The most reliable way to get more Google reviews is to ask every customer, at the moment the job is finished and they are happy, and to send them a direct link so it takes one tap. Ask personally, by text or WhatsApp. Do not offer anything in return and do not ask only the customers you expect to be positive, because both are against Google's rules.
| Do | Do not |
|---|---|
| Ask every customer | Ask only the ones you think will give five stars |
| Send your direct review link | Offer discounts, gifts or prize draws for a review |
| Ask soon after the job is done | Write reviews yourself or ask staff to |
| Reply to every review, good or bad | Buy reviews or swap them with other businesses |
Search for your business on Google while signed in to the account that manages it, and choose "Ask for reviews". Google gives you a short link you can copy into a text, an email or a card.
Keep it short and personal. Something like: "Thanks for choosing us. If you have a minute, a Google review makes a real difference to a small business like ours." Then the link.
It helps if the customer mentions what you did and where, such as "new boiler fitted in Leigh", because that tells Google and future customers what you are good at. You can suggest it, but the words must be their own.
There is no magic number. What matters is having more than the competitors you are shown alongside, and getting new ones regularly. A steady two or three a month does more good than twenty in one week followed by nothing.
Reply calmly and briefly. Thank them, say what you have done or will do, and offer to sort it out directly. Future customers read your reply as much as the review. If a review is fake or breaks Google's rules, you can report it from your Business Profile.
No. Google does not allow incentives of any kind for reviews, and reviews gained that way can be removed.
They are one of the main signals for the map results. The number of reviews, how recent they are and your rating all contribute.
Yes. A short, personal thank-you shows you are an active business and encourages others to leave one.
No. They need to be signed in to a Google account, which most people with an Android phone or a Gmail address already have.
Google sometimes filters reviews it suspects are not genuine, for example several left from the same place in a short time. It is one reason to ask customers steadily and never all at once.
Tell us what you need and we will tell you honestly what it would take and what it would cost. Free, with no obligation.