Google reviews do two things at once: they help your local search rankings, and they give potential clients a reason to trust you before they’ve spoken to you. Yet most small businesses collect far fewer than they could, simply because they never ask.
Here’s how to change that.
The simplest thing: just ask
The most effective way to get more reviews is to ask satisfied clients directly, at the right moment. The right moment is right after a job is complete or a service is delivered. When the experience is fresh, people are more likely to say yes.
Don’t be vague. Say: ‘It would really help us if you left us a quick review on Google. I can send you the direct link if that makes it easier.’
Make it easy with a direct link
Find your Google Business Profile review link. Go to your profile on Google Maps, click ‘Ask for reviews,’ and copy the short URL Google generates. Put this link in your email signature, follow-up emails, and any post-project communication.
The fewer steps between the ask and the review form, the better.
Build it into your process
A single review request at the end of a project is better than nothing. A systematic process is better still. If you’re running an online store, your post-purchase email sequence is the natural place to work in a review request — 3 to 5 days after delivery, when the product is in their hands.
Respond to every review
Responding to reviews shows prospective clients that you’re engaged and professional. It also signals to Google that you’re an active business. Respond to positive reviews with a genuine, specific reply. Respond to negative reviews calmly and without defensiveness.
A business with 20 reviews and thoughtful responses looks better than a business with 50 reviews and none.
What not to do
- Don’t offer incentives for reviews. Google prohibits it and it undermines trust.
- Don’t ask multiple people to review from the same location or device at once. Google filters for this.
- Don’t ask someone to post a review they didn’t genuinely experience.
What if you get a bad review?
A bad review handled well can build more trust than a page of perfect 5-star ratings. Acknowledge the issue, take responsibility where appropriate, and offer to resolve it. How you handle it tells people more about you than the complaint does.
Read next
Reviews are part of local SEO. For the full picture, read our guide on local SEO vs national SEO and see how reviews fit into the broader strategy.
Need a hand?
We help South African small businesses improve their local search visibility. Our SEO services cover local SEO as part of a broader strategy. Get in touch to talk through where you are.
