How to get more Google reviews (and how to reply to them)
Updated October 2026
Short answer
Get your review link or QR code from your Google Business Profile, then ask every customer right after the job is done, by text, WhatsApp or in person. Make it one tap: send the link, not instructions. Reply to every review, short and polite. Never offer discounts or gifts in exchange for a review, and never ask only the customers you expect to be happy: both break Google’s rules.
Step by step: get more reviews
- 1Verify your Google Business Profile. Google only lets you reply to reviews once the profile is verified. If you have not created it yet, start with our Google Maps guide.
- 2Get your review link and QR code from your profile. Google lets you create a link or a QR code that opens the review form directly, so customers do not have to search for you.
- 3Ask when the job is done and the customer is happy to see the result: before you leave, or the same day.
- 4Send the link by text message or WhatsApp. One tap is better than "search for us on Google and write a review".
- 5Put the link or QR code where customers already look: your invoice, your email signature, your website and a card you leave after the job.
- 6Ask every customer, not only the ones you think will be happy.
- 7Reply to every review you get. It shows future customers that someone is behind the business.
Messages you can copy
Keep it short and personal. Change the name and the job, and paste your link.
- After a job: "Hi Marc, thanks for choosing us today. If you were happy with the work, a short Google review helps other neighbours find us. It takes one minute: [your link]"
- In person: "If everything looks good to you, could you leave us a quick review on Google? I can send you the link by text."
- One gentle reminder, a few days later: "Hi Marc, just a quick reminder in case you have a minute for our Google review: [your link]. Thank you!"
How to reply to reviews
Google’s own advice is to keep replies short, polite and specific, and to write like a person, not like an ad. Your reply is public, and the customer is notified when you answer.
- Positive review: thank the person by name and mention one detail from the job, instead of sending the same "thank you" to everyone. Do not use the reply to offer deals.
- Negative review: stay calm, thank them for the feedback and say what you can do. If you made a mistake, say so. Do not take blame for things you do not control.
- Take the details offline: "Please call us at [phone] so we can fix this." Never share the customer’s private information and never argue in public.
- Example of a good reply to a complaint: "Hi Sam, we are sorry the visit ran late. That is not the service we want to give. I would like to understand what happened, please call me at [phone]."
- If a review breaks Google’s content policies (fake, off-topic, abusive), you can flag it for review. You cannot delete a review only because you disagree with it.
What Google does not allow
- Offering money, discounts, free goods or services in exchange for a review, or for changing or removing a negative one.
- Choosing who to ask: asking only the customers you expect to be happy, or discouraging negative reviews.
- Telling staff to collect a certain number of reviews, or asking for specific content, such as the name of an employee.
- Writing or buying fake reviews, or posting from several accounts.
Why reviews matter so much
According to BrightLocal’s 2026 survey, 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, 74% pay most attention to reviews from the last three months, and 47% will not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews.
That is why a steady flow of recent reviews is worth more than a burst of old ones. Ask after every job, not once a year.
Tips for service businesses
- Plumbers, electricians, roofers and cleaners: ask on the spot, while the customer is looking at the finished work.
- Leave a small card with your QR code in the invoice or on the job site.
- When a customer leaves a written review, Google may ask them to choose which service you provided. Keep your list of services up to date in your profile.
- Make sure your website shows the same name, address and phone number as your profile, because many customers visit it after reading reviews.
We set up your profile and website
Every Ulimby plan includes your Google Business Profile setup, connected to your new website, so your reviews and your site tell the same story.
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