How to Get More Google Reviews (the Right Way)
You do good work, your customers are happy, and yet your Google profile has a handful of reviews while a competitor has hundreds. The difference is almost never the quality of the work. It's that they ask, every time. Here's how to get more Google reviews steadily, without breaking any rules.
Reviews are one of the five parts of our contractor marketing guide, and one of the quickest to improve. This post covers getting your review link, when and how to ask, reaching old customers, replying, and handling a review that breaks the rules.
Why do Google reviews matter for contractors?
Reviews help you show up and help you get chosen. Google counts reviews as part of how well known your business is, and homeowners read them to decide who to trust inside their home. Recent reviews matter most.
- 97%read reviews for local businesses
- 74%look for reviews from the last three months
- 47%won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews
Google's own help page says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking (source: Google).
How do you get your Google review link?
Open your Business Profile on a computer, go to Reviews, choose "Get more reviews", and copy the link. You can also save a QR code there for invoices, business cards or your truck. QR codes can only be made on a computer, not a phone.
- Open your profileSign in at business.google.com on a computer.
- Read reviewsOpen the Reviews section.
- Get more reviewsChoose the share option.
- Copy or saveCopy the link, or save the QR code.
Those steps are from Google’s review link help page. Save the link in your phone so it's ready to paste after every job.
When is the best time to ask for a review?
Right after the job is finished and the customer is happy, ideally the same day. That's when they remember the details and feel good about the work. Wait a week and most people forget.
For longer jobs, like a roof or a patio, ask at the final walkthrough, when the customer sees the finished result. If there's an open issue or the final payment is in dispute, sort that out first.
Ask in person, then follow up. Mention it while you're wrapping up, then send a text with the link that evening. The text is what actually gets it done.
How do you ask for a review without being pushy?
Keep it short, personal and easy. Thank them, ask if they'd share their experience, and send a direct link so leaving a review takes one tap. Don't tell them what to write or what rating to give.
Text message
Hi Sarah, thanks again for having us out today. If you have a minute, would you leave us a quick Google review? It really helps a small business like ours. Here's the link: [your review link]
In person, something like: "If you're happy with how it turned out, a Google review would really help us. I'll text you the link tonight." That's it.
Setup for your profile is covered in our Google Business Profile guide for contractors.
How do you get more Google reviews from old customers?
Go back through past jobs and send a short, friendly message to customers who never left one. Many were happy and simply never got asked. Send each person one message with the link, and don't keep chasing.
Start with recent jobs and work backward. A personal note that mentions the job ("the patio we built in June") gets a much better response than a generic blast. Send them over a few weeks, not all on one day.
Should your crew ask for reviews?
Yes, your crew is often the one the customer liked. Teach them a simple, honest ask. But don't give them review quotas or have customers mention a crew member by name for credit; Google's policy doesn't allow that.
Google’s policy says businesses shouldn't ask staff to collect a set number of reviews, or reviews with specific content such as naming an employee. Keep it simple: "If you're happy with the work, a Google review would help us a lot."
How do you get reviews from customers who aren't online much?
Make it as simple as possible. Print your QR code on the invoice or a leave-behind card, offer to text the link to a family member who helps them, and don't push. Some customers never leave reviews, and that's fine.
For older customers, a short printed card with the QR code and one line ("Scan to tell others about your experience") works better than a long email. Thank them either way.
What are you not allowed to do?
Don't pay for reviews, don't offer discounts or gifts for them, don't write fake ones, and don't ask only the customers you think will be happy. Google removes these reviews, and the FTC can fine businesses for fake ones.
Fine to do
- Ask every customer for an honest review
- Send your review link by text or email
- Put a QR code on invoices
- Reply to every review
- Give unhappy customers a way to reach you
Don't do it
- Offer a discount or gift for a review
- Ask only customers you know are happy
- Write reviews for yourself or have friends do it
- Buy reviews
- Pressure people to change a review
Google's review tips page says offering incentives like free or discounted services for reviews is strictly prohibited. The FTC's guide for businesses says don’t ask for reviews only from customers you think will leave positive ones.
In 2024 the FTC also finalized a rule banning fake reviews, and its questions and answers say courts can impose civil penalties for knowing violations. Google's rule on incentives is stricter than the FTC's, so follow Google's.
How should you reply to reviews?
Reply to as many as you can. A short thank-you on good reviews shows you're paying attention, and a calm, helpful reply to a bad one shows future customers how you handle problems. Never argue in public.
You have to verify your business before you can reply. Google says helpful replies show you're responsive to customers, and in BrightLocal's 2026 survey 89% of consumers said they expect owners to respond.
| Review | Example reply |
|---|---|
| 5 stars | Thanks, Mike! It was a pleasure replacing your water heater. Call us anytime. |
| 3 stars | Thanks for the feedback, Jen. We're sorry the cleanup didn't meet your standard. Please call us at [number] so we can make it right. |
| 1 star | We're sorry to hear this. We take it seriously and would like to talk it through. Please call [name] at [number]. |
Keep bad-review replies short. The reply is really for the next person reading it.
Can you remove a bad Google review?
Only if it breaks Google's policies, like spam, a fake review, or a review about a different business. Google says not to report a review just because you disagree with it. You can flag it from your profile and appeal once if it stays up.
That's from Google’s page on reporting reviews. For a real but unfair review, the best answer is a calm reply and more good reviews on top of it.
How can you make asking automatic?
Use a system that sends the review request for you once a job is marked done, so no customer gets missed on a busy week. Consistency matters more than any clever wording.
That's what our Google reviews management does: automatic requests after each job, plus replies and a relaunch campaign for old customers on the Scale plan. Every customer still gets the public review link, whatever their experience.
Showing those reviews on your site matters too. See the reviews section of our contractor website checklist.
From Collin
What I set up for clients: about three hours after a customer pays, they get an email or a text asking for a review, with a link to a review page built to make it quick.
Frequently asked questions
How many Google reviews does a contractor need?
There's no magic number, but in BrightLocal's 2026 survey 47% of consumers said they won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews. Aim for a steady flow, since recent reviews matter most.
Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google prohibits offering incentives like discounts or free services for reviews.
Should I reply to every review?
Reply to as many as you can, especially negative ones. Keep replies short, polite and never argue.
Can I ask a customer to change a bad review?
You can fix the problem and let them decide. Don't offer anything in exchange for changing or removing a review.
Where do I find my Google review link?
In your Business Profile on a computer: open Reviews, choose "Get more reviews", then copy the link or save the QR code.
Quick summary
- To get more Google reviews, ask every happy customer, every time.
- Copy your review link from your profile on a computer and keep it in your phone.
- Ask the same day in person, then text the link.
- Never pay, offer rewards, write fake reviews or ask only happy customers.
- Reply to reviews, and automate asking so nobody gets missed.