How to Get Google Reviews for Your Local Business

To get Google reviews, create the review link or QR code in your Google Business Profile (Read reviews, then Get more reviews) and send it to every customer right after the job or purchase, by text, email, receipt or a sign at the counter. Asking consistently is what works. Offering anything in return is what Google bans.

Reviews matter in two places. The first is the customer’s decision: someone searching “plumber near me” scans star ratings and recent comments before calling anyone. The second is your position in Google Maps. Google’s own help center says local results are ranked on relevance, distance and prominence, and that review count is part of prominence. In Google’s words, more reviews and positive ratings can help a business’s local ranking.

What do you need before you start?

You need a Google Business Profile that is created and verified. Google requires verification before you can reply to reviews, for example. If you don’t have a profile yet, set one up at business.google.com using the exact business name on your storefront, signage and invoices.

On the customer side, there is one hurdle people forget: they must be signed in to a Google Account to post a review. Google points out that customers can create one with a non-Gmail address. Mention that if someone tells you the link “didn’t work.”

How do you create a Google review link and QR code?

The steps below follow Google’s help center as of October 2026:

1. On a computer, open your Business Profile at business.google.com.
2. Select Read reviews.
3. Select Get more reviews, then use the share icon.
4. For the link, select the Copy icon next to it. For the QR code, right-click the image and choose Save image as….

One catch: Google says review QR codes can currently be generated only in a computer browser, not on a phone. If you run the business from your phone, borrow a laptop once and save the file somewhere safe. Search Engine Journal reported in March 2025 that Google had added this QR code option to the profile dashboard.

Always share the link generated from that menu rather than your profile address copied from search results. A generic profile link drops the customer on your business page, where they still have to find the review button. Every extra tap is a chance to give up.

Where and when should you ask?

Google suggests putting the link or code on receipts, in thank-you emails, at the end of a chat, and on a printed display in your store, and lists email, WhatsApp and Facebook as other ways to share it. For a small US business, our recommended order is:

1. A text message the same day. Texting is where many customers already talk to local businesses, and the experience is still fresh. If your booking or invoicing tool sends automatic follow-ups, add the link there.
2. A QR code at the counter, table or waiting area. Restaurants, salons, auto shops and clinics have built-in waiting time.
3. The receipt, invoice or package. A small card with the QR code in the bag or shipping box.
4. Your email signature and quote templates. Useful for contractors and service providers who work over email.

Ask every customer, not only the ones who seemed happy. There is a rule behind that, covered below.

Ready-to-send text and email templates

Keep it short, personal and link-first. Adjust the wording to sound like you.

Text message:

Hi Jessica, it’s Mark from Riverside Auto. Thanks for bringing your car in today. If you have a minute, would you share how it went on Google? Here’s the link: [your review link]. It helps other drivers nearby and helps us improve. If anything wasn’t right, just reply here.

Email:

Subject: How did we do?

Hi Jessica, thanks for choosing Riverside Auto. We’d appreciate an honest review on Google about your visit: [your review link]. It takes about a minute. If something went wrong, reply to this email and I’ll handle it personally. Mark

Notice what is missing: no discount, no gift card, no request for “5 stars.” Offering a direct line for complaints is fine, as long as everyone gets the review link too.

If there’s no response, one reminder two or three days later is reasonable. More than that starts to feel like pressure.

What does Google prohibit when you ask for reviews?

This is where businesses lose reviews they worked for. Google’s Maps content policy and Business Profile help are explicit:

• Incentives are banned. Discounts, free goods or services, or payment in exchange for posting a review count as fake engagement, and so do incentives to change or remove a negative review. “Leave a review, get 10% off your next visit” breaks Google’s rules even if you never mention stars.
• Review gating is banned. The policy prohibits discouraging negative reviews or selectively asking only happy customers. Sending a “Were you satisfied?” survey first and forwarding the Google link only to people who answered yes is exactly that.
• On-site pressure is banned. Google says businesses should not require or pressure customers to review while on the premises. A visible QR code is fine. Standing over someone until they post is not.
• Conflicts of interest are banned. Current and former employees, relatives, business partners and competitors should not review you, and one person can’t post from multiple accounts.
• Paid reviews are banned, whether paid in cash or in kind.
• Scripted content is banned. You can’t ask for reviews that mention a specific staff member or set review quotas for employees.

What Google allows, per the policy, is encouraging genuine reviews without offering incentives or trying to influence the rating or content.

How does the FTC rule fit in?

The FTC’s Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule took effect on October 21, 2024. It targets fake reviews, incentives conditioned on a positive or negative sentiment, and review suppression through intimidation or false accusations against reviewers. The FTC notes the rule does not ban every incentive for an honest review, but Google’s own policy is stricter: on Google, any incentive for a review is off limits. Follow the stricter rule. For anything beyond general information, check the FTC page directly.

How should you respond to a negative review?

Reply promptly and stay calm. Open your profile, select Read reviews, select the reply icon next to the review, write your response and select Reply. The reviewer gets a notification, and your reply appears publicly under the business name. Google says replies are usually checked within 10 minutes but can take up to 30 days.

Google’s guidance for negative reviews: don’t share private customer details, don’t make personal attacks, acknowledge real mistakes without taking blame for things outside your control, apologize when it fits, and respond in a timely way. A template:

Hi Robert, thanks for letting us know. You’re right that your Saturday order arrived late, and we should have called you. We’d like to make it right: please call the shop and ask for me so I can look into your order. Anna, Store Manager

Customers can edit their review after reading your reply. If a review is fake or abusive, flag it from your profile instead of arguing in public.

Common mistakes that hold businesses back

• Asking once and stopping. Volume comes from a routine, customer by customer.
• Sending the profile link instead of the review link. Customers get lost on the way.
• Pasting the same “Thanks!” everywhere. Google recommends replies that add something useful, like an update or an answer.
• Turning replies into ads. Google asks for short, conversational replies without promoting deals.
• Asking friends and family. It breaks the conflict-of-interest rule, and reviews without a real experience can be removed.

Who is this not for?

A review routine won’t fix a bad operation. Asking every customer, as the rules require, surfaces the low ratings too. If late deliveries or sloppy work are recurring, fix that first. It is also not a quick win: in our view, the effect builds over months of steady asking, not in a week.

Frequently asked questions

Can I offer a discount for a Google review?

No. Google treats discounts, freebies or any reward in exchange for a review as fake engagement, even if you don’t ask for a high rating. Those reviews can be removed.

Can I create the review QR code on my phone?

According to Google’s help center as of October 2026, no. Review QR codes can only be generated in a computer browser. Once you copy the review link, you can send it from any device.

Do customers need a Gmail account to leave a review?

They need a Google Account, but it can be created with a non-Gmail email address.

Can I delete a negative Google review?

Business owners can’t delete customer reviews. Reply professionally and, if the review breaks Google’s policies, flag it for review.

Can my employees review my business?

No. Google’s policy treats reviews from current or former employees and relatives as a conflict of interest.