A customer is happy with your work. They would write a review. But they do not know where to go, and you forget to ask. So the review never comes.
Google Business Profile Help has a line on this. "To leave reviews, you can ask customers to visit a Google link or scan a QR code". That is Google's own advice. It is not a test, and Google does not say a link brings more reviews.
This post gives you seven fixes for getting reviews the right way and handling them once they come. Each has the fact behind it, its limit, and what it can do for you.
1. Make it one tap
What it is: A link that opens your review page in one tap.
Why it pays: Google says a customer can use a link or scan a QR code. Then they do not have to search for you. Google says you can only make the QR code on a computer, not on a phone. A link makes it easier. It does not promise more reviews.
What to do: Find your review link in your profile and save it in your phone notes. Text it after every job. Make the QR code on a computer, not a phone, and print it on a card or sticker.
2. Ask in person, then text
What it is: A spoken ask first, then the link.
Why it pays: A spoken ask is personal, and the link makes the review one tap. No test of asking in person against only texting was found, so this is plain practice, not evidence. Google's Maps rules do not let a business pick who to ask. Their policy bars merchants who "selectively solicit positive reviews from customers".
What to do: Before you leave, ask for a review and say a link is coming. Then text the link. Ask every customer, not only the happy ones. Offer nothing for a review. No money, discount, gift or free job. Google says that is "strictly prohibited". Never write a review for a customer, and never post one yourself.
3. Share your real reviews
What it is: A real review, shown on your Facebook or Instagram page.
Why it pays: Good reviews can sit on Google, where new customers on your social page may not see them. No test was found that sharing reviews wins work. This is practice, not evidence. Google's review snippet rule is about star ratings in search results. It is not about social posts.
What to do: Pick a real customer's review, word for word. Never use a friend's or a worker's. Ask their OK first. Use their first name only if they agree. Put it on your page with a photo of that job and change nothing. Never post a screenshot that shows their full name or photo without their OK. If you show a star score, show the real one. Do not say a shared review can help you show up or win work.
4. Ask all year
What it is: A steady flow of reviews, not one burst.
Why it pays: Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help where you show up locally. Whitespark sent a survey to 47 local search experts. It was published 6 November 2025. They put a steady flow of reviews 14th for the map. That is their view, not a test. Whitespark sells local search services.
What to do: Pick a day, like Friday. Check who you worked for that week and send each one your link. Do not count on it.
5. Ask them to say the job
What it is: A review that says what job you did.
Why it pays: A review that names the job can help the next customer. Whitespark's 2026 experts put the words used in Google reviews 36th for the map. That is opinion, not a test. It does not promise you show up higher.
What to do: When you ask, ask them to say what job you did. They can say the suburb if they want. Do not push it. The words are theirs. Never give them a line to copy or a list of words to use.
6. Reply to a bad review
What it is: A short, calm public reply.
Why it pays: Google has a line on this. "If a reply is too long, people might stop reading before they get to the main point". Your reply is public. The next customer can read it too. A calm reply does not promise to win the customer back.
What to do: Take a breath, then write. Use their name and say what they raised in a line or two. Own a real mistake, but do not take blame for what is not yours. Ask them to ring you. That is plain advice, not Google's. Share no private details. Do not offer a deal in your reply.
7. Flag an unfair review
What it is: Reporting a review that breaks Google's rules.
Why it pays: Google is clear. "Do not report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it". It also says it "doesn't get involved in conflict between businesses and customers". A check takes several days. So think first.
What to do: Ask if it is spam or abuse. If it breaks the rules, report it from your profile and wait. Only a review that breaks Google's rules can go, and Google decides. If you just dislike it, do not report it. Do not argue in public.
What you know now
You now know seven ways to get real reviews and handle them. Most of the evidence is Google's own advice or expert opinion, not tests on tradies. The hard part is asking every customer, every week. The free guide has all seven, a short list under each, and a sheet to tick off one fix a day.
Sources: Google Business Profile Help. The Google Maps user-contributed content policy. Google's review snippet rule. Google's page on reporting inappropriate reviews. Whitespark.
