How to get more Google reviews for your local business

Start with an accurate Google Business Profile

Check your business name, category, opening hours, address and contact details before sending customers to your profile. Make sure the review link opens the right business, particularly if you have more than one location or a similar name to another company.

In your Google Business Profile, use the review-request option to copy your review link or download a QR code. Test it on a phone. A customer needs a Google account to publish a Google review; a review-request service cannot remove that requirement.

Ask after the service, not just after the booking

A booking confirmation tells you when someone is expected, not whether they actually attended. Choose a delay after the scheduled appointment end that suits your business. For a salon this might be later that day; for a restaurant it might be the following morning. These are starting points to discuss, not proven best-response times.

Cash, card and online payments need not change the process if your request is based on completion of the visit. But appointment data has limits: cancellations and reschedules must be reflected as well as confirmations. If your system does not report a no-show, a staff member must stop that request before it is sent. Do not assume that silence proves attendance.

For walk-ins where you do not have contact details or permission to message, offer a counter QR code. The customer chooses whether to scan it and review; you do not need to collect a phone number just for this purpose.

Use a short, personal review-request message

Identify your business, thank the customer and ask for an honest review without suggesting what rating to give. Personalisation can include their first name and a photo of the team member they met, provided you have permission to use that photo. Keep sensitive appointment or treatment details out of the message.

WhatsApp example: ‘Hi Sarah, it’s Niamh from Loft Hair Studio. Thanks for visiting today! If you have a minute, would you share an honest Google review about your experience? Here’s the link: [review link]. You can reply STOP to stop review requests.’

Email example: ‘Thanks for choosing [business]. Your feedback helps other customers decide whether we’re right for them. If you’d like to share your experience, you can leave a Google review here: [review link].’ Include the appropriate opt-out option for the channel you use.

These are examples, not pre-approved messages. WhatsApp Business messaging may require an approved template and suitable customer permission. UK and Irish electronic messaging rules also need to be considered; being an existing customer is not blanket permission for every message.

Make the next step simple for every customer

Use a direct, tested review link and avoid making customers search for your business again. If you use a feedback survey first, the public Google review option must remain available regardless of the rating. Do not reserve the public link for happy customers or hide it from someone reporting a problem.

Google prohibits incentives for reviews and feedback that does not reflect a genuine experience. Do not offer a discount, prize or free service for posting, changing or removing a review. Do not write the review for the customer or ask them to include specific praise.

Follow up carefully and respect opt-outs

A single polite reminder may be useful, but repeated nudges can damage the relationship you are trying to strengthen. Stop when someone opts out. Do not send another request simply because you have imported the same contact in a new customer list.

Ranknua applies repeat-request protection and one reminder. A request is not a promise of a review, and opening Google is not proof that a review was posted. Treat these as separate steps when you measure progress.

Reply to reviews and measure what matters

Read and reply to positive and negative reviews. Thank customers, acknowledge concerns and move detailed discussions offline. Do not reveal private customer information in a public reply. AI can draft responses, but sensitive complaints deserve a human check.

Track requests sent, delivery failures, feedback received, Google-link clicks and reviews confirmed through your connected profile. Look at patterns over time rather than claiming that every click became a review.

Reviews and positive ratings can help local prominence, but Google also considers relevance and distance. There is no official review-count threshold or guaranteed ranking improvement. Keep working on your profile, service quality and website alongside your review process.

Choose a repeatable process

A small business can begin with a manual thank-you message and counter QR code. If asking is regularly forgotten, automation can help keep the process consistent. With Ranknua, an assisted setup call covers your WhatsApp number, team photo and request timing; approved photo requests then wait for the appointment timing and your sending settings.

Customers can always reach Google from the survey. Connect your Google Business Profile in the app to bring reviews into the dashboard and prepare replies. Your WhatsApp number and photo message need their own connection and approval before sending begins.