How to get more reviews on Google for your business

To get more reviews on Google, you need to ask for them, and ask well: right after a good experience, with a direct link and in just one click. With a simple system that you repeat every day, any local business can steadily collect reviews without breaking the rules of Google.

This guide explains what to prepare, when and how to ask for the review, what is not allowed, and how to respond to the reviews you receive.

Why reviews matter for a local business

When someone searches for "hairdresser near me" or "car repair shop in your city", they see your Google listing with the rating and reviews before they visit your website. Reviews help the customer decide whether to call you or move on to the next option. In addition, the quantity, frequency and content of reviews are part of what Google considers in local searches.

What matters most is not having a perfect 5,0, but having recent, varied and credible reviews.

Step 1: Get your Google Business Profile ready

Before asking for anything, check that your listing is claimed and complete. If a customer lands on a listing with wrong hours or no photos, the review they leave may be worse.

• Check that the name, address, phone number and opening hours are correct.
• Choose the right main category (for example, "Dental clinic" or "Auto repair shop").
• Upload real photos of your premises, your team and your work.
• Add your services and a clear description.

Step 2: Get your direct review link

The easier it is, the more reviews you get. From your Google Business Profile you can copy a link that opens the review window directly. You will find it in the share or ask for reviews option on your profile.

Save that link on your phone and on the phones of the rest of your team. It is the main tool for everything that follows.

Create a QR code

With that link you can generate a free QR code using any online generator. Print it on a small sign, a card or the back of the receipt. A customer who scans it goes straight to the review window without searching for anything.

Step 3: Ask for the review at the right moment

The best moment is when the customer is happy and the experience is still fresh. Depending on the business, it changes:

• Restaurant: when paying, when the customer mentions they ate well. The waiter can leave the QR code next to the bill.
• Hairdresser: when the service is finished, while the customer looks in the mirror and likes the result.
• Garage: when handing back the car, once the customer has checked that the problem is solved. A message via WhatsApp that same day also works.
• Clinic: after the consultation or treatment, with a follow-up message the next day.
• Gym: when a member celebrates a milestone or after the first few weeks, in a conversation between trainer and client.
• Shop: when handing over an order or after a purchase where you gave good advice.

Asking in person works better than a lonely sign. A simple phrase is enough: "It would really help me if you left your review on Google; here's the QR code."

Step 4: Use a short message via WhatsApp or email

If you have the customer's contact details and they gave them to you so you could get in touch, a follow-up message is very effective. Prepare a template and personalise it with the name:

Hi, Marta. Thanks for coming in today to [business name]. If you're happy with the service, it would really help us if you left your review on Google. It only takes a minute: [link]. Thank you!

Three tips to make it work:

1. Send it the same day or the next day, not weeks later.
2. Keep it short and with a single link.
3. Write in a friendly tone, the way you would say it at the counter.

What you should not do

Google has clear rules on reviews, and breaking them can lead to removed reviews or even problems with your listing. Avoid the following:

• Offering discounts, gifts or prize draws in exchange for reviews. Google does not allow incentivising reviews.
• Asking only your most satisfied customers and steering unhappy ones to another channel. This is a practice that Google discourages.
• Buying reviews or writing them yourself or your family. They are fake, they get detected and they damage trust.
• Leaving reviews from the business premises on the same device for several customers. It can look like suspicious activity.

The safe approach is to ask all customers in the same way and let each one write what they think.

Step 5: Reply to all reviews

Replying shows that there is someone behind the business and encourages other customers to leave a review. Spend ten minutes a week on this.

Positive reviews

Thank the customer by name and mention something specific: "Thanks, Luis. We're glad the brake pad change was done in time for your trip." Avoid copying and pasting the same reply every time.

Negative reviews

1. Reply calmly, without getting defensive.
2. Acknowledge the problem if it is real and apologise.
3. Offer a way to resolve it (phone or email) instead of arguing in public.
4. Do not share the customer's personal or health details, especially in a clinic.

A polite reply to a bad review often says more about you than the complaint itself. If a review breaks the rules (it is fake, offensive or from someone who was not a customer), you can report it from your listing.

Step 6: Turn this into a routine

Reviews do not come from a one-off campaign, but from a habit. A realistic plan to start this week:

1. Today: copy your review link and save it on the phone of every team member.
2. Tomorrow: print the QR code and place it at the till, counter or reception.
3. This week: agree with your team who asks for the review and at what moment.
4. Every week: check the new reviews and reply to them.
5. Every month: note how many new reviews you have received and which topics come up repeatedly (service, waiting times, price) so you can improve.

A realistic goal could be asking all your satisfied customers for a review each day. That's enough to see progress over time, although the pace will depend on your customer volume and your industry.

How to measure if it works

On your profile you can see the total number of reviews, the average rating and the dates. Look at three things: how many new reviews come in each month, whether the rating holds steady, and whether customers mention what you want to highlight. If an improvement in your service later shows up in reviews, you're on the right track.

And if you don't know where to start

Many business owners know they should ask for reviews, but they can't find the time to organise it. At Nexasmus we help local businesses get their presence on Google in order, including reviews, so it doesn't depend on remembering to do it one random day.

If you want to know how your profile is doing right now and what to improve first, request your free online review and we'll tell you where to start.

Frequently asked questions