How to get more Google reviews, and how to reply to bad ones

Google allows businesses to ask for reviews based on genuine experiences. You must not influence the rating or the contents of the review. A request for an honest review is different from a request for five stars or a particular phrase.

The rules apply even when a review service or a member of staff handles requests for you. Check their process before using it. Google's current policy also prohibits pressuring people to review while on the premises and asking staff to solicit a set number of reviews.

• Do not offer money, discounts, free items, prize entries or other rewards in exchange for a review, even an honest one.
• Do not offer a reward for changing or removing a negative review.
• Do not buy reviews, invent customer experiences or organise reviews from multiple accounts.
• Do not arrange reviews from staff, family or others with a conflict of interest.
• Do not require a review before providing service, or tell customers what to write, including a staff member's name.

Sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile, the business listing shown on Google Search and Maps. Open the profile, choose Read reviews, then Get more reviews. Copy the review link. On a computer browser you can also save the QR code, the square image a phone camera can scan to open that link.

Check that the link opens the correct business and location before printing anything. If you have several branches, keep each link with its branch details. A customer needs to sign in to a Google Account to leave a review, but that account does not have to use Gmail.

Use a clearly labelled link on your website or a QR code on receipts or a small counter sign. A counter sign should be an optional invitation, not a demand to review before leaving. A review link takes someone to Google; it does not create a review automatically.

Choose a normal point after the customer has experienced your service, such as collecting an order or finishing a job. Offer the same invitation to genuine customers regardless of whether you expect praise. Keep it optional, and accept that some people will not want to review or create an account.

Ask about their experience, not for a particular star rating. Do not supply a script for the customer to paste as their review. If staff make the request, teach them the wording and the policy rather than setting review quotas.

Here is an example invitation for the fictional Acme Cafe. The link would sit alongside the message, not behind a satisfaction survey.

Thanks for visiting Acme Cafe. If you would like to leave an honest Google review about your visit, you can use our review link. We welcome all feedback.

Review gating means screening customers before giving them the opportunity to leave a public review. A typical example is a private survey that sends happy customers to Google but sends everyone else to a complaint form. Google prohibits discouraging negative reviews and selectively asking for positive ones.

You can offer a private feedback route and deal with complaints. It must not replace or hide the Google review invitation for people who are unhappy. If you use a survey, review tool or automated message, check what a customer sees after every possible answer, not just the positive answer.

• Give customers the same access to the review link, whatever their feedback or rating.
• Do not use a private satisfaction score to decide who receives a Google review request.
• Do not ask only customers who have already praised the business.
• Do not make resolving a complaint conditional on deleting or improving a review.

Read the review and check what happened before replying. Your reply is public. Write for the person who complained and for someone deciding whether to use your business. A long argument, a sarcastic answer or a sales pitch gives neither reader useful help.

Acknowledge the concern. Apologise where a mistake or poor experience warrants it, without inventing an explanation or accepting an allegation you have not checked. Say what you can do next and offer a way to continue privately. Use the public contact details on your website rather than posting the customer's details.

Never reveal order information, addresses, appointment details or other private facts to prove a point. If you cannot match the review to your records, invite the person to make contact instead of declaring that they were never a customer. Google specifically advises against personal attacks and publishing private information.

To post your reply, open your verified Business Profile and select Read reviews. Choose Reply beside the review, enter the text and select Reply to submit it. Google checks replies against its policies before publication, so check the public result rather than assuming it appeared immediately.

A short reply to a hypothetical disappointing cafe visit could look like this. Add any specific explanation only after checking the facts.

Sorry your visit was disappointing. Please contact us through the details on our website so we can understand what happened and discuss it privately.

A low rating or a complaint you disagree with is not, by itself, a reason for Google to remove a review. Google does not settle ordinary disputes between a business and a customer. Check its content policy if you suspect spam, fake engagement, harassment or personal information that should not be public.

Open your Business Profile, choose Read reviews, select Report beside the review and choose the relevant reason. Explain the actual policy breach rather than simply saying the review is unfair. Keep any evidence securely and do not publish it in a reply.

Google's Reviews Management Tool lets you check a report's status. If the decision says the review does not breach the policy, eligible reviews can receive a one-time appeal. Reporting or appealing does not guarantee removal. Continue addressing any genuine service issue while Google considers the report.

Check new reviews regularly and agree who can approve replies. For a small business, a short weekly review session is a practical starting point, with sooner checks for an active complaint. Keep account access with the business and never share a password just so someone can draft a reply.

Thank customers when you have something relevant to say, but do not turn every reply into an advert. Record repeated problems, such as missed calls or confusing collection instructions, and fix the underlying cause. More review requests will not solve a recurring service problem.

Resolve complaints because the customer needs help, not to buy a better rating. Whether the customer updates a review afterwards is their choice. Keep using the same honest, optional invitation for everyone.