How to get more Google reviews (without breaking the rules)

Why reviews matter so much for local trades

Google says the number of reviews and your review score are part of how it ranks businesses in local results, alongside how relevant you are to the search and how close you are to the searcher. Just as important, people read them. Someone choosing a plumber or a roofer is trusting a stranger with their home, and a steady run of recent, detailed reviews is the quickest reassurance you can give.

Reviews also feed the answers people get from AI assistants. When someone asks ChatGPT or Google's AI for a recommended trader in their town, the answer is built from what's written about businesses online, and reviews are a big part of that. Recent reviews that mention the job and the town ("replaced our boiler in Poole, tidy and on time") are more useful to readers than a bare five stars.

Step 1: Get your review link and QR code

You need a verified Google Business Profile first. Then:

1. Go to business.google.com and open your profile.
2. Choose Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
3. Copy the short link. On a computer you can also download a QR code.

Save the link somewhere you can paste it quickly from your phone, such as a notes app or a saved WhatsApp message.

Step 2: Ask at the right moment

The best time is when the job is finished and the customer is pleased: when you're packing up, or when they've just paid. Ask in person first ("If you're happy with the work, a Google review would really help a small business like mine"), then send the link the same day while it's fresh. A week later, most people have moved on.

Step 3: Make it a 30-second job

Send the link directly so they don't have to search for you. A short message works best:

Hi Sarah, thanks again for having us today. If you've got a minute, a quick Google review would help us a lot: [your link]. It'd be great if you mention what we did and where. Thanks, Dave

Other easy places for the link or QR code:

• Your invoice or receipt email
• A small card you leave at the end of the job
• The thank-you page on your website after someone sends an enquiry
• Your email signature

If a customer doesn't leave one, one gentle reminder a few days later is fine. More than that starts to feel like pestering.

Step 4: Reply to every review

Replying shows you're active and that you care. Keep it short and personal, and mention the job:

Thanks John, glad the new fence is standing up to the wind in Christchurch. Give us a shout if you ever need anything else.

For a bad review, stay calm. Thank them, acknowledge the problem without arguing, and offer to sort it out by phone. People reading later judge you by how you handle complaints, and a fair reply often counts for more than the review itself.

What not to do

These can get reviews removed, your profile restricted, or worse:

• Don't offer anything in return. Google bans offering discounts, free work or anything else in exchange for a review. In the UK, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has banned concealed incentivised reviews since 6 April 2025, and the Competition and Markets Authority can fine businesses that break the rules.
• Don't only ask the happy ones. Filtering customers so only satisfied people are sent to Google ("review gating") isn't allowed. Ask everyone the same way.
• No fake reviews. Reviews from friends, family or staff who weren't real customers, or bought reviews, are fake reviews. They're banned under the same UK law and Google removes them.
• Don't write reviews for customers or post them from your own phone on their behalf.

A simple routine that works

Ask every customer, every job, the same day. If you finish five jobs a week and one in three customers leaves a review, that's around seven new reviews a month, which soon puts you ahead of most local competitors. A steady stream matters more than a big burst once a year.