How to Get Google Reviews: 10 Methods That Work (the Right Way)

The rules: what Google and the FTC allow

Before you ask anyone, know where the lines are. Google removes reviews that break its policies, and in 2024 the Federal Trade Commission finalized a rule that bans fake reviews and several deceptive review practices nationwide. A review strategy that breaks these rules can get reviews deleted, your profile flagged, and your business exposed to legal risk.

Step zero: get your Business Profile ready

Reviews attach to your Google Business Profile, so make sure it is in good shape before you start sending people to it. A complete profile also reassures customers who land on it to write their review.

• Verify the profile. You need a verified profile to reply to reviews and manage them.
• Check the basics: business name (no keyword stuffing), primary category, hours, phone number and website.
• Add real photos of your storefront, team and work so customers recognize the business they are reviewing.
• Test your review link on your own phone before sending it to anyone.

How to get Google reviews: 10 methods that work

1. Get your direct review link and use it everywhere

Your review link opens the "rate and review" window directly, which removes the biggest source of friction. You can copy it from your Business Profile in Google Search ("Ask for reviews") or build it from your Place ID. We walk through both options in our Google review QR code guide.

2. Ask in person, at the peak moment

The best time to ask is right after the customer says something positive: "This looks great," "Thanks, that was fast." A short, sincere ask works better than a script read word for word. See our examples of how to ask for Google reviews for phrasing that does not feel pushy.

3. Send a text message after the visit

A text with your link, sent the same day, reaches customers when the experience is still fresh and the link is one tap away. In the US, get the customer's consent to receive texts (for example, a checkbox when they book), include your business name, offer a way to opt out ("Reply STOP to opt out"), and avoid texting before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in their time zone. This is general information, not legal advice: check the TCPA and your state's rules with a professional.

4. Follow up by email

Email works well for appointment-based and online businesses, where you already send a confirmation or invoice. Keep it short, put the link in a button near the top, and send it within a day or two of the service.

5. Put a QR code where customers wait or pay

A QR code on the counter, a table tent or the waiting room wall lets customers leave a review on the spot with their phone camera. Print it large enough to scan from where people actually stand, and add a short line of text explaining what it does.

6. Add the link to receipts, invoices and your website

Every document a customer receives after paying is a chance to ask. Add a one-line request with the link (or the QR code) to printed receipts, PDF invoices, your email signature and your website's "thank you" or contact page.

7. Make asking part of your team's routine

Reviews stall when asking depends on one person remembering. Decide who asks, at what moment and through which channel, and write it into your checkout or job-completion checklist. Never tie reviews to staff bonuses tied to star ratings: that pushes employees toward gating or pressure.

8. Reply to every review

Replies show future customers that someone reads the reviews and cares, which makes them more likely to leave one too. Thank positive reviewers by name and handle critical ones calmly. Our guide on how to respond to Google reviews has examples for every star rating.

9. Show customers how it works

Some customers have never written a Google review and quietly give up. Add one line to your request: "Tap the link, pick the stars, add a sentence about your visit, and tap Post." Customers usually need to be signed in to a Google account to post.

10. Send one reminder, not five

If a customer did not respond, one friendly reminder a few days later is reasonable. More than that starts to feel like pressure and can generate exactly the kind of review you were hoping to avoid.

Which method works best for your type of business

The right moment and channel depend on how your customers interact with you. Use this table as a starting point, then adjust based on what you see in your own results.

A 15-minute weekly review routine

Consistency beats bursts. A steady flow of recent reviews looks more trustworthy to customers than a spike followed by months of silence, and it is far easier to sustain.

1. 1

   List last week's customers

   Pull the names and numbers of everyone you served who has not been asked yet.

2. 2

   Send your requests

   Send each one a short text or email with your review link. Ask everyone, not just the customers who seemed happiest.

3. 3

   Reply to every new review

   Thank, address concerns, and invite unhappy customers to continue the conversation offline.

4. 4

   Check your numbers

   Note your review count and average rating in a simple spreadsheet each month to see whether the routine is working.

5. 5

   Share the wins

   Read a great review to your team. It reinforces the habit of asking.

What to do when a negative review comes in

Every business that asks for reviews will eventually get a critical one. Do not panic and do not argue publicly. Reply calmly, acknowledge the issue, and offer a way to make it right. If the review is fake, off-topic or abusive, you can report it: our guide on how to remove a Google review explains what Google will and will not take down.

The best long-term protection is volume. One negative review among hundreds of honest, recent ones barely moves your rating and gives readers context.

How EasyReviews helps

EasyReviews turns these methods into a few taps on your phone:

• Text review requests with your direct Google link, sent from an EasyReviews number so your personal number stays private.
• A review QR code ready to download and print for your counter, cards or invoices.
• AI-drafted replies to every review, which you read, edit and approve before anything is posted.

It works with Google Business Profile on web, iOS and Android, and you can manage several locations from one dashboard. See plans and pricing.

Frequently asked questions