Get more Google reviews: the link, QR code, and message to send

The reliable way to get more reviews is not a contest or a complicated platform. Ask every real customer at the moment they can judge the work, and send them directly to Google’s review box.

Get the official link

Sign in to the Google account that owns the Business Profile. Find the profile in Google Search or Maps, choose Ask for reviews, and copy the review link. Google’s official help page shows the current workflow.

Paste that link into the local review QR helper. It creates the image in your browser and does not send or store the URL.

If you cannot manage the profile because verification has failed or access is restricted, follow the Business Profile troubleshooting guide first. Creating another listing is not a workaround for the restriction.

Ask at the right time

Ask after the customer has received the promised result:

• after they approve the finished job
• after a successful appointment
• in the paid-invoice receipt
• in a follow-up message once they have used the product

Do not ask only the customers you think will leave five stars. That is review gating. Do not offer a discount, entry, gift, or payment in exchange for a review. Google prohibits incentives and selective solicitation that manipulates ratings.

Messages you can use

Email

Thanks for choosing [Business]. If you have a minute, would you share an honest Google review? It helps local customers decide whether we’re a fit: [review link]

— [Your name], [Business] · [mailing address] · [phone, email, or website] · [how to stop these messages]

Text message

Thanks for working with [Business]. If you’d like to leave an honest Google review, here’s the direct link: [review link]

[Business] · [link to your contact details]. Reply STOP to opt out.

For Canadian commercial email or SMS, keep consent and identification requirements in mind. If a request could be read as a commercial message (for example, it mentions an offer), CASL also requires your contact details and a working unsubscribe option; the newsletter guide has the full list. The email placeholders cover both; a text has no room, so you can put the details on a web page and include a link to it, which is what the text placeholder does. A service follow-up should stay connected to the transaction; do not quietly turn it into an ongoing promotion list.For US email and SMS, identify the business and respect opt-outs. Do not add review-request recipients to unrelated marketing.

Put the QR code on a receipt, counter card, or leave-behind with the words “Leave an honest Google review.” Never put it where staff pressure the customer to show the completed rating.

Reply to reviews

For a positive review, thank the customer and mention the service without exposing private details.

For a negative review:

1. Pause before replying.
2. Acknowledge the concern without arguing about every fact.
3. Avoid confirming private customer details.
4. Offer a direct route to resolve the issue.
5. Report the review only if it violates Google’s policy, not because it is critical.

The monthly routine

Once a month, confirm the link works, ask all recently completed customers who have not already been asked, and respond to new reviews. Track requests sent and reviews received, not the identity of customers who declined.

The free route is Google’s link, your own QR code, and a consistent message. Pay for review software only when multiple locations or enough staff make manual requests and response tracking unreliable.

If reviews and contact links work but you still receive few suitable enquiries, run the first-customer experiment. Review count alone does not tell you whether people see the offer, can contact you, or become paying customers.