How to Get More Google Reviews (Without Breaking the Rules)

The way to get more Google reviews is to ask every customer, at the moment they are happiest, with a direct link or QR code that takes them straight to your review form. Make it part of your routine, reply to the reviews you get, and never offer anything in return, because Google prohibits incentivised reviews.

This guide covers when to ask, how to create your review link, the wording and channels that work, how to reply, and exactly what Google’s policies and consumer law rule out.

Reviews are one part of local search. If you have not set up the rest of your profile properly yet, my guide on how to optimise your Google Business Profile is the place to start.

Why Google reviews matter

Google says local results depend mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and that the number of reviews and the ratings a business has feed into prominence. So reviews can help you appear in the map results in the first place.

They matter even more once you are there. A searcher looking at three businesses side by side will read the rating, the number of reviews, the most recent ones and how the owner replied. That is often what decides who gets the call.

Reviews also tell you things. Patterns in what customers praise or complain about are free feedback on your service.

When is the best time to ask for a review?

The best time to ask is straight after a good experience, while it is fresh: when a job is signed off, a product is delivered and working, or a customer thanks you. Ask in person if you can, then send the link the same day. People are far less likely to bother a week later, when the moment has passed.

Map the points in your process where customers are naturally pleased. For a tradesperson, that is the end of the job. For a restaurant, it might be when the bill is paid. For a service with a longer relationship, such as an accountant, it might be after a deadline is met.

Avoid asking at moments of friction, such as when you send a final invoice or chase a payment.

How to create your Google review link and QR code

Google provides a short link and a QR code that open your review form directly, so customers do not have to search for you. According to Google’s help page on creating a link or QR code to request reviews, the steps are:

1. On a computer, go to business.google.com and sign in to your Business Profile.
2. Select “Read reviews”, then “Get more reviews”.
3. Copy the link, or right-click the QR code and save the image.

The same page says QR codes can only be generated on a computer browser at present. Save both somewhere your whole team can find them.

Ways to ask for reviews

The more channels you use, the more reviews you will get, as long as each customer is asked once or twice rather than repeatedly. Google’s help page mentions email, WhatsApp and Facebook as ways to share the link.

• In person: a simple, sincere request when the customer is pleased, followed by the link.
• Text or WhatsApp: short and personal, sent the same day.
• Email: a follow-up after the job or order, with the link as a clear button.
• Printed QR code: on receipts, invoices, delivery notes, the counter or a card left after a job.
• Your website: on the thank-you page after a booking or purchase.
• Email signature: a quiet, always-on prompt for regular contacts.

Keep the message short and do not tell people what to write. Here is a simple template you can adapt:

Thanks again for choosing us today. If you have a minute, we would really appreciate an honest review on Google. It helps other people nearby find us. Here is the link: [your review link]

Notice the word “honest”. You are asking for a review, not a five-star review.

What Google prohibits

Google’s prohibited and restricted content policy for Maps sets out what is not allowed. Fake engagement is removed, incentivised reviews are removed, and businesses must not discourage negative reviews or selectively ask only for positive ones.

Review gating catches out a lot of businesses. A common version is a tool that asks “How was your experience?” and only sends happy customers to Google while unhappy ones go to a private form. That is selectively soliciting positive reviews, which the policy rules out.

Reviews from staff are a conflict of interest under the same policy, which names current or former employment as an example. If you want to know more about why shortcuts like these backfire, read my piece on why black hat SEO is dangerous.

What the law says about fake and incentivised reviews

Google’s rules are not the only ones. In many countries, fake reviews are a consumer law issue as well as a platform one.

In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission announced a final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials on 14 August 2024. It covers fake reviews (including AI-generated ones), buying positive or negative reviews, undisclosed insider reviews and review suppression through threats or intimidation.

In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority published a short guide for businesses on consumer reviews on 4 April 2025. It describes fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews as banned practices, and warns against writing or commissioning fake reviews.

Note the difference. The law in some places focuses on hidden incentives, while Google does not allow incentives for reviews at all, disclosed or not. Follow the stricter rule. This is a summary, not legal advice, so check the rules where you trade.

How to reply to reviews

Replies show future customers how you treat people. Google notifies the reviewer when you reply, and other searchers read your replies alongside the reviews.

• Reply to positive reviews with something specific: mention the job, the product or the person who helped.
• Do not paste the same “Thanks for your review!” under every one.
• Keep replies short, polite and free of sales pitches or offers.
• Never share a customer’s private details in a reply.

For negative reviews, wait until you are calm. Thank them for the feedback, acknowledge what went wrong without arguing, say what you have done or will do about it, and invite them to call or email so you can sort it out. A good reply to a fair complaint can win you more trust than a five-star review.

What to do about fake or unfair reviews

You cannot delete a review yourself. You can report it, and Google says it only removes reviews that break its policies. That includes fake engagement, off-topic content, harassment and conflicts of interest, such as reviews from current or former employees.

Report a review from your profile by choosing “Read reviews” and the report option next to it. Google also offers a Reviews Management Tool where you can check the status of reports and appeal a decision. Do not report a review just because it is negative or you disagree with it; reply to it instead.

Common mistakes that cost reviews

• Asking once in a while instead of building it into every job or order.
• Sending people to your profile and making them hunt for the review button.
• Waiting weeks before asking.
• Running a review competition or offering a discount “for any review”.
• Using a feedback tool that filters unhappy customers away from Google.
• Getting staff, friends or family to post reviews.
• Ignoring reviews, or replying angrily to bad ones.

FAQs

Can I ask customers for Google reviews?

Yes. Google actively encourages businesses to ask, and gives you a review link and QR code for that purpose. What you cannot do is offer anything in exchange, ask only customers you expect to be happy, or tell people what to write. Ask everyone in the same way, and ask for an honest review rather than a five-star one.

Can I pay for Google reviews?

No. Buying reviews breaks Google’s policies, and incentivised or fake reviews are removed. In the US the FTC’s rule bans buying reviews, and in the UK the CMA treats fake reviews as a banned practice. Beyond the legal risk, if Google removes bought reviews, the money you spent goes with them.

Why did some of my Google reviews disappear?

Google removes reviews it believes break its policies, including fake reviews, incentivised reviews, reviews with a conflict of interest and content posted from multiple accounts by one person. If you ever ran a review incentive or asked staff to post, those reviews are the likely losses. Asking every customer honestly, over time, avoids the problem.

Can I remove a bad Google review?

Not directly. You can report a review that breaks Google’s policies, such as one that is fake, abusive or about a different business, and Google decides whether to remove it. A review that is simply negative will stay. In that case, a calm, helpful public reply is your best response, because future customers will read it.

Want more reviews coming in every week?

The businesses with the most reviews are rarely doing anything clever. They ask every customer, every time, and reply to what comes back. If you would like help building that into your process, alongside your profile and the rest of your local SEO checklist, take a look at my Google Business Profile services.