The fastest way to get more Google reviews is to send people straight to the review box. Here is how to get that link, and an honest answer on how many you need.
Your Google review link is a direct link that opens Google with the review box already up for your business. You can get it from your Google Business Profile in a couple of minutes, or use our free generator, which finds your business and gives you the link, a QR code and a printable card.
It matters because the hard part of getting reviews is not the customer saying yes. It is all the steps between yes and a review. The link takes those steps away.
How to get it from Google
- 1Sign in to the Google account that manages your business.
- 2Search for your business name on Google. Your profile tools appear at the top of the results.
- 3Look for the option to ask for reviews. Google calls it Ask for reviews or Get more reviews, depending on the version you see.
- 4Copy the link it gives you and save it somewhere you can paste it from in seconds.
If you cannot see it, the usual reason is that you are signed in to the wrong account, or the profile has not been verified yet.
Where to put it
- In the message you send when a job is finished. One line of thanks, then the link.
- On your invoice or receipt, as a QR code people can scan.
- On a card by the till, on reception or in with an order.
- In your email signature.
- Saved as a text shortcut on your phone, so asking takes seconds.
How many reviews do you actually need?
There is no magic number, and anybody who gives you one is guessing. The honest answer is enough to sit comfortably alongside the businesses you are up against.
Search your main service and your town, and look at the three businesses in the Google map. Their review counts are your benchmark. If they have a few dozen each, you need a few dozen. If they have hundreds, you have a longer road, and it is worth starting today.
Two other things matter as much as the total.
- Recency. A steady trickle every month looks like a busy, trusted business. A pile from three years ago and nothing since looks like one that has gone quiet.
- Replies. Answering every review, good or bad, shows the people reading that somebody is home.
What not to do
Google's rules are clear on this, and breaking them can get reviews taken down or your profile restricted.
- Do not pay for reviews or offer anything in return, like a discount or a prize draw.
- Do not write them yourself, or ask staff and family to.
- Do not buy them from anybody, however cheap or convincing they sound.
Asking every customer, as part of finishing every job, is allowed, it works, and it builds up over time.
Questions people ask
Does my review link ever change?
Rarely. It is tied to your business listing, so it stays the same unless the listing itself changes. Test it every few months, just to be sure.
Can customers leave a review without a Google account?
No. They need to be signed in to a Google account. Most people with an Android phone or a Gmail address already are, which is another reason the direct link helps.
Should I reply to every review?
Yes. A short thank you for the good ones, and a calm, helpful reply to the bad ones. People reading later judge you on the reply as much as the review.
