.
Related: Rich snippets, Schema markup
A score from 1 to 5 given by a customer as part of a Google review. Your overall star rating is the average of all scores. Research shows that businesses below 4.0 stars lose significant customer consideration, and the difference between a 4.2 and a 4.8 can increase enquiries by 25% or more.
Related: Average star rating
Code added to a website that helps Google understand your content, including your business reviews and star ratings. Adding review schema markup can enable rich snippets in search results. Testimo adds this automatically.
Related: Rich snippets, Review widget
A review request sent via text message to a customer's mobile phone. SMS review requests typically have higher open rates than email (98% vs 20%) and generate faster responses. Available in Testimo on all plans.
Related: Review request