To get more Google reviews, ask every customer, every time, soon after the job, and text your Google review link so it takes a few taps. Reply to each one. Don't offer anything in return, don't ask only the customers you expect to be happy, and never post or buy reviews; Google and the FTC both ban it.
Why Google reviews matter so much
Reviews do two jobs at once. They help you rank, and they help you win the call once someone finds you.
On ranking, Google says "more reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking". Whitespark's 2025 survey of local search specialists puts a high Google star rating and the number of Google reviews with text among the top ten factors for the map pack.
On winning the call, BrightLocal's 2026 survey of 1,002 US consumers found that 97% read reviews for local businesses and 41% "always" do. 68% want at least four stars before they'll consider a business, and 31% will only use one with 4.5 or more. Recency matters too: 74% look for reviews written in the last three months. A profile with 120 reviews and nothing new since spring looks like a business that slowed down.
And reviews now feed AI answers. The same survey found use of AI tools for local recommendations rose from 6% to 45% in a year. When ChatGPT or Google's AI Mode names a contractor, the reviews on its profile and across the web are part of what it reads.
The simple routine that works
BrightLocal found that 78% of consumers had been asked for a review in the past year, and 28% say they'll "always" write one if asked. Asking works. Asking consistently is where most businesses fall down, so make it part of closing every job, not something the owner remembers on a quiet Friday.
- Get your link. Google gives every Business Profile a short review link and a QR code. Find them in your profile under the option to ask for reviews, and save the link where your team can paste it.
- Ask in person first. At the end of the job, while the customer is pleased with the work, the tech says something like "If you're happy with how this went, a Google review really helps a small company like ours. I'll text you the link."
- Send the text the same day. A short message with the link, sent while the work is fresh. Customers must be signed in to a Google Account to leave a review; Google notes they can create one with a non-Gmail address.
- Follow up once. If there's no review after three or four days, send one polite reminder. Then stop.
- Track it. Count new reviews every month. If the number drops, find out which crew or office step stopped asking.
Ask everyone, including the customer whose job had a hiccup you fixed. Asking only the customers you think will be happy breaks Google's policy, and honest mixed reviews make your five-star ones more believable.
Text and email wording you can copy
Keep it short, personal and specific to the job. Swap in your own details:
| When | Message |
|---|---|
| Same day, by text | Hi Maria, it's Dave from Smith Plumbing. Thanks for having us out today for the water heater. If you have a minute, a quick Google review helps other homeowners find us: [link]. Thanks again! |
| Reminder, 3 or 4 days later | Hi Maria, Dave again. Hope the new water heater is working well. If you get a chance, here's that review link: [link]. No worries if not. |
| After a problem was fixed | Hi James, thanks for your patience while we sorted the part delay on your AC. We'd value an honest review of how we handled it: [link]. |
| By email, with invoice | Thanks for choosing us for your panel upgrade. If you were happy with the work, a Google review takes about a minute and helps a local business more than you'd think: [link] |
Notice what's missing: no discount, no "five stars please", no prize draw. Asking for an honest review is fine. Steering the rating isn't.
More ways to get reviews
- QR code on the leave-behind: print it on invoices, warranty cards and the magnet you leave on the water heater.
- Make it part of your software: many field service tools, such as ServiceTitan, Jobber and Housecall Pro, can send a review request automatically when a job is closed. Check the wording they use is neutral.
- Old customers: a one-time message to customers from the last year who were never asked is fine. Send it in small batches over a few weeks rather than all at once.
- Make the crew part of it: share new reviews that mention a tech by name in the team chat. It reminds everyone why the ask matters.
What Google and the FTC don't allow
Well-meaning owners get caught here. Two sets of rules apply, and Google's is the stricter one.
Google's review policy
Google treats "offering incentives, like free or discounted goods or services, in exchange for customers to post reviews" as fake content and says it is "strictly prohibited". Its policy also bans businesses that "discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers", and says businesses "should not require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises". That last line means no handing the customer your tablet and waiting while they type.
The FTC's fake review rule
The FTC's rule on consumer reviews took effect on October 21, 2024 and allows civil penalties against knowing violators. It bans fake reviews (including AI-generated ones), offering incentives conditioned on a review being positive or negative, undisclosed reviews from insiders such as employees and their relatives, and using threats or intimidation to get negative reviews removed. The FTC's guide for businesses adds: "Don't ask for reviews only from customers you think will leave positive ones."
The FTC allows some incentives if they don't depend on the review being positive and are disclosed. Google doesn't allow any incentive for a review on Google. So a free filter change for leaving a review might pass the FTC test and still break Google's rules. The simple answer is no incentives at all.
Free or discounted work
Doing a free or discounted job for a neighbor, a charity or a first customer is fine. Making a review a condition of that price isn't. If you do free work to build a portfolio, ask for an honest review the same way you'd ask anyone, and make it clear the work isn't tied to it.
How to reply to reviews
89% of consumers in BrightLocal's survey expect owners to respond, and 81% expect a reply within a week. Google's own advice: keep replies short and professional, address the reviewer by name, sign with your name, and don't share private information or make personal attacks.
Positive reviews
Thank them by name and mention the job: "Thanks, Maria. Glad the new water heater is keeping up with the family. Dave and the team." Two lines are plenty. Skip promotions and keyword stuffing; Google advises against promotions in replies.
Negative reviews
Wait until you're calm. Then acknowledge the problem, say what you did or will do, and take the detail offline: "Sorry the first visit didn't fix it, James. I've asked our service manager to call you today to set this right. Dave." Google suggests acknowledging mistakes where they happened and explaining what you can and can't do.
If a review breaks Google's policies, for example it's fake, from a competitor, or about the wrong business, you can report it from your Business Profile. Google removes reviews that violate its policies; it doesn't remove reviews just because they're negative. Never threaten a reviewer, which the FTC rule specifically bans.
Dentists, doctors and lawyers have extra limits on what a reply can say, set by privacy law and their professional rules. Check those before replying to a patient or client review.
Reviews on other sites
Google comes first for most local businesses, but it isn't the only place customers look. BrightLocal's survey found Apple Maps use for reviews nearly doubled in a year, from 14% to 27%. Once your Google routine is running, add a second link for one other site your customers use, such as Yelp, Angi, the BBB or Apple Maps, and alternate which link you send. Leave Yelp out of your requests: Yelp tells businesses not to ask customers for Yelp reviews at all.
For the rest of your profile, our Google Business Profile checklist covers every field, and how to rank higher on Google Maps shows how reviews fit with the other ranking factors.
Common questions
How do I get more Google reviews?
Ask every customer soon after the job, in person and then by text with your Google review link, so leaving a review takes a few taps. Send one reminder a few days later, reply to every review, and count new reviews monthly. Don't offer anything in return or ask only happy customers.
Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google's policy says offering incentives such as free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews is strictly prohibited. The FTC allows some disclosed incentives that don't depend on the review being positive, but Google bans incentives for reviews on Google entirely.
Is it allowed to ask only happy customers for reviews?
No. Google's policy bans businesses that selectively solicit positive reviews, and the FTC's guidance says not to ask for reviews only from customers you think will leave positive ones. Ask every customer, including those whose problem you fixed after a hiccup.
How do I find my Google review link?
Google gives every Business Profile a short review link and a QR code. Open your Business Profile while signed in and choose the option to ask for reviews to copy the link or download the QR code, then save it where your team can paste it into texts and emails.
Should I reply to every Google review?
Yes. BrightLocal's 2026 survey found 89% of consumers expect owners to respond to reviews, and 81% expect a reply within a week. Keep replies short, use the reviewer's name, and never share private details or argue in public.
Can I get a bad Google review removed?
Only if it breaks Google's policies, for example if it's fake, posted by a competitor or about a different business. Report it from your Business Profile. Google doesn't remove honest negative reviews, and threatening a reviewer to get one removed is banned under the FTC's rule.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help, Tips to get more reviews (checked October 29, 2026)
- Google Maps, Prohibited and restricted content (checked October 29, 2026)
- Google Business Profile Help, Tips to improve your local ranking on Google (checked October 29, 2026)
- Federal Trade Commission, Final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials, August 14, 2024
- Federal Trade Commission, Soliciting and paying for online reviews: a guide for marketers, January 2022
- BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, February 11, 2026
- Search Engine Land, Yelp increasingly cracking down on review solicitation
- Whitespark, Local Search Ranking Factors, published November 6, 2025
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