How to get more Google reviews for your business
More Google reviews come from asking every customer, at the right moment, with a link that takes them straight to the review box. Google provides that link and a QR code for it. The one firm rule is that nothing may be offered in return: Google prohibits incentives for reviews and treats them as fake content.
Each sounding opens its section
- 01 Get the review link 60 words
- 02 Put the link where customers already are 44 words
- 03 Ask at the right moment 58 words
- 04 Reply to every review 44 words
- 05 What Google prohibits 59 words
- 06 Why it matters for ranking 48 words
- 07 Questions people ask 121 words
- 08 Free competitor gap report 101 words
- 09 More in this series 49 words
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- Internal links
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Get the review link
A customer who has to search for the business, find the profile and hunt for the review button will not finish. Google’s review link opens the review box directly. Create it from the Business Profile, and create the QR code at the same time. Google notes the QR code has to be made on a computer.
Put the link where customers already are
Google suggests the places that work.
- On receipts and invoices.
- In the thank-you email after a job.
- At the end of a chat or message conversation.
- As a printed QR code on the counter or the van.
Ask at the right moment
The best time is just after the customer has said they are pleased. Ask in person where you can, then send the link the same day. Ask every customer, not only the ones you expect to be kind: asking selectively breaks Google’s rules, and a profile with nothing but praise is less believable.
Reply to every review
Google advises replying, because it shows customers their feedback matters. Thank the positive ones briefly. Answer the critical ones calmly, say what was done about it, and do not argue. Future customers read the replies as closely as the reviews.
What Google prohibits
Three things put a profile at risk.
- Incentives: anything offered in exchange for a review, for changing one, or for removing one.
- Reviews from people with an interest: staff, owners, family.
- Bought reviews.
Reviews gathered that way are the ones Google’s filters remove, and our guide to Google reviews not showing up explains what happens then.
Why it matters for ranking
Google lists the number of reviews among the things that make a business prominent in local results. Reviews are also what a searcher reads before choosing. Our guide to ranking higher on Google Maps sets out where they sit among the other factors.
Questions people ask
Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google prohibits offering incentives, such as free or discounted goods or services, in exchange for posting a review, changing one or removing a negative one.
How do I get a link for customers to leave a Google review?
Google lets a business create a review link and a QR code from its Business Profile. Google notes that the QR code can only be generated in a browser on a computer.
Should I worry about a negative review?
Reply to it calmly and carry on asking every customer. Google's own advice is that a mix of positive and negative feedback often reads as more trustworthy than a perfect record.
Free competitor gap report
Reviews count for more when the site behind the profile is strong too. Name up to three local competitors and we measure your site against theirs, then send you where they are ahead and what to fix first.
- Speed and technical health, side by side
- On-page SEO and site structure
- The content they are found for and you are not
- Who holds the searches that matter in your market
- A prioritised list of what to fix first
Request your free report by email
- Address
- contact@hadalmedusa.com
- Include
- your site; up to three competitors; where you compete