For local businesses, reviews are often the deciding factor. Two similar businesses can look identical until a customer sees that one has many genuine, recent reviews and the other has almost none.

Why Google reviews matter

• They build trust with people who have never heard of you.
• They appear next to your business in Google Search and Maps.
• They give you real customer wording that you can learn from.
• They are one of the signals that help show how well known and trusted a business is locally.

How to ask, and when

The best time to ask is right after a good experience, when the customer is happiest: the job is finished and they have just said thank you. Ask in person or by message, keep it short, and be specific.

Make it easy to leave a review

• Get your direct review link from your Google Business Profile.
• Send it by text or email straight after the job.
• Add it to invoices, receipts and email signatures.
• Use a printed card or QR code that points to the link, if you meet customers in person.
• Keep the request to one step. The fewer taps, the more reviews.

Reply to every review

Thank people for positive reviews and mention something specific. For negative ones, respond calmly, apologise where appropriate, say what you will do and offer to continue offline. Future customers read your replies, and a professional response can turn a bad review into a trust signal.

Rules you must not break

• Do not buy or fake reviews. Google can remove them and penalise your profile.
• Do not offer rewards for reviews, such as discounts or freebies.
• Do not only ask happy customers in a way that blocks unhappy ones. Selective gating breaks platform guidelines.
• Do not review your own business or ask staff to do so.

Read Google’s current policies before you start, since they change. For the wider picture, follow our local SEO checklist.

Frequently asked questions