When someone compares two plumbers or two cafés on a Google map, the reviews sit right beside the names. They feed the ranking, too. Google’s local ranking guidance (opens in a new tab) says prominence, its word for how well-known a business is, is partly based on how many reviews you have, and that more reviews and positive ratings can help.
So the goal is more real reviews, arriving all year. Here’s how to get more Google reviews without breaking the rules, from finding your review link to answering an unhappy customer. It isn’t legal advice; every source is linked so you can check it.
How to get more Google reviews: the short version
- Copy your review link and save the QR code from your Business Profile
- Ask every customer, soon after the job is finished
- Text or email the link, and hand out a QR card for later
- Ask for a review, never for five stars, a staff name or certain words
- Offer nothing in exchange, not even a drawing entry
- Keep reviews by you, your staff and your family off your profile
- Reply to every review, starting with the unhappy ones
- Ask every week instead of in a once-a-year push
Find your review link and QR code
Your Business Profile can give you a link that opens its review form, plus a QR code that does the same. Google’s instructions (opens in a new tab) take three steps:
Open your Business Profile
Sign in with the Google account that manages it.
Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews
The review link and the QR code are both there. Select Copy for the link.
Save the QR code from a computer
Google only generates review QR codes in a computer browser, not on a phone. Right-click the code and choose Save image as.
Google suggests putting the link on receipts, in thank-you emails and at the end of a chat, and displaying the printed code in your store. Scan it yourself before you order cards. Reviewers need a Google account, though Google notes (opens in a new tab) they can make one with a non-Gmail address.
A printed card is the simplest version. The one we made for V the Barber, an independent barber in Burnsville, has one job: its QR code opens his Google review form. His profile showed 1 review before we built his site. The card went into use on June 16, 2026, and on June 22 the profile listed 8 reviews averaging 4.9 stars. His clients wrote every word, and that’s one dated snapshot, not a forecast.
When to ask: right after the job is done
Ask when the work is finished and still fresh: the fade is done, the furnace is running, the car is back in the driveway. Ask sooner and they’re judging work they haven’t seen. Wait a week and your request is buried on their phone.
| Business | When | How |
|---|---|---|
| Barbershop or salon | At checkout | A QR card they can use at home |
| Restaurant or café | With the check | The QR code printed on the receipt |
| Plumber, electrician or HVAC | After the final walkthrough | A text with the link once you’ve packed up |
| Auto shop | At pickup | A text with the link later that day |
| Roofer or remodeler | When the final invoice is paid | An email with photos of the finished job and the link |
In person, the ask is one sentence and a card. Google’s policy (opens in a new tab) says merchants shouldn’t require or pressure customers to review while they’re still on the premises, so let the card go home with them. Our pages on barbershops and salons, restaurants and cafés, home services and auto shops cover what else each trade’s website needs.
How to ask: scripts you can copy
A good request uses the customer’s name, says thank you, asks once, includes the link and ends with a real person’s name. It leaves out star ratings, staff names, suggested wording and rewards. Fill in the brackets:
- By text, after the job: “Hi [first name], thanks for choosing [business] today. If you have a minute, would you leave us a Google review? It helps people nearby decide who to call. [review link] Thank you, [your name]”
- By email, after a bigger project: “Thank you for trusting us with your [project]. If you’re willing, a short Google review would help other homeowners choose a contractor: [review link]. Questions about the work? Call me at [phone]. [your name]”
- At the counter: “Thanks for coming in. If you get a minute later, we’d appreciate a Google review. This card opens the form.”
- On the card itself: “Tell us how we did. Scan to leave a Google review.”
Rewrite these before they go out
- “Leave us a 5-star review.”
- “Mention Jess by name if she took care of you.”
- “Review us and take 10% off your next visit.”
- “Loved it? Review us on Google. Not happy? Call me first.”
- “Could you post it now, before you head out?”
- “Would you leave us a Google review?”
- No names. Customers mention whoever they want.
- No offer. The request stands on its own.
- The same request for everyone, with your number in the signature
- “Here’s a card for whenever you have a minute.”
In order, the lines on the left break these parts of Google’s policy: influencing the rating, asking for particular content (Google’s own example is naming a staff member), offering an incentive, asking selectively and pressuring someone on the premises.
Put the ask on your website too. Farmington Steak House has a Leave Us a Google Review button on its homepage and a Google Reviews link in its footer, and both open the restaurant’s Google listing. If you send requests by text, text only customers who gave you their number and honor every STOP; our CRM page shows which business texts need what permission.
Ask every customer the same way
The tempting shortcut is review gating: send a “how did we do?” message first, and give the Google link only to customers who answer happily. Google’s list of things merchants may not do rules it out:
Discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers
The FTC’s rule doesn’t name the practice, but its staff say asking only the customers you think are happy could still violate the FTC Act (opens in a new tab). Asking everyone also helps you: Google tells owners that a mix of positive and negative feedback often feels more trustworthy. Your phone number can go in every request, as long as it never reads as “call me instead of posting.”
What never to do, according to Google and the FTC
Two sets of rules apply. Google’s policy decides what stays on your profile. The FTC’s Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (opens in a new tab), 16 CFR Part 465, is federal: announced in August 2024 (opens in a new tab) and in effect since October 21, 2024. The biggest gap between them is rewards:
The rule does not prohibit giving incentives for reviews, as long as there isn’t an express or implied requirement that the reviews have to express a particular sentiment.
Google allows no reward for any review, so an offer that passes the FTC rule can still get your reviews removed. Side by side (not legal advice):
| Practice | Google’s policy | FTC rule |
|---|---|---|
| A discount, freebie or drawing entry for any review | Not allowed: incentives count as fake engagement, and those reviews are removed | Banned only when the reward depends on a positive or negative review (§ 465.4); FTC staff say undisclosed incentives can still break the FTC Act |
| A reward for five-star reviews | Not allowed | Banned (§ 465.4), even if the reviewer discloses the reward |
| Asking only the customers you expect to be happy | Not allowed | Not named in the rule; FTC staff say it could violate the FTC Act |
| Reviews by you, your staff or your relatives | Not allowed: employment and family ties are conflicts of interest | Owners and managers must clearly disclose the connection, and tell any staff or relatives they ask to do the same (§ 465.5) |
| Buying fake reviews, or writing them yourself | Removed, and the profile can be restricted | Banned (§ 465.2), and the firms that sell them can be liable too |
| Paying someone to change or delete a bad review | Not allowed | Not banned by the rule; FTC staff say it may violate the FTC Act |
| Threats or knowingly false accusations to get a review removed | Replies must follow Google’s content policies, which ban harassment | Banned (§ 465.7), along with groundless legal threats and intimidation |
Losing the fake reviews is only the start. Google’s restrictions page (opens in a new tab) says it can also block new reviews for a set period, unpublish the existing ones or show customers a warning that fake reviews were removed; it emails the owner first, and restrictions can be appealed. On the federal side, the rule lets courts impose civil penalties for knowing violations, and FTC staff say advertising agencies, review brokers and reputation management companies can be liable too.
Reply to every review, especially the bad ones
Replies are public, so write each one for the next customer as much as for the reviewer. You need a verified profile to reply, and Google checks each reply (opens in a new tab) against its content policies before posting it, which usually takes up to 10 minutes. It posts under your business name, and the reviewer is notified and can still change the review.
Answer every one, and make each reply count; Google advises (opens in a new tab) against sending everyone the same thank-you. Two examples:
- A detailed five-star review: “Thank you, Dana. We’re glad the new water heater kept up with a full house over the holidays. Thanks for trusting us with it. Mark, owner”
- A one-star review: “Tom, I’m sorry we arrived two hours after the window we gave you, and that nobody called ahead. That’s on us, and we’ve changed how we schedule afternoon jobs. The noise you describe isn’t normal. Please call me at the shop so we can come back and look at it. Mark, owner”
The one-star reply owns the mistake, says what changed and moves the rest to a phone call. Promise only changes you’ve actually made. Never post private details like an address or what someone paid, never make an accusation you know is false (the FTC rule bars that when it’s aimed at getting a review removed), and never make an offer that depends on the customer changing the review.
Fixing the problem is always fine, and FTC staff say the rule doesn’t stop you from asking a customer whose issue you resolved to update the review. Keep the fix separate: no refund or discount that depends on the update, since Google counts that as an incentive.
Flag the reviews that break the rules
Spam, a competitor’s attack or a visit that never happened doesn’t belong on your profile. Report it (opens in a new tab) from Read reviews by selecting Report next to the review. Google says evaluation typically takes several days, and a review that stays up is eligible for one appeal. Honest criticism isn’t grounds for removal; Google says it doesn’t get involved in disputes between businesses and customers.
One case needs its own report: a sudden wave of one- and two-star reviews followed by a demand for money to remove them. That’s an extortion scam. Google says not to engage or pay, to screenshot every message with its date and sender, and to use its extortion report form (opens in a new tab).
Why a steady flow beats a burst
It’s tempting to save review requests for a slow month, then message your whole customer list at once. Asking past customers is allowed, but a sudden spike resembles something Google’s policy lists under rating manipulation:
Content exhibiting unusual volumes or patterns of review contributions that are indicative of efforts to manipulate a place’s rating
FTC staff name the same signal, an unusually large number of reviews in a very short period, as a sign that bought reviews are likely fake. Real reviews can get caught in that net: Google says (opens in a new tab) its automated spam detection occasionally removes legitimate ones by mistake. New reviews can also take a few days to appear (opens in a new tab), and your average up to 2 weeks (opens in a new tab) to update.
Recency matters to readers too. A profile whose newest review is from last winter makes people wonder whether you’re still open. Asking every customer, every week, keeps reviews arriving all year in a pattern that looks like what it is: a busy business with real customers.
Make it someone’s job
Pick one moment and one person. If whoever closes out each job sends the link before starting the next one, asking stops depending on memory. If it still slips, review requests by text can go out automatically each time a job is marked done.
Want the asking to run on its own?
We set up your review link and a QR card for the counter as part of our local SEO work, and our CRM platform can text every customer the request after each job. Packages start at $300/mo, month-to-month. Book a free 30-minute call, or see a free preview of your new homepage first.
Questions
Can I offer a discount or a prize drawing for Google reviews?
Not on Google. Its policy treats payment, discounts and free goods or services offered for a review as fake engagement, and removes those reviews. The FTC rule is narrower, banning rewards tied to a positive or negative review, but Google’s policy decides what stays on your profile.
Can my employees or family members review my business on Google?
No. Google’s policy counts current or former employment and family relationships as conflicts of interest, and it removes that content. The FTC rule uses disclosure requirements instead of a ban, but Google holds your profile to its own, stricter standard.
How many Google reviews do I need?
Google doesn’t publish a target, and we won’t invent one. It says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, and every review carries a date, so customers can see how recent your latest one is. A steady stream from real customers counts for more than any single total.
A customer says they left a review, but I can’t see it. What happened?
Google checks new reviews against its policies first, which can take a few days. If one never appears, it may have been filtered; Google says its spam detection occasionally removes genuine reviews, and that its support team can help when that happens. Don’t ask the customer to post it again and again, since Google doesn’t allow repetitive content.
Will you write reviews or post them for us?
No. We set up the review link, the counter card and, if you want them, automated requests, and your customers write every review. FTC staff say the rule can reach marketing firms as well as their clients, and fake reviews are a line we won’t cross.
Written by Gramberg Media in Lakeville, Minnesota. More guides.