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Getting more Google reviews

Happy customers are often glad to leave a review if someone asks at the right moment. This guide covers how to ask without begging.

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Ask a tradie how they got their last five jobs and a few will say "someone's mum gave me the number". Then ask what that mum did before she gave it out. She looked you up. Picture a homeowner with a leaking tap searches your name, sees 9 reviews and nothing since March, and rings the next plumber instead.

That is the case for a review habit, and this page is the overview. The posts it links to go deep on single problems.

The map pack and the rating next to your name

Search "electrician Penrith" and Google shows a map with three businesses first. Rating and review count sit right there, before anyone reads a word of your website. How recent the reviews are matters too, because a customer scanning thirty reviews wants to see someone from last month. Think of two sparkies in the same suburb: one with 14 reviews from this year, one with 70 that stop in 2023. Which feels busier? (Made-up numbers, but you know the feeling.)

If you are new to this, start with the pillar post, how to get more Google reviews, then come back for the rest.

Every system starts with a link that opens the review box straight away. Searching your own business and clicking around is how customers give up. The post on finding your Google review link shows where it hides, and the free review link generator gives you the link plus a QR code with no sign-up. A QR code on the invoice PDF, the ute door and the card you leave on the bench covers the people who would rather scan than type. There is a separate post on QR codes for the ute and invoices.

Say it out loud at handover and ask whether a text is OK: "Can I text you a review link tomorrow? It helps a small outfit like ours." Only send it if they agreed to the text, and make a note of when and how. Telling a customer you will text them is not the same as getting their consent, and the ACMA says the burden of proving consent is on the sender. Each message should also say who it is from and give an easy way to opt out (see the next section). Customers who were warned and agreed are far more likely to open the message than strangers who get a text out of nowhere. The wording options are in how to ask for a Google review.

Texting customers: the Spam Act

A review request is a commercial message, so the Spam Act 2003 applies, and the ACMA is the regulator. The short version, from ACMA's guidance on avoiding spam:

  • You need the person's consent before you send. Express consent is the safest: they tick a box on your quote acceptance form, say yes on the phone, or agree face to face. Keep a record of who, when and how.
  • Inferred consent does not stretch to "they just bought something from me". Having done the job last Tuesday does not by itself give you the right to text them.
  • You cannot send a text asking for consent. That text is itself a marketing message.
  • Say who you are in the message (business name, with your ABN available) and make unsubscribing easy. An unsubscribe has to be honoured within 5 working days.

So get the yes while you are standing in the kitchen with a quote in hand, and write it down. This is general information, not legal advice, and your own situation may differ.

Review request text

Hi Mel, it's Dave from Dave's Sparky Services, ABN [your ABN]. Thanks for having me out in Penrith to fix the switchboard. If you've got a minute, a Google review helps a lot: [your link]. [an easy way to opt out]

Other places customers leave reviews

hipages, Oneflare, ServiceSeeking and True Local all host reviews, and some customers will use them. Those stay on the platform and do not show on your Google listing. If a platform sent you the job, a review there is fine. For everyone else, one Google link keeps it simple.

Answering what comes in

Reply to every review within a couple of days. Good ones get first name plus the job. Bad ones get one calm reply in public that offers to fix it by phone. The reply is written for the next reader, not the person who is cross. See positive review responses and how to respond to a bad review.

When something looks wrong

Never offer a discount or a free beer for a review, and do not only ask the customers you think are happy. Google's rules cover both.

Making it stick on a busy week

A van full of gear, three jobs and a quote to write: the request gets skipped. Hang it off the one thing you always do, which is closing out the job.

Plan: Local plan and up

Log the finished job in Mitch and it texts the review link to your customer 24 to 72 hours later, once you have the mobile number and the consent tick. It drafts replies to what comes in, and you approve each one. Local is A$249 a month, with a 14-day trial and no card. More on [review requests](/au/platform/reviews).

Stop forgetting to ask

Run one job through Mitch and watch the review request get drafted. 14 days free, no card.

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Getting more Google reviews: all posts

Why buying Google reviews backfires

People search for how to buy Google reviews in Australia. Here is why it breaks Google's rules, can breach the Australian Consumer Law, and what to do instead.

Review management for trades: what you need and what you don't

Most tradies need four things from review management software, and they cost a lot less than the enterprise tools. Here is how to tell what's worth paying for.

How to see all your Google reviews in one place

Where to find your Google reviews as a business owner, how to see ones you've written yourself, and how to stop checking five places every week.

Why isn't my Google review showing up?

A review that has not appeared is usually still being checked, filtered or posted to the wrong listing. Here is how to check which, and what to do about it.

Do Google reviews help SEO?

Reviews feed Google's local ranking through prominence, so yes for Maps. For your website's own rankings, Google doesn't say the same.

Can you delete a Google review? And how to report fake ones

You can't delete a customer's review yourself. You can report it, and Google removes it only if it breaks its policies. Here is how, and what to do when it stays.

Positive review responses: examples to copy

Short, specific reply examples for 5 star Google reviews, written for tradies, plus the rules for what to leave out.

How to respond to a bad review (with examples)

A calm, short public reply to a bad Google review protects your reputation more than the review hurts it. Here is how to write one, with examples for common tradie complaints.

How to ask for a Google review: text, email and face-to-face scripts

Word-for-word scripts for asking customers for a Google review by text, email and in person, with the Google and Spam Act rules in plain English.

Google review QR codes: how to make one and where to put it

A QR code that opens your Google review box is useful if it is in the right place and printed big enough to scan. Here is how to make one and where tradies should put it.

How to find your Google review link and share it

Your Google review link opens the review box for your business in one tap. Here is where to find it, how to test it, and how to send it so customers use it.

How to get more Google reviews (a system, not begging)

Most tradies get reviews in bursts, when they remember to ask. Here is a simple system that asks every customer, every job, without chasing anyone.

Questions answered

How many Google reviews does a trade business need?
There is no magic number. A steady run of new reviews every month does more for you than a big pile that all arrived two years ago. Aim for a few a month and keep it going.
When is the best time to ask for a review?
One to three days after the job. The work is done, the customer has lived with it for a day, and you are still fresh in their mind.
Is it against Google's rules to ask for reviews?
Asking every customer is fine. Offering money, discounts or gifts in return for a review is against Google's rules, and so is buying reviews. Mitch only sends the request.
Does Mitch write or post reviews for me?
No. Mitch texts your customer a link to leave their own review. The customer writes it. Mitch can draft a reply for you to approve when a review comes in.
What if a customer leaves a bad review?
Reply calmly, once, in public, and offer to sort it out offline. Mitch drafts a reply on the Local and Complete plans and nothing posts until you approve it.

Try it on your next job.

Start the trial, take a photo when you finish tomorrow's job, and see what Mitch does with it.

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