The way to get more Google reviews is to ask every happy customer personally, straight after the job, with a direct link that takes them to the review box in one tap. Then reply to every review you get, good or bad. That's it: no tricks, no incentives, because offering discounts or only asking happy customers breaks Google's rules and, since April 2025, can break UK consumer law.
Below are the 8 steps we use for our own profile (5.0 from 9 Google reviews, every one of them 5 star) and for the businesses whose Google profiles we manage, with message templates you can copy.
Why Google reviews matter for a small business
Reviews do two jobs. They help you show up in the Google Maps results for searches like "plumber near me", and they persuade the people who find you to pick up the phone. Google says local results are based on relevance, distance and prominence, and that review count and review score factor into local ranking.
If you'd rather not chase reviews and write replies yourself, our Google Business Profile management (£85 a month) includes profile setup, optimisation, posts and review replies, with no lock in contract.
1. Get your Google Business Profile right first
Before you ask anyone, make sure the profile they land on looks trustworthy: correct name, phone number, hours, service areas, categories and some real photos. A half empty profile wastes the review you've just asked for. Our step by step guide to getting your business on Google covers the setup.
2. Get your direct review link
In your Google Business Profile, choose Ask for reviews (or Get more reviews) and Google gives you a short link. Anyone who taps it goes straight to the star rating box, with no searching.
Save that link somewhere you can grab it in seconds: your phone's notes, your email signature, your invoice template. Turn it into a QR code too, for counters, receipts and the back of a business card.
3. Ask at the right moment
Ask when the customer is happiest, which is usually the moment the job is finished: the boiler is working, the website is live, the class has ended. A week later, they've moved on.
The best person to ask is whoever did the work. A request from "Alex, who built your site" gets a reply. A request from a no reply address gets ignored.
4. Send a short, personal message
Keep it short, use their name, mention the job, and include the link. Here's a text you can copy:
Hi Sarah, thanks again for having us out to fix the boiler today. If you've got a minute, a quick Google review really helps a small business like ours: [your link]. Thanks, Dave
And an email version:
Subject: Thanks from [business name]
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for choosing us for your new website. It's been great working with you. If you're happy with how it went, would you mind leaving us a short Google review? It takes a minute and helps other small businesses find us: [your link]
Thanks,
Alex
Send it to every customer, not only the ones you think loved it. That matters for the rules in step 7.
5. Follow up once, then leave it
Plenty of people mean to leave a review and forget. One polite reminder about a week later is fine. More than that starts to feel like pressure, and Google specifically says businesses shouldn't pressure people into reviews.
6. Make it part of how every job ends
Reviews come from habits, not campaigns. Add "send review link" to the end of your job checklist, your invoice email or your booking system, so it happens every time without anyone remembering. A steady trickle of fresh reviews looks better to customers than a burst from two years ago.
7. Stay inside Google's rules and UK law
This is where most guides go vague, so here it is plainly.
Google's review policy says businesses must not:
- Offer incentives, such as payment, discounts or free goods or services, in exchange for reviews
- Discourage negative reviews, or selectively ask only happy customers (often called review gating)
- Pressure customers to leave a review while they're on your premises
- Ask for reviews that include specific content, such as naming a member of staff
- Post reviews where there's a conflict of interest, such as staff, family or business partners reviewing you
UK law now backs this up. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 banned fake reviews, and concealed incentivised reviews, from 6 April 2025. The Competition and Markets Authority's fake reviews guidance (CMA208) also covers suppressing negative reviews and cherry picking positive ones, and the CMA can now fine businesses directly, up to 10% of global turnover.
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Ask every customer, with the same message | Only send the link to customers you know are happy |
| Make it easy with a direct link or QR code | Offer a discount, prize draw or freebie for a review |
| Ask once, remind once | Stand over someone while they write it |
| Let them write whatever they like | Tell them what to say or which staff member to name |
| Report reviews that break Google's policy | Buy reviews or ask friends and family to post them |
8. Reply to every review
Replies show future customers that a real person is paying attention. Keep them short, use the reviewer's name, and mention the job naturally.
For a 5 star review:
Thanks so much, Jo. It was a pleasure building your new website, and we're really glad it's working well for you. Here whenever you need changes. Alex and Ella
For a disappointing review:
Hi Tom, thanks for taking the time to tell us. I'm sorry the job didn't go the way you expected. I'd like to put it right, so please call or email me directly and I'll look into it straight away. Dave
Never argue in public. The reply isn't really for the reviewer; it's for the next twenty people who read it. If a review is fake or breaks Google's rules, report it from your Business Profile rather than replying angrily.
Put your reviews to work on your website
Reviews shouldn't only live on Google. Put two or three of the most specific ones right beside your call or quote button. When we rebuilt the website for Mark Thompson (Leeds) Ltd, their reviews and 5.0 Which? Trusted Traders rating went at the top of every service page. The site went from zero enquiries to 16 in its first month and now brings in 25 or more leads every month.
The best reviews to feature mention a result. One of ours:
"Alex created a new website for us at Mark Thompson (Leeds) Ltd, it has generated lots of additional work for us and couldn't be happier" Sam Thompson
Another, from the organiser of a charity event whose social media we took over, names the result in his own words:
"Our following grew rapidly, and continues to do so. The Elliot James Bransby Memorial Shield is now in a much stronger place." David Bransby
How reviews fit into local SEO
Reviews are one part of local SEO, alongside a complete Google profile, consistent business details across the web, and service and area pages on your website. If you want the bigger picture, read what local SEO is and how it works, or start with our beginner's guide to SEO for small businesses.
Want your Google profile set up properly, posted on regularly and every review answered for you? Book a free 30 minute call and we'll look at your profile with you. You'll speak directly to Alex or Ella, and we reply within 1 business day.
Written by Alex Freeman, cofounder of Marketing Handled. Alex holds a First Class degree in Computer Science from Newcastle University and runs the SEO and Google Business Profile work for our clients.
FAQs
How do I get more Google reviews for my business?
Ask every customer personally, straight after the job, and send them your direct Google review link by text or email. Make it part of how every job ends, follow up once, and reply to every review you receive.
Can I offer an incentive for Google reviews?
No. Google's policy bans offering payment, discounts or free goods or services for reviews, and those reviews can be removed. In the UK, concealed incentivised reviews are also covered by the fake review rules in force since 6 April 2025.
How do I send someone my Google review link?
Open your Google Business Profile, choose Ask for reviews, and copy the short link Google gives you. Paste it into a text, email or invoice, or turn it into a QR code for your counter or business cards.
Can I remove a bad Google review?
Only if it breaks Google's policies, for example if it's fake, offensive or from someone who was never a customer. You can report it from your Business Profile; otherwise, reply calmly and offer to put things right.
How many Google reviews does a small business need?
There's no magic number, but a steady flow of recent reviews matters more than a big total from years ago. Aim to ask every customer, and the numbers follow.