Most customers who are about to call a local business glance at its Google reviews first. A few recent, specific, honest reviews do more for a listing than almost anything you can write about yourself. The good news is that getting them is mostly a matter of habit, not cleverness.
The rules matter too, because breaking them can cost you more than the reviews are worth. This is a plain routine that stays on the right side of them.
Ask everyone, not just the happy ones
It is tempting to ask only the customers you know are pleased. As we understand Google's policies, that is not allowed: reviews should not be solicited selectively, and negative reviews should not be discouraged. Software that asks "how did we do?" and only sends the happy answers on to Google falls into the same trap.
The simple fix is to ask every customer in the same way. You will get some critical reviews as well as warm ones. A profile with a few honest complaints and calm replies usually looks more trustworthy than a wall of five stars.
Never offer a reward
Discounts, vouchers, entry into a draw and free extras in return for a review all count as incentives, and Google's policies do not allow them. Thank people afterwards if you like, but do not make the thank-you conditional on a review, and do not tie anything to the rating.
Ask everyone, reward no one.
Make it easy
Every extra step loses people. Your Google Business Profile has a share link for reviews, which opens the review box directly. Put it where the customer already is.
- A text or email after the job. Short, personal and sent the same day, with the link.
- Your invoice or receipt. A line at the bottom and a link or QR code.
- A card at the counter or on the van. A QR code that opens the review box on a phone.
- Your email signature. Quiet, but it costs nothing and reaches people who already know you.
Ask at the right moment
The best time is just after the customer has seen the result: the repair works, the room is tidy, the appointment has gone well, the loan has settled. Ask in your own words. A message that sounds like you works better than a script, and it is fine to say plainly that reviews help other people find a good business.
Do not ask people to write particular things, to mention staff by name or to leave a five-star rating. Let them say what they want to say.
Reply to every review
Replies are public, and they are read by people deciding whether to call you. Thank people briefly and specifically. For a critical review, stay calm, say sorry where something went wrong, and offer to put it right offline. Do not argue and do not share details about a customer's job or case. A measured reply to criticism often says more about your business than the review does.
Make it a routine, not a campaign
A steady trickle of recent reviews looks better, and is worth more, than a burst followed by silence. Pick a rhythm that suits your volume: ask at the end of every job, or every Friday for the week's customers. Once a month, count how many you have and read the new ones. They are free market research on what people notice about you.
What to avoid
- Buying reviews. Fake reviews are against Google's rules and can breach Australian consumer law. Platforms remove them and can penalise the listing.
- Reviews from staff, family or suppliers. Google treats these as a conflict of interest.
- Quotas for staff. Targets and bonuses tied to review counts push people towards the shortcuts above.
- Copying reviews onto your site without thinking. Some professions have rules about testimonials in their own advertising. Health practitioners should check the testimonial guidance from Ahpra and their National Board before sharing patient reviews on their website or social pages.
Policies change, so read Google's current review policy for yourself rather than relying on any summary, including this one.
What good looks like
A profile where new reviews arrive most weeks, where each customer has said something specific about the job, and where every review has a short, human reply. It takes a few minutes a week, and it is one of the few marketing jobs where doing it consistently is nearly all of the skill.
Reviews are one part of our local SEO service.