How to Get More Google Reviews: Ask Everyone, at the Same Moment

By Friday the job is old news to her. Your profile still shows the same few reviews from last spring, so the next person who compares you with the shop down the road sees nothing new. You do good work every day, and Google never hears about it unless someone asks the customer for a review.

Why asking everyone is safe

So asking everyone costs you very little. On the profiles we track, nearly every review is a good one, and the occasional lower rating makes the good ones easier to believe. Google says the same thing on its own help pages: a mix of positive and negative feedback often feels more trustworthy to the people reading it.

How to get more Google reviews, step by step

This routine works the same for a two-person crew as it does for a busy front desk, and a church or nonprofit can run it after a first visit or an event. Either way, ask the same way every time.

1. Step 1

   Pick one moment and ask everyone

   Choose one point in every job, like when the work is done, and ask every customer there. Only a problem on your side should hold an ask, such as a job that isn't finished or a bill you're still sorting out, and never your guess about how they feel.

2. Step 2

   Say your name early

   Introduce yourself by first name when you arrive and again when you walk them through the work. Customers write about the people who helped them, so a name they remember gives them something to say. Never ask them to mention you, though, because Google doesn't allow requests for a staff member's name.

3. Step 3

   Show them the before and after

   Take before and after photos from the same spot and angle, and show them on your phone while you explain what you did and why. A customer who saw the work and heard it explained has a story to tell when they sit down to write.

4. Step 4

   Ask face to face, then text the link

   Ask in person, then text the link before you drive off, while the job is still fresh. Let them write it later on their own time, because Google doesn't want customers pressured into writing a review while you stand there.

5. Step 5

   Use Google's own link and QR code

   Your Business Profile gives you a short review link and a QR code. Paste the link as plain text so it still works when someone forwards it, and print the QR code on receipts, invoices or a sign by your counter.

6. Step 6

   Write down who you asked

   Keep a simple list with each name and the date you asked. Ask each person once, and don't ask again after someone has already left a review, because a second ask feels like pressure.

7. Step 7

   Reply to every review

   Thank people for good reviews with one detail from what they wrote. On a 1 to 3 star review, slow down and have a second person read your reply before it posts, so it stays calm and never argues. Never share a customer's private details in a reply, and offer a phone call when a problem needs more than a few sentences.

8. Step 8

   Count once a month

   Once a month, count the new reviews, note the date of your newest one and find any review still waiting for a reply. When your newest review is months old, the asking has slipped somewhere, and this count tells you before your customers notice.

What customers write about

Your routine can shrink that last number. A customer who knows your name and saw the before and after photos has something to write about beyond the stars, and the next customer reads those words.

What to text after the job

What Google allows and what it bans

Google removes reviews that break its policy, so learn which habits break the rules before your team picks one up.

Would your review routine pass Google's rules?

Before you leave every job