Why reviews are worth the bother
You're here because the business down the road has 340 reviews and you have 28, and you suspect it's costing you calls. It probably is. A customer comparing two plumbers on their phone has very little else to go on.
Google also says so plainly, which it rarely does about ranking. Its local ranking page says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, as part of a factor it calls prominence. That's about as far as it goes, and nobody can promise you a rank in return for a review count.
Google's page also says something owners don't expect: a mix of positive and negative feedback often feels more trustworthy. A wall of five stars with one-line comments isn't the goal.
Get your link and put it where customers already are
Google makes this easy. Go to your Business Profile, choose Read Reviews, then Get more reviews. You can copy a direct link or save a QR code. As of November 2026, the QR code can only be generated from a computer browser, not a phone.
Google suggests including it on receipts, in thank-you emails, at the end of a chat, or printing the QR code and displaying it in your store. It also mentions email, WhatsApp and Facebook posts. Customers must be signed into a Google account to leave a review, though they can create one with a non-Gmail address, so a link sent to a phone or an inbox tends to be the easiest path.
The right moment depends on the work, not on a generic rule about hours. It should be soon after the customer got what they paid for, and the same for everyone:
| Business | When to ask | How |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber, electrician | When the invoice goes out | A link in the invoice or follow-up text |
| Roofer, contractor | After the final walk-through and cleanup | A thank-you email with the link |
| Restaurant, shop | With the receipt | A printed QR code on the receipt or the counter |
| Dentist, doctor | At checkout, without using patient lists | A QR code at the desk (read this first) |
| Monthly service, like lawn care | After the first few visits, then not again | One email or text |
What you say matters less than people think. This is a fine example, and you should change it to sound like you: "Thanks for choosing us today. If you've got a minute, a Google review helps other people in town find us. Here's the link. Honest feedback is welcome, good or bad." That last sentence keeps you on the right side of the rules below.
One more thing. Decide who owns this. If it's "everyone's job", it'll quietly stop in a busy month, and a busy month is when you've got the most customers to ask. Put it in the invoice template or your job software so it happens without anyone remembering.
What Google doesn't allow
You'll find several of these recommended online, sometimes by review software. They're in Google's own policy, and Google says fake engagement will be removed. Google can also restrict or suspend Business Profiles that break its guidelines.
| Tactic | What Google says |
|---|---|
| 10% off your next visit for a review | Prohibited. No payment, discounts, free goods or services in exchange for a review, or for changing or removing a bad one. |
| A survey that sends happy customers to Google and unhappy ones to a private form | Prohibited. You can't discourage negative reviews or selectively solicit positive ones. This is what people call review gating. |
| Asking customers to mention the technician, the service or your town | Prohibited. Merchants shouldn't request that specific content be included, including content that identifies a staff member. |
| Telling each tech to bring in five reviews a week | Prohibited. Google names staff being asked to solicit a certain number of reviews. |
| Handing over a tablet at the counter and waiting | Prohibited. You shouldn't require or pressure people to review while on the premises. A printed QR code is fine, since Google suggests it. |
| Your sister, your staff or your supplier leaving reviews | Prohibited. Conflicts of interest include current or former employment, contractual relationships and family. |
| Buying reviews | Prohibited, and see the FTC section below. |
The third row deserves a second look, because "ask for keyword-rich reviews" is common advice. It's against the policy as written. If customers mention "water heater" because that's what you fixed, that's great. You just can't ask them to.
Be careful with old customers too. Emailing past customers is fine, since they had a genuine experience. But Google also lists unusual volumes or patterns of reviews as a sign of rating manipulation, so sending one email to your entire list in a single afternoon isn't a clever start. Spread it out over weeks.
What the FTC adds
Google's rules can cost you your reviews or your profile. The Federal Trade Commission's rule can cost you money. Its Consumer Reviews and Testimonials rule took effect on October 21, 2024, and lets courts impose civil penalties for knowing violations. The FTC announced it as banning fake reviews, undisclosed reviews from company insiders, and review suppression through threats or intimidation.
The difference on incentives is worth knowing. The FTC's Q&A says the rule doesn't ban all incentives, only ones with an express or implied requirement that the review express a particular sentiment, and that failing to disclose an incentive can still violate the FTC Act. Google goes further and bans them outright for reviews on Maps. Google's rule is the one to follow here, since it's stricter and it's where your reviews live.
Companies can't hide behind a vendor either: the Q&A says reputation management companies and review brokers can be liable too. If someone offers to "handle" your reviews, ask exactly how. This isn't legal advice, so ask a lawyer if you're unsure about a specific program.
Replying, and what to do about the bad ones
Google's tips on replies are sensible: keep them short, don't use them to promote deals, and focus on reviews where you can add something rather than posting the same thank-you to everyone. On negative reviews, it suggests acknowledging real mistakes without taking the blame for things outside your control, and moving complicated situations to phone or email. Replies can appear within about 10 minutes, but sometimes take up to 30 days.
If you run a health practice, stop here and read our guide to replying to reviews under HIPAA. Google's tip to address reviewers by name is wrong for you, and practices have paid five-figure sums for getting this wrong. Contractors, for a different reason, should read what we say about roofers and insurance wording before answering a review about a claim.
Bad reviews you disagree with stay up. Google says only reviews that violate its policies can be removed, and not to report one just because you dislike it. To report one, open Read reviews and choose Report next to it. Evaluation typically takes several days, and you get a one-time appeal if the decision goes against you.
There's also a nastier version. If you get a sudden run of 1-star reviews and then someone demands money to remove them, that's an extortion scam, and Google has a dedicated report form. Google's advice: don't engage, don't pay, save screenshots with dates and senders, and report it quickly. Also, whatever you do in public, the FTC's rule bars false accusations and intimidation aimed at reviewers.
How Sojig fits in, and where it doesn't
Sojig, our product, drafts your review replies each week for you to approve, along with Business Profile posts and fixes, and tracks where you appear in Google Maps from each city you serve. For now you copy what you approve into your profile yourself. If you'd rather not write another reply on a Sunday night, that's the part it takes off your plate, and you stay in charge of what's published.
It doesn't send review requests to your customers. For that, check your invoicing or job-management software first, since many can add a link to a message, and a plain email template costs nothing. If review requests are the main thing you need, a dedicated review tool is a better fit than an SEO tool. Just check that it doesn't do any of the things in the table above. Owners who'd like the wider picture can start with SEO for founders and owners or see the industries we cover.