How to Get More Google Reviews: 9 Honest Ways That Work (2026)

How to get more Google reviews comes down to one habit: ask every happy customer, at the moment the job is done, with a direct Google review link or QR code they can use in seconds. Make asking a routine, follow up once, reply to every review, and never offer a reward in exchange. Consistency beats clever tricks.

Reviews are one of the first things I look at when I take on a monthly local SEO client in London, because they sit right next to your business on Google Maps and in Search. Below you’ll find exactly how to create your review link, when to ask, what to say (with copy and paste templates), what Google and UK law don’t allow, and a simple 30 day plan to get the ball rolling.

Why do Google reviews matter for a small business?

Google reviews matter because they affect both whether people find you and whether they choose you. Google’s own guide to local ranking says results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence, and that prominence is partly based on how many reviews you have: “More reviews and positive ratings can help your business’s local ranking.”

Then there’s the human side. When someone in Clapham searches for a plumber, a dentist or a café, they see your star rating and review count before they ever reach your website. Two businesses side by side on the map, one with a handful of old reviews and one with a steady stream of recent ones: you already know which gets the call.

How do I get a Google review link or QR code?

You get your Google review link and QR code from your Google Business Profile, and it only takes a minute. This link opens the review box on your listing directly, so customers don’t have to search for you, pick the right business from a list and hunt for the button. That friction is where most reviews are lost.

According to Google’s help page on review links, the steps are:

1. Go to your Business Profile while signed in to the Google account that manages it.
2. Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
3. Select Copy to copy the link, or right click the QR code and save the image.
4. Test the link on your own phone before you send it to anyone.

One catch worth knowing: Google says review QR codes can currently only be generated in a computer browser, not on a mobile. So if you can’t see the QR code option on your phone, that’s why. If your profile isn’t verified or isn’t appearing at all, sort that first with my guide on why a business is not showing on Google Maps.

When is the best time to ask for a Google review?

The best time to ask for a Google review is straight after the customer has had the good experience: when the job is signed off, the bill is paid or the order arrives. Ask too early and there’s nothing to review. Ask a month later and the warm feeling has gone.

The trick is to tie the ask to something that already happens in your business, so you never have to remember. Here’s how I’d set it up for common types of London small business:

Ask in person too, if you can. A quick “if you’ve got a minute, a Google review would really help us” from the person who did the work is hard to ignore, especially when the link lands on their phone a few hours later.

What should I say when asking for a Google review?

Keep the message short, personal and neutral: thank them, mention the job, ask for an honest review and include the link. Never suggest a star rating or write a message that only makes sense if they loved you. Here are three templates you can copy and adapt.

Text or WhatsApp: “Hi Sarah, thanks for having us in to fix the boiler today. If you’ve got a minute, an honest Google review really helps other people in Clapham find us: [link]. Thanks, Dan”

Email: Subject: “How did we do, James?” Then: “Thanks for choosing us for your tax return this year. If you have a couple of minutes, we’d really appreciate a Google review about your experience. It helps other local businesses decide if we’re right for them. [Leave a Google review]”

In person: “We’re a small local business and Google reviews make a huge difference to us. I’ll text you a link, it takes about a minute.”

Follow up once, a few days later, if they haven’t left one. After that, leave it. Chasing people three or four times turns a happy customer into an annoyed one.

How to get more Google reviews: a 9 point checklist

If you want more Google reviews every month rather than a one off burst, work through this checklist. Most businesses I speak to are doing two or three of these, not all nine.

1. Create and test your review link and QR code from your Google Business Profile.
2. Pick one trigger moment (job signed off, bill paid, order delivered) and ask every customer at that point.
3. Save your templates in your phone or email so sending the ask takes ten seconds.
4. Put the QR code where customers stand: counter, reception desk, table cards, van door, the back of your business card.
5. Add the link to everything you already send: invoices, receipts, thank you emails and your email signature.
6. Add a “Review us on Google” button to your website, ideally on the contact page and the thank you page after an enquiry or order.
7. Brief your staff so everyone asks the same way, at the same moment.
8. Follow up once a few days later, then stop.
9. Reply to reviews so customers can see someone real is listening.

Point 6 is the one most small businesses miss, usually because their website makes it awkward. When I build a website I can put the review button and your best reviews exactly where people decide to get in touch, so the site and your Google profile work together instead of separately.

Can I offer a discount or reward for Google reviews?

No. Google’s tips to get more reviews state that offering incentives, like free or discounted goods or services, in exchange for customers posting, changing or removing reviews is fake engagement and is strictly prohibited. That includes prize draws and “10% off your next visit” style offers.

In the UK it’s also a legal issue now. Since 6 April 2025 the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 lists submitting or commissioning fake reviews, or reviews that conceal they were incentivised, as a banned practice. The Competition and Markets Authority’s short guide for businesses explains what this means in practice.

Google’s Maps content policy also rules out “review gating”: discouraging negative reviews or selectively asking only happy customers. Here’s a quick summary:

The risk isn’t worth it. Breaking the rules can lead to reviews being removed or restrictions on your profile, and that’s far harder to recover from than a slow month of reviews.

How should I reply to Google reviews?

Reply to reviews briefly, politely and personally, and treat negative reviews as a chance to show future customers how you handle problems. Google’s guidance is to keep replies short, be professional, avoid promotional offers in replies and never share a reviewer’s private information.

• Positive review: thank them by name and mention something specific about the job, so it doesn’t read like a copy and paste reply.
• Negative review: apologise where it’s fair, explain briefly without arguing, and invite them to call or email so you can put it right offline.
• Fake or abusive review: reply calmly if needed, then flag it to Google as breaking its policies. Don’t get drawn into a public row.

Replying also reminds customers who are reading that reviews are noticed, which quietly encourages more of them. For the rest of your profile, my Google Business Profile checklist covers photos, posts, categories and the other settings that matter.

Do more Google reviews help you rank higher on Google Maps?

Yes, they can help, but they’re not the whole story. Google confirms that the number of reviews and positive ratings feed into prominence, one of the three main local ranking factors alongside relevance and distance. Relevance still depends on your categories, services and the content on your website, and you can’t change how far a searcher is from you.

In practice, I see reviews work best as a multiplier. A business with a complete profile, a fast website that clearly explains its services and areas, and a steady flow of reviews is in a strong position. A business with lots of reviews but a thin website and the wrong category often still struggles to show up for the searches that bring in work.

What I would do in your first 30 days

If you’re starting from a standing start, this is the simple plan I’d follow. It takes an hour or two to set up, then a few seconds per customer.

• Week 1: check your Google Business Profile is verified and accurate, create your review link and QR code, and write your three templates.
• Week 2: personally message your most recent customers (the last month or so) with a short, honest ask.
• Week 3: add the link to invoices, receipts and your email signature, print the QR code for your counter or van, and add a review button to your website.
• Week 4: reply to every new review, check which ask is working best, and make it part of how every job ends.

Turn your reviews into more calls and enquiries

Learning how to get more Google reviews comes down to three habits: make it easy with a direct link, ask everyone at the right moment, and keep it honest. Do that consistently and your profile builds the kind of trust that turns a search into a phone call.

If you’d rather spend your time running the business while someone makes sure you’re actually being found on Google, that’s what I do. I build new WordPress websites for small businesses with on-page SEO included from day one, and I offer monthly SEO for existing sites, including local SEO and map results. Book a free consultation or call or WhatsApp me on 07404 145722, and let’s get more of the right customers finding you.

Frequently asked questions about Google reviews