How to get more Google reviews for your business

The way to get more Google reviews is simple: ask every customer, right after the job is done, and make it one tap for them to leave the review. Most happy customers will leave a review if you ask at the right time and hand them the link. Most will not think to do it on their own. Then reply to every review, good or bad, so the next customer sees you care.

Step 1: Ask at the right moment

The best time is right after you finish a job well, while the customer is still pleased. That might be when you hand over the keys, walk them through the finished work, or take the final payment. A week later, they have moved on. Make asking part of how every job ends.

Step 2: Ask every customer, not only the happy ones

Ask everyone the same way. Picking only the customers you think will be happy is called review gating. Google does not allow it, and it also hides problems you need to hear about. An honest mix of reviews looks more real to new customers anyway.

Step 3: Ask in person, by text, or by email

• In person: "Thanks for having us out. If you were happy with the work, a quick Google review really helps a small business like ours. I will text you the link now."
• By text: "Hi Maria, thanks for choosing Smith Plumbing today. Would you leave us a quick Google review? It takes about a minute: [link]"
• By email: Subject: "Thanks from Smith Plumbing." Body: "Thanks for letting us fix your water heater. If you have a minute, a Google review helps neighbors find us: [link]. If anything was not right, just reply and tell me."

Keep it short. Use their name, name the job, and include the link.

Step 4: Share a review link or QR code

In your Google Business Profile, choose the option to ask for reviews and copy your review link. That link opens the review box directly. Put it in texts, emails, invoices, and receipts. You can also turn it into a QR code and print it on a card, a door hanger, or a sticker in your van or at your counter so customers can scan it on the spot.

Step 5: Reply to every review

• Positive reviews: thank them by name and mention the job. "Thanks, James. Glad the new panel is working well. Call us any time."
• Negative reviews: stay calm, thank them for the feedback, say what you will do, and offer to talk offline. "Sorry the appointment ran late, Lisa. That is not how we want to work. Please call me directly at the office so I can make it right."
• Reply within a few days. Future customers read your replies as much as the reviews.

What not to do

• Do not buy reviews. Google can remove them and may restrict your profile.
• Do not post fake reviews, or have friends and family pretend to be customers.
• Do not offer a discount, gift, or reward only for a positive review.
• Do not argue with a reviewer in public. Even if they are wrong, the next customer only sees you arguing.
• Do not ask customers to leave reviews from your shop computer or phone. Many reviews from one device can get filtered.

Who this is for

• Trades and home service businesses with only a handful of Google reviews.
• Owners who know customers are happy but never get around to asking.
• Businesses that want a simple routine the whole team can follow.

Who this is not for

• Anyone looking to buy reviews or fill a profile with fake ones.

Asking for reviews and replying to them is part of what the Found + Follow-up package handles, with your digital assistant sending the request after each job. Want to know how your business shows up? Get the free Visibility Audit. We check the real questions your customers ask and show you what is working, what is wrong, and what to fix first.