How to Get More Google Reviews (Without Being Awkward About It)

Ask anyone how they picked a new dentist, restaurant or contractor, and reviews will come up. They're also one of the things Google looks at when deciding which local businesses to show. Yet most happy customers never leave one, simply because nobody asked them at the right moment.

The good news: getting more reviews is mostly about having a simple routine.

Ask at the right moment

The best time to ask is right after a customer feels the value of what you did: when the job is finished and they're pleased, when they thank you, or when they come back for a second visit. A request a few weeks later, out of the blue, gets ignored.

Make it take ten seconds

Every extra step loses people. In your Google Business Profile, you can get a short link that opens the review form directly. Use it everywhere:

• in a text or email sent right after the job;
• as a QR code on your counter, receipts or invoices;
• in your email signature and follow-up messages.

Ask like a person, not a robot

A short, personal message works better than a formal template. Something like:

Thanks again for choosing us, Sarah. If you have a minute, a quick Google review would really help a small business like ours.

Mention their name, keep it short, and make it clear it's optional.

Reply to every review

Replying shows future customers that you care, and it encourages others to leave reviews too. Thank people for positive reviews, ideally mentioning something specific. For negative ones, stay calm, apologize where it's fair, and offer to sort it out privately. A thoughtful reply to a bad review can win you more trust than ten good ones.

What not to do

Some shortcuts can get reviews removed or your profile penalized, and some are against the law:

• Don't buy reviews or post fake ones. Fake reviews are illegal under FTC rules in the US, and Google removes them.
• Don't offer discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews. Google's policies don't allow incentives for reviews.
• Don't only ask happy customers. Filtering who gets asked, sometimes called review gating, also goes against Google's rules. Ask everyone, and use the feedback.
• Don't write reviews for yourself, or ask staff and family to.

Make it part of the routine

The businesses with hundreds of reviews usually aren't doing anything clever. They just ask every customer, every time, in the same simple way. Add it to the end of your process, like sending the invoice, and the reviews add up.

Questions? Book a free call.