Free guide
How to get more reviews: the complete guide for local businesses.
Reviews decide who gets the call. They lift you on Google Maps, persuade the people comparing you with competitors, and give AI assistants the evidence they need to recommend you. This guide shows you how to build a steady flow of genuine reviews, step by step, using nothing but your phone and ten minutes a week.
In this guide
Everything in one place
Why it matters
Why reviews matter more than ever
Google says the number and quality of your reviews are part of how it decides which businesses to show in its local results. Just as important, reviews are what a customer reads in the few seconds they spend choosing between the three businesses in the map box. A rival with 140 recent, detailed reviews looks safer than one with 12 from three years ago, even if your work is better.
AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews lean on reviews too. When someone asks for “a reliable electrician in Bolton”, these tools look for businesses that many customers describe in similar, specific terms. Reviews that mention the job, the town and what went well give them exactly that evidence.
The good news: winning more reviews is mostly about having a simple routine and sticking to it. You do not need special software or a big budget.
Higher on the map
More recent reviews are one of the signals behind Google Maps rankings.
Recommended by AI
Detailed reviews give AI assistants a reason to name your business.
More calls from the same views
A strong rating and recent comments turn more searchers into enquiries.
The method
The 6-step review system
Businesses that collect reviews steadily all do roughly the same six things. None of them takes more than a few minutes.
01
Get your review link
Copy your direct Google review link and save it on your phone, so asking takes seconds. The next section shows you where to find it.
02
Choose the moment
Ask when the customer is happiest: the job is finished, the result is in front of them, or they have just thanked you.
03
Ask in person, then send the link
Say it out loud first, then text or email the link within the hour while the experience is fresh.
04
Make it everyone’s job
Put the request into your routine: job sign-off, appointment checkout, invoice email. Ask every customer, not just the ones you expect to be glowing.
05
Answer each review
Thank people by name and mention the job. Replies show future customers you care and encourage others to leave one.
06
Check progress monthly
Note how many new reviews arrived and from which method. Do more of what works.
Want the longer version, with tools and a weekly routine? Read how to build a review generation system.
Step one
Getting your Google review link and QR code
Your review link opens the review box for your business straight away, so customers never have to search for you.
- Sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile.
- Open your profile: search your business name on Google, or go to business.google.com.
- Choose Read reviews, then Get more reviews (on some screens this is labelled Ask for reviews).
- Click Copy to copy the link, or save the QR code image to print.
- Save the link as a text shortcut or note on your phone, and in your email signature.
Use the QR code everywhere customers wait or pay: on the counter, on a card left after a job, on invoices, on the back of business cards and in your van window. Test it with your own phone before printing.
No Business Profile yet, or cannot get into it? Start with our Google Business Profile guide.
Asking well
When and how to ask
Timing matters more than wording. Ask while the customer is still pleased, and make it effortless.
| Method | When | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| In person | At the end of the job or appointment | The most effective way. A friendly, direct request gets far more yeses than an email alone. |
| Text message | Within an hour of finishing | Highest response for most local businesses. Keep it to two lines plus the link. |
| Same day, or with the invoice | Good for bigger projects and professional services. Put the link near the top. | |
| If you already chat with the customer there | Feels personal. Send it in the same thread you used to arrange the work. | |
| QR code | At the counter, on cards, invoices and vans | Ideal for shops, salons, clinics and restaurants where people are with you in person. |
| One reminder | Three to five days later | A single polite reminder often doubles responses. Never send more than one. |
Getting reviews that actually help
A review that says “Great service” is nice. A review that says “Replaced our boiler in Harrogate in a day, tidy and well priced” is far more useful, to customers, to Google and to AI assistants. You cannot tell people what to write, but you can make it easy to be specific:
- Remind them what you did: “It would really help if you mentioned the boiler swap.”
- Mention the area naturally in conversation, so they are likely to include it.
- Ask open questions in your message, such as “What made the biggest difference for you?”
- Never write the review for them or offer suggested wording to paste.
Copy and adapt
Messages you can copy
Short, personal and honest works best. Change the details to suit your business.
In person
“I’m really glad you’re happy with it. Reviews make a huge difference to a small business like ours. Would you mind leaving us a quick one on Google if I text you the link?”
Text message
“Hi Sarah, thanks again for choosing us for the new bathroom. If you have a minute, a short Google review would really help us: [your link] — Dan, Smith Bathrooms”
“Subject: Thank you, and a small favour. It was a pleasure helping with your move. If you were happy with how it went, we would be grateful for a review on Google: [your link]. It only takes a minute and helps other local people find a removal firm they can trust.”
More wording for different situations, including follow-ups and repeat customers: review request templates for local businesses.
Where to collect them
Where to collect reviews, by industry
Google comes first for almost everyone. Then add the one or two sites your customers actually check before choosing.
| Type of business | Where to focus, after Google |
|---|---|
| Every local business | Google (your top priority), then Facebook recommendations. Trustpilot, Yell and Nextdoor are worth having where your customers use them. |
| Trades and home improvement | Checkatrade (which now includes Rated People), TrustATrader, MyBuilder and Which? Trusted Traders. Choose one or two that customers in your area recognise. |
| Restaurants, pubs, hotels and attractions | Tripadvisor, plus your booking platform's reviews (OpenTable for restaurants; Booking.com and Airbnb for stays). |
| Dental, medical and therapy clinics | Doctify and iWantGreatCare, alongside Google. Check your regulator's rules on testimonials first. |
| Hair, beauty and wellbeing | Reviews inside your booking app, such as Treatwell, Fresha or Booksy, as well as Google. |
| Solicitors and legal services | ReviewSolicitors, together with Google. |
| Financial advisers, mortgage brokers and accountants | VouchedFor is widely used by advisers; Google and Trustpilot for everyone else. |
| Estate and letting agents | allAgents and Google. |
| Weddings and events | Hitched and Bridebook, plus Google. |
| Care homes, home care and nurseries | carehome.co.uk, homecare.co.uk and daynurseries.co.uk, which families check alongside inspection reports. |
| Car dealers and garages | Auto Trader dealer reviews for sales, and Google for servicing and repairs. |
Do not spread yourself thin. Twenty new reviews on Google will do more for you than five on each of four sites. Only add a second platform once Google is getting a steady flow, and point most requests at one place at a time. Some trade platforms charge a membership fee, so weigh the cost against the enquiries they bring.
Compare the main platforms in detail: which review sites matter for local businesses.
Replying
Replying to reviews
Replies are read by future customers, not just the reviewer. A short, warm reply to a five-star review and a calm, helpful reply to a complaint both show you are a business that cares.
- Positive reviews: thank them by name, mention the work and the area, and keep it to two or three sentences.
- Negative reviews: reply within a day or two, stay polite, acknowledge the problem and offer to sort it out offline. Never argue or share private details.
- Fake or abusive reviews: report them to Google from your profile, and reply briefly and calmly in the meantime.
Read more: how to respond to negative reviews.
Example reply
“Thanks so much, Priya. It was great to help with the garden clearance in Didsbury, and we are glad the new lawn has settled in well. Enjoy the summer!”
Reply to a complaint
“Hi Mark, I am sorry the fitting ran late and that you were not kept informed. That is not the standard we aim for. I would like to put it right, so please call me directly on the office number. — Claire”
The rules
Staying within the UK rules
Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has made fake reviews a banned practice in the UK, and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) can fine businesses directly. Google has its own policies too, and breaking them can get reviews removed or your profile restricted.
Fine to do
- Ask every customer for an honest review
- Send your review link by text, email or QR code
- Send one polite reminder
- Reply to every review, good or bad
- Report reviews you believe are fake
Do not do
- Write reviews yourself, or pay anyone to
- Offer discounts, prize draws or gifts for Google reviews
- Only ask the customers you expect to be happy (known as review gating)
- Ask staff, family or friends to review you
- Hide, delete or bury genuine negative reviews where you control them
This is a summary, not legal advice. For the detail, including incentives on platforms that allow them and the rules for regulated professions, read UK rules on online reviews for businesses.
Setting a target
How many reviews you need
There is no magic number. The useful target is to match or beat the businesses that currently appear above you. Search for your main service and town, note the review counts of the top three on the map, and aim to close the gap.
Recency matters as much as the total. A steady few reviews every month looks far healthier than a burst of fifty followed by silence, and customers notice when the latest review is a year old. For most local businesses, two to four new reviews a week is a strong pace; even one a week adds up to more than fifty a year.
Beat the top three
Count the reviews of the businesses above you, then set a monthly goal to catch them.
Keep it steady
Aim for new reviews every week rather than occasional bursts.
Detail over stars
Specific, recent reviews persuade customers and AI assistants more than a perfect score.
Want help building your reviews?
Every Grow With SEO plan includes help with replying to reviews and advice on building a review routine that suits your business, as part of the wider work on your Google Business Profile, listings, content and links. Reviews are one part of the picture; we look after the rest.
Go deeper
More of our guides on reviews
- How to get more Google reviews (and respond to them well)
- How to build a review generation system
- Review request templates for local businesses
- Beyond Google reviews: which review sites matter
- How to respond to negative reviews
- Fake reviews, incentives and the law: UK rules
- How reviews influence AI recommendations
- Why online reviews matter for local businesses
Getting more reviews: common questions
Can I offer a discount or prize draw in return for a Google review?
No. Google does not allow incentives for reviews, and under UK law any incentivised review must be clearly disclosed on platforms that permit them at all. Ask for honest feedback and make it easy instead.
Is it all right to ask only my happiest customers?
Asking selectively, or screening people with a “were you happy?” question first and only sending the review link to those who say yes, is known as review gating. Google prohibits it and the CMA treats it as misleading. Ask everyone; a few honest four-star reviews make your rating more believable anyway.
Do I need software to collect reviews?
Not to start with. Your Google review link, a saved text message and a printed QR code are enough for most local businesses. Review tools can help once you are sending dozens of requests a week, but the routine matters more than the tool.
How quickly will more reviews improve my rankings?
Customers notice new reviews straight away, so the effect on enquiries can be quick. Their influence on map rankings and AI recommendations builds alongside the rest of your local SEO, with most businesses seeing clear movement within two to three months.
What should I do about a review I think is fake?
Report it through your Business Profile, explaining briefly why you believe it breaks Google’s policies, and post a short, calm public reply in the meantime. If a competitor appears to be posting fake reviews, keep a record and see our guide to the UK rules for your options.
Can I copy reviews from Facebook or Checkatrade onto Google?
No. Reviews belong to the platform where they were left and need to be written by the customer. You can, however, show genuine reviews from other sites on your own website, with their source.
Turn your reviews into more calls
Local SEO and AI search that builds on every review you earn, from £500/month. No contract.