1. Get your review link
You need a Google Business Profile first. It is the listing that appears on Google Maps and in local search, and it matters for every type of business we work with. Once you have one, open it on Google Search or Google Maps while signed in, and look for the option to ask for reviews. Google gives you a short link that opens the review box for your business directly.
Save that link somewhere handy. Every request you send should use it, so the customer lands straight on the review form instead of having to search for you.
2. Ask at the right moment
The best time to ask is straight after the job is finished, while the customer is still pleased and the details are fresh. A week later they have moved on, and the chance of a review drops sharply.
Ask every customer, not just the ones you think were happiest. Google's rules say you should not pick and choose who you ask, and a natural mix of reviews looks more believable to future customers anyway.
3. Make it take seconds
- ●Send the link by text. Most people read texts within minutes, and one tap opens the review form.
- ●Keep the message short. Thank them, say a review would really help a small business, and include the link. That is it.
- ●Follow up once or twice, then stop. A gentle reminder a few days later catches the ones who meant to and forgot. More than that feels like pestering.
4. Reply to every review
Thank people for good reviews, and reply calmly and helpfully to poor ones. Future customers read your replies as closely as the reviews themselves. A polite, reasonable response to a bad review often builds more trust than a page of five-star ones.
What Google does not allow
- ●No incentives. Do not offer discounts, gifts or prize draws in exchange for reviews.
- ●No fake reviews. Do not write your own, or ask staff, friends or family to review you as customers. UK consumer law also bans fake reviews.
- ●No buying reviews, from anyone, ever.
- ●No selective asking. Ask everyone, rather than only the customers you expect to be positive.
Doing it without having to remember
The hard part is not knowing how. It is remembering to ask every single customer, every single time, when you are busy. That is why we built review requests into our system: when you mark a job as done in your dashboard, every customer automatically gets a text and an email with a one-tap route to your Google review form, followed by a few polite reminders and then nothing more. Every customer gets the same choice, exactly as Google's rules expect. It works alongside the websites we build for tradespeople and small businesses.
Common questions
How do I get my Google review link?
Open your Google Business Profile on Google Search or Maps while signed in and choose the option to ask for reviews. Google gives you a short link that takes customers straight to your review form. You need a verified Business Profile to get one.
When is the best time to ask for a Google review?
Straight after the job is finished, while the customer is pleased and the details are fresh. Send the request the same day by text with your review link, then one or two gentle reminders if they do not respond.
Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google does not allow incentives for reviews, including discounts, gifts or prize draws. Reviews that break the rules can be removed, and it can put your Business Profile at risk.
Should I reply to bad Google reviews?
Yes. Reply calmly, thank them for the feedback and offer to put things right offline. Future customers read your replies, and a reasonable response to a complaint often builds trust rather than losing it.
How many Google reviews do I need?
There is no magic number. What matters is having a steady flow of recent, genuine reviews, and ideally more than the other businesses near you in your trade. Recent reviews count for more with customers than a big total from years ago.