How to get more Google reviews without breaking the rules
Ask every customer with Google’s official link. Don’t offer incentives. Google’s policy and UK consumer law both apply — here’s what you can and cannot do.
Most local businesses want more Google reviews, and most already know they should not “buy” them. The useful question is how to get more Google reviews without breaking the rules — Google’s, and the UK’s.
This is not a full review-generation playbook, and it does not replace the profile basics. If the listing itself is shaky, start with the Google Business Profile checklist. What follows is what you can say and do in public, and what you should not.
How do I get more Google reviews?
The method Google publishes is simple: ask for genuine reviews, and make it easy. Google’s tips to get more reviews describe using the official link or QR code from your Business Profile, and asking customers who have actually had an experience with you.
- Ask as a normal part of finishing a job, not only when someone already looks delighted.
- Use the official review link or QR code from the Business Profile tools, not a third-party page that filters who can post.
- Make sure the profile people land on is the right location, and that the name, address and phone match your site. See Why your business details must match everywhere.
- If you cannot even find the listing, fix that first: Why isn’t my business showing on Google Maps?.
What I will not do here is hand you a script, a timing sequence, or a follow-up system. Those are operational choices, and when I do that work it is as part of local SEO support, fitted to how you actually take bookings or close jobs.
You can ask in person, by email, or on a printed card, as long as the request is for a genuine review and the link goes to Google. What matters is that the customer is free to say what they think, including if they are unhappy. A staff reminder to ask at the end of a job is fine; a bonus scheme that only pays out when a five-star review appears is not.
Can I offer a discount for a review?
No. Google’s review policies and its incentivised or biased reviews rules prohibit offering incentives to post, change or remove a review. That includes discounts, gifts, refunds, prize draws and “we’ll donate to charity if you review us” schemes when the review is the condition.
UK consumer law has also tightened around fake and misleading reviews. I am not a solicitor and this is not legal advice, but you should read the current CMA guidance on unfair commercial practices under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 and not assume that “everyone in the trade does it” is a defence.
Does it matter how recent the reviews are?
Customers often look at how fresh the feedback is, and a profile that stops at reviews from two years ago can look closed or neglected. The honest way to keep reviews recent is to keep asking genuine customers through the year, not to run a short campaign of incentivised posts.
I will not invent a “safe” rate of reviews per month, or a point at which freshness starts to help you in the local pack. Google does not publish a figure like that, and a sudden burst after a long silence can look odd for other reasons too.
How should I reply to a bad review?
Reply, and do it calmly. Google’s own tips include responding to reviews. A short public reply that thanks the person, acknowledges the problem where you can, and offers a way to continue privately is usually enough. Do not argue the customer down in public, and do not offer a reward for changing or deleting the review.
If a review is clearly about a different business, or looks fake, use Google’s official reporting tools rather than a public row. Recovery and removal are not things I can honestly promise in an article.
Sources
- Tips to get more reviews — official Google Business Profile guidance on asking, using the link or QR code, and responding.
- Incentivized or Biased Reviews (Maps UGC policy) — incentives and bias undermine the integrity of reviews.
- GOV.UK: Unfair commercial practices (CMA guidance under the DMCC Act 2024) — official material on fake and misleading reviews, among other practices. This article is not legal advice.
Questions people ask
- How do I get more Google reviews?
- Ask customers who have actually used the business, and make it easy with Google’s official review link or QR code. Ask regularly, not only when you think someone is happy, and never offer a discount, gift or entry into a prize draw in exchange for a review.
- Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
- No. Google prohibits incentives for posting, changing or removing reviews. UK consumer law also treats fake and misleading reviews as a serious issue. I am not giving legal advice — read Google’s review policies and current CMA guidance.
- Does it matter how recent the reviews are?
- Yes, in the sense that customers often look at how fresh the feedback is, and a profile that only has old reviews can look inactive. The honest way to keep reviews recent is to keep asking genuine customers, not to run a burst of incentivised posts.
- How should I reply to a bad Google review?
- Reply calmly, in public, and offer a way to continue the conversation privately. Don’t offer a reward for changing or removing the review. Google’s own review tips include guidance on responding.