Use the review link for the correct business
Open the Business Profile you manage and use Google's review-request link or QR-code option. Test it while signed out so you know it opens the intended business. Customers need a Google account to post a review; it does not have to use a Gmail address. Google's review guidance and link/QR instructions were checked November 11, 2026.
Put the link where an actual customer can use it after the work, such as an appropriate follow-up email or completed-job message. Keep it distinct from an estimate form or a private complaint channel.
Ask for an honest account of the experience
Use a neutral request rather than asking for five stars or suggesting the words a customer should write. Here is an original example you can adapt:
Thanks for choosing us for your project. If you would like to share your experience, you can leave a Google review here: [your review link]. Honest feedback is welcome.
Replace the bracketed link before sending. Do not send this automatically to contacts who were never customers, and use a communication method you are entitled to use. The example is a writing aid, not a ready-made legal consent policy.
Do not filter customers by expected rating
Google's contribution policy prohibits incentives for reviews and selective solicitation of positive feedback. Do not offer a discount, gift or payment for posting, changing or removing a review.
Avoid a funnel where happy customers are sent to Google and unhappy customers only see a private form. A private way to raise a concern can be helpful, but it should not be used to block honest public feedback. Do not pressure customers to include particular keywords or staff names.
Make a repeatable follow-up process
Choose a consistent point after the work when it is appropriate to request feedback. Record whether a request was sent so different team members do not repeatedly ask the same customer. Keep any reminder brief and respectful, and stop if the customer does not want more messages.
This is an operating suggestion, not evidence that a particular reminder schedule produces a certain number of reviews. Your process should fit the job and the relationship with the customer.
Reply without exposing private information
Read the review before responding. Thank the customer for specific feedback where appropriate. If there is a concern, acknowledge what can be addressed and move detailed account or property information into a private conversation.
Google's reply guidance cautions against disclosing a reviewer's personal information. Do not publish an address, invoice detail or private message to win an argument. A negative review is not automatically a policy violation, and reporting it does not guarantee removal.
Check the process, not a star target
Review whether the link works, requests are going to real customers and the team is avoiding duplicate or pressuring messages. Keep the request separate from any reward program. No one can promise a fixed review count or that Google will display every contribution.
If your website needs clearer service information and a suitable next step, our contractor website service starts with that structure. Genuine reviews can support a site when you have permission to use them; invented proof has no place in the build.
Checked: November 11, 2026. Recheck Google's current policies before changing your request process.