How to Ask Customers for Google Reviews: Ask, Make It Easy, Remind, Automate
By Clay Lawrence, Review Harvest · · 7 min video
The short version
To get more Google reviews, ask every customer, send them your direct Google review link so it takes one click, remind the ones who have not done it yet, and automate the text and email parts so the asking never stops. A steady flow matters for ranking: Google would much rather see five reviews every week than 150 reviews in one week, and it trusts a review left yesterday far more than one left last year.
Do this, in order
- 1
Ask every customer for a review
Ask in person, by text, by call and by email. If you do not ask, the reviews you get will normally be the bad ones.
- 2
Get your direct Google review link
Go to your Google Business Profile, open the drop down if you need to, and click Ask for reviews. That gives you a direct link to the review form.
- 3
Send the link with every request
The customer clicks it and can leave the review quickly, without having to find your Google Business Profile first. Make it easy on them.
- 4
Remind customers by text and email
A customer who had a great job done wants to leave you a review but is busy. They may have seen the text, said they would do it, and forgot. A reminder is what gets it done.
- 5
Call the ones who still have not left a review
If a week or two later the review is still not there, give them a ring and ask if they would mind taking the time.
- 6
Automate the text and email requests and follow-ups
Automate as much of the process as you can. When it is automated it gets done. When it is not, a decent amount of the time it slips through the cracks.
Why do Google reviews affect your map pack ranking?
Reviews show up four times in the top 20 local ranking factors in Whitespark’s 2023 study, which is based on the biggest SEO companies in the US:
- Number 6: a high numerical Google rating. A five star rating over a one star rating.
- Number 8: the quantity of Google reviews with text. How many of your reviews have something written in them.
- Number 13: a sustained influx of reviews over time.
- Number 20: the recency of reviews.
There are more further down, about seven in the top 40. They include the quantity of reviews with no text, how positive the wording of your reviews is, and keywords in the reviews. When customers mention your main service, your business category or your area in a review, that matters.
Why a steady flow beats a burst
Google would much rather see you get five reviews every single week than 150 reviews in one week. Think about it from Google’s side. If you have not had a review in 12 months, how is it supposed to know you are still in business and still doing good work? If you get five reviews a week for years, Google can trust that this is a business that consistently does a great job.
Recency works the same way. When someone searches “best plumber near me” and you got a five star review yesterday, Google can see you are still great and still open. It trusts that review a lot more than one left last year.
How do you ask for a Google review?
Ask. If you are not asking, the reviews you get will normally be the bad ones. There are four ways to do it:
- In person
- By text
- By phone call
- By email
Text and email are the two that can be automated pretty easily. Asking in person and on a call is still very valuable, so start doing it now.
How do you make leaving a review easy?
Send a direct link. Go to your Google Business Profile, open the drop down if you need to, and click Ask for reviews. Copy that link and send it with every request.
The customer clicks once and is writing the review. They do not have to go looking for your Google Business Profile.
What if a customer says yes and never leaves the review?
Remind them. If you do a great job, your customers want to leave you a review. They are just busy. They have kids to take to soccer practice, a house to clean and a yard to mow. They may have got your text, said they would do it, and forgotten.
Follow up by text and by email. If a week or two later you see they still have not left one, give them a ring and ask whether they would mind taking the time.
Why automate review requests?
Because what is automated gets done, and what is not automated slips through the cracks a decent amount of the time. Automate as much of the process as you can, starting with the text and email requests and their follow-ups. That is the part Review Harvest handles, sending requests by text and email in the background.
How To Rank #1 On Google Overnight: the full series
- 1What the Google Map Pack Is and How to Track Your Ranking in It
- 3How to Change Your Google Business Profile Name and Appeal If Google Reverts It
- 4How to Ask Customers for Google Reviews: Ask, Make It Easy, Remind, Automate
- 5How to Fill Out Every Section of Your Google Business Profile
- 6How to Check and Fix the H1 and Heading Tags on Your Website
- 7Link Each Google Business Profile Product to Its Own Service Page
- 8Internal Linking for Local SEO: Link Back to Your GBP Landing Page
- 9Which Citations and Backlinks Help Your Google Business Profile Rank
Common questions
How do I get more Google reviews from my customers?
Do four things. Ask every customer, in person, by text, by call and by email. Make it easy by sending your direct Google review link. Remind the ones who have not done it. Automate the text and email parts so it gets done.
Where do I find my Google review link?
Go to your Google Business Profile and click Ask for reviews. You might have to open a drop down to see it. It gives you a direct link you can send to customers, so they can click it and leave a review without searching for your business.
Do Google reviews help you rank higher on Google Maps?
Yes. In Whitespark's 2023 study of local ranking factors, four of the top 20 relate to reviews: a high numerical Google rating, the quantity of Google reviews with text, a sustained influx of reviews over time, and the recency of reviews. More review factors, such as positive sentiment and keywords in the review text, appear further down the list.
Is it better to get a lot of Google reviews at once or a few every week?
A few every week. Google would much rather see five reviews every single week than 150 reviews in one week. A steady flow over years tells Google the business is still open and still doing a great job.
Is it okay to remind a customer who has not left a review?
Yes. If you did a great job, your customer wants to leave a review. People are busier than ever, so they see the text, mean to do it, and forget. Follow up by text and email, and if a week or two has gone by, give them a call.
Should review requests be automated?
Automate as much of it as you can, especially the text and email requests and the follow-ups. When the process is automated it gets done. When it is not, a decent amount of the time it slips through the cracks.
