Most businesses with only a handful of Google reviews aren't doing anything wrong. They're just not asking. Here's how to fix that properly, using Google's own tools and rules.
Why don't you have more Google reviews?
Unhappy customers find the review button on their own. Happy customers mean to leave one, then the kids need picking up and it never happens.
So the reviews online tell a worse story than your customers would. The fix isn't luck or a better product. It's asking, every time, and making it as easy as possible to say yes.
There's an upside hiding in there. If your happy customers outnumber your unhappy ones, simply asking everyone tips the public picture back towards the truth.
That matters for more than your star rating. When someone compares you with the business down the road, they look at how many reviews you have, how recent they are, and whether you reply. Reviews also feed into how you show up on Google Maps, which is part of local SEO.
How to get your Google review link
Google gives every Business Profile a link and a QR code that take customers straight to the place to leave a review. No searching, no guessing which listing is yours. According to Google's help page, the steps are:
- Go to your Business Profile.
- Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
- Share the link or QR code directly, or:
- To copy the review link, select the Copy icon.
- To download the QR code, right-click it and select Save image as.
Google notes the QR code can only be created in a computer browser, not on a phone. Do it once at your desk and you'll have both for good.
One catch: customers need a Google Account to post a review. Google says they can create one with an email address that isn't Gmail, so "I don't have Gmail" isn't a dead end.
When and how should you ask for a review?
Ask when the job is done and the customer is pleased. Not three weeks later, when they've forgotten your name.
Ask everyone, the same way
Every customer gets the same invitation. Not just the ones who smiled at you. That's fair, it's what Google requires, and it means your reviews actually reflect your business.
Make it one tap
Send the link, don't describe it. "Search for us on Google and find the reviews" loses half your customers at the word "search".
Keep it short and human
Something like this works fine (an example, adjust to suit):
Thanks for choosing us today. If you've got a minute, a Google review really helps a small business like ours. Here's the link.
Notice what it doesn't do. It doesn't ask for five stars, it doesn't tell them what to write, and it doesn't offer anything in return.
Follow up once
People mean to do it, then forget. One polite reminder a few days later is fine. Five is how you end up in a spam folder.
Where to share your review link
Put it wherever your customers already are when the job wraps up. Google suggests receipts, thank-you emails, the end of a chat conversation, and a printed QR code in your store. It also mentions sending requests by email, WhatsApp or a Facebook post.
A few that work well for local businesses:
- A text message after the job. The link opens straight on their phone.
- Your invoice or receipt email. They're opening it anyway.
- A QR code on the counter, for the customers you see face to face.
- Your email signature, for businesses that do a lot of their work over email.
What you're not allowed to do
This is where plenty of businesses get into trouble, often without meaning to. Google's content policy treats these as rating manipulation or fake engagement, and removes reviews that break it.
No incentives
Google's help page says offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for a review is prohibited. That includes offering something to change or remove a review. So no discounts, no freebies and no prize draws.
The ACCC has its own rules on incentives: any incentive must apply whether the review is positive or negative, and must be clearly disclosed. But Google bans them on its platform anyway, so for Google reviews the answer is simple. Don't.
No asking only the happy ones
Google's policy says businesses may not selectively ask customers for positive reviews, or discourage negative ones. Filtering customers before sending the link, sometimes called review gating, breaks the rule.
No pressure, no scripts
Google also says businesses shouldn't require or pressure customers to leave a review while they're on the premises, and shouldn't ask for specific content. Handing someone your phone at the counter and waiting is out. So is "could you mention our apprentice by name?".
The same goes for staff targets. Google says staff may not be asked to collect a set number of reviews, or reviews with specific content, including reviews naming a staff member.
No fake reviews, obviously
The ACCC says it's against the law for a business to create fake or misleading reviews, or to arrange for others to do it. It also lists reviews written by family, employees or people paid by the business, without stating that connection, as misleading. More on that in our post on fake Google reviews.
Reply to the reviews you get
Asking is half the job. Replying is the other half, because the next customer reads your replies too.
Google's own tips: keep replies polite, professional and short, and don't use them to push deals or promotions. For negative reviews, never share the reviewer's private information or attack them, be honest about what went wrong, and invite them to contact you directly.
We go through it step by step in how to find and reply to your Google reviews. If a review breaks Google's rules, here's how to report it.
Make asking automatic
Here's the honest problem with everything above. It works when you remember to do it, and nobody remembers to do it after a 12-hour day.
That's what our reputation management service fixes. Review requests go out by text and email after every job, with a reminder if the customer doesn't get to it, and every customer gets the same invitation. Every review gets a reply, written for that review, in your voice.
It runs on Lumero, our review software. We connect your booking or sales software so the requests go out on their own, or set up a simple upload if your software can't connect. You get on with the work. The asking happens anyway.
FAQ
Am I allowed to ask customers for Google reviews?
Yes. Google's policy allows businesses to encourage genuine reviews. What you can't do is offer something in return, ask only the customers you think will be happy, or tell them what to write.
Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google prohibits offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for a review, and removes reviews posted because of an incentive.
Do customers need a Gmail account to leave a review?
They need a Google Account, but Google says they can create one with an email address that isn't Gmail.
Can I get a QR code for Google reviews?
Yes. From your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and download the QR code. Google says the QR code can only be created in a computer browser.
Can my staff ask for reviews?
Yes, as long as every customer is asked the same way. Google says staff shouldn't be given targets for a set number of reviews, or asked to collect reviews that mention them.
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