How to get more Google reviews for a local business
You get more Google reviews by asking every customer the same day or the next morning, with a short personal message and a direct link to your review form. Ask everyone, including customers who seemed unhappy, and never offer a discount or gift in return, since Google forbids both. Then reply to every review within a few days.
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Why do Google reviews matter so much?
Reviews do two jobs. They help decide where you show up on Google Maps, and they're what a customer reads before choosing between you and the shop down the road. AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini also lean on reviews when they name businesses, and they often repeat what the reviews say.
Count matters. How recent they are and what they say matter too. A shop with steady new reviews that mention the work and the town looks alive. A shop whose last review is from two years ago looks like it might be closed.
What are the rules?
Google's review policies are strict, and the FTC's rule on fake reviews, in effect since late 2024, lets regulators fine businesses for the worst of it. Stay well clear of these:
- No incentives. Don't offer a discount, gift card, raffle entry or anything else in exchange for a review, even for an honest one.
- No review gating. Don't ask 'how did we do?' first and send only the happy customers to Google. Google specifically forbids selectively asking for positive reviews.
- No fake or bought reviews, and no reviews from staff or family posing as customers.
- No pressure in person. Don't hand a customer your phone and stand there while they write it.
When should you ask for a review?
Ask when the customer's good feeling is freshest. For most service businesses that's the same day the job is done or the next morning. The AC is blowing cold, the drain is clear, the teeth are clean. Wait a week and they've moved on.
Ask once, and follow up once at most a few days later. More than that is nagging, and it tends to produce the review you don't want.
What should the ask say?
Keep it short and personal, and include the link. This wording works for most trades:
'Hi Maria, thanks for having us out today to fix the water heater. If you have a minute, a Google review helps other people in Round Rock find us: [link]. Thanks, Dave.'
It names the customer and the job, says why a review helps, and puts the form one tap away. Get the link from your Google Business Profile: there's an option to ask for reviews that gives you a short link straight to the review form.
Don't tell people what to write. It's fine to say a mention of the job helps others, but don't script it.
How should you reply to reviews?
Reply to all of them, within a few days. Future customers read the replies as much as the reviews.
- Good review: thank them by name, mention the job, keep it to two sentences. 'Thanks, Maria. Glad the new water heater is working, and say hi to the dog for us.'
- Bad review: stay calm, don't argue the details in public, own what you can, and offer to fix it offline. 'Sorry we missed the window on Tuesday, James. That's on us. Please call Dave at the shop so we can make it right.'
- Medical, dental and legal offices: never confirm the person is a patient or client, and never discuss their care or case.
- Fake or abusive reviews: flag them through your Google Business Profile, and reply briefly and politely in the meantime.
How does Doug help with reviews?
Doug asks customers for a review after a booking, so every customer gets asked, not just the ones someone remembered. He doesn't filter by who seemed happy. He also replies to reviews in your voice and keeps your Google Business Profile accurate. Reviews are one of the signals our guide to getting recommended by ChatGPT covers, and one item on our local SEO checklist.
Run the free ChatGPT visibility check to see whether your reviews are helping you show up in AI answers.
Questions
- Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
- No. Google's policies forbid incentives for reviews, even for honest ones. Ask without offering anything.
- Can I only ask happy customers for reviews?
- No. Google forbids selectively asking for positive reviews. Ask everyone the same way.
- How do I get my Google review link?
- In your Google Business Profile, use the option to ask for reviews. It gives you a short link that opens the review form directly.
- Should I reply to negative reviews?
- Yes. Keep it short and calm, own what went wrong, and offer to fix it offline. Future customers read the reply.
