How to get more Google reviews

Why reviews matter more than you think

Reviews do two jobs. They help you show up: Google’s guide to local ranking says positive reviews and helpful replies can help your business stand out. And they help you get chosen: when three businesses appear in the map results, the searcher reads reviews before deciding who to call.

A profile with four reviews from 2022 tells a buyer one of two things: either nobody uses you, or nobody has been back since. Neither is the story you want.

When and how to ask

Timing is most of it. Ask at the moment the customer is happiest: the job is finished, the problem is solved, they’ve just said thank you. A week later, they’ve moved on with their lives, as people do.

Then make it one tap. Google lets you share a link or a QR code that opens your review form directly (Google Business Profile Help). Send that link, not “search for us on Google and find the reviews bit.”

• In person: ask, then send the link by WhatsApp or SMS while you’re still there
• By email: a short note after the job, with the link as a button
• On invoices and receipts: the QR code
• In your email signature: one line with the link

Keep the ask short and human: “Glad we could sort that out. Would you mind leaving a quick Google review? It really helps a small business. Here’s the link.”

What not to do (and what gets reviews removed)

Google is clear that reviews must reflect a genuine experience, and that offering incentives, like free or discounted goods or services, in exchange for reviews is prohibited. So no “R100 off for a five-star review,” no prize draws for reviewers, and no asking staff or family to fill the gaps.

Also skip buying reviews, review swaps with other businesses, and sudden bursts. Ten reviews in one afternoon after two years of silence look exactly like what they are. Google’s review filters were not born yesterday.

And don’t only ask the customers you’re sure will be glowing. Google’s own advice is to value all reviews, because a mix of positive and negative feedback often feels more trustworthy. A perfect 5.0 from 200 people can make a careful buyer more suspicious, not less.

How to reply to reviews, good and bad

Reply to every one. Google’s guidance is to keep replies short, polite and timely, avoid using them to push deals, and never share a reviewer’s private information or get personal.

For a good review: thank them by name and mention the job. “Thanks, Sarah, glad the new quote form is bringing in work.” Specific beats generic every time.

For a bad review: apologise where it’s fair, explain briefly, and offer to sort it out offline. You’re not writing to the reviewer. You’re writing to the next fifty people who read the exchange. A calm, decent reply to a harsh review often wins more trust than another five stars.

Make it a habit, not a campaign

The businesses with strong review profiles didn’t run a review drive. They built asking into the end of every job, like sending the invoice. If you have a CRM, add an automatic review request a day after a job is marked complete, with the link, and one gentle reminder.

Steady beats spiky. Two or three reviews a month, every month, looks like a real business that people keep using, because it is.

What I’d do this week

Get your review link from your Google Business Profile. Send it to your last five happy customers today with a two-line personal note. Then reply to every review you already have that’s still unanswered.

Reviews are one part of showing up on the map. The rest is in how to rank higher on Google Maps. If you’d like the whole local search side handled, that’s part of my SEO service.