SEO8 min read
How to Get More Google Reviews (and Why They Matter for SEO)
Josh Higgins · Co-Founder & Technical Director1 September 2026If I could give every small business owner one piece of free marketing advice, it would be this: get more Google reviews. It sounds simple, almost too simple. But Google reviews are one of the strongest ranking signals for local search, they directly influence whether someone clicks on your listing or your competitor's, and they cost absolutely nothing except a small amount of effort.
At Create & Grow Media, we have helped local businesses across Queensland build their review profiles from single digits to triple digits. The impact on visibility, enquiries, and revenue is consistently one of the highest-ROI activities we do for clients. Here is exactly how to do it for your own business.
Why Google Reviews Are a Ranking Factor
This topic is covered in depth in our SEO Foundations for Small Business course.
Learn moreGoogle's local search algorithm considers three primary factors: relevance (how well your business matches the search query), distance (how close you are to the searcher), and prominence (how well-known and reputable your business is). Reviews are a major component of prominence. A business with 150 genuine reviews and a 4.7-star rating will consistently outrank a competitor with 8 reviews, even if other factors are similar.
Beyond rankings, reviews influence click-through rates. When someone searches 'plumber near me' and sees three businesses in the local map pack, they almost always click the one with the most reviews and the highest rating. Research from BrightLocal found that the average consumer reads multiple reviews before trusting a local business. If your review count is low or your rating is below 4 stars, you are losing clicks to competitors every day.
Reviews also feed Google's understanding of your business. When customers mention specific services, suburbs, or experiences in their reviews, Google uses that language to match your business with relevant searches. More detailed reviews mean more keyword associations for your listing.
How Many Reviews You Need
The honest answer is: more than your closest competitors. Look at the businesses ranking in the local map pack for your most important keywords. Count their reviews. That is your benchmark. If the top three competitors have 80, 120, and 200 reviews, and you have 15, you have a clear target.
General benchmarks by industry (based on what we see across AU clients):
- Tradies (plumbers, electricians, builders): 50 to 150 reviews to be competitive locally
- Health practitioners (chiros, physios, dentists): 40 to 100 reviews. Patients actively check reviews before booking
- Hospitality (cafes, restaurants, bars): 100 to 300+ reviews. Volume matters heavily in food and beverage
- Professional services (accountants, lawyers, consultants): 20 to 60 reviews. Quality and recency matter more than volume here
- Retail and e-commerce: 30 to 100 reviews on Google, plus platform-specific reviews on your website
Recency matters too. A business with 200 reviews but the last one from 6 months ago signals to both Google and customers that something has changed. Aim for a steady stream of new reviews every month rather than a burst followed by silence.
The Review Request System
Most small businesses do not get reviews because they do not ask. That is it. The service was great, the customer was happy, but nobody asked them to leave a review, so they moved on with their day. A systematic approach to review requests changes everything.
Our proven review request system:
- Step 1: Identify the moment. Ask for a review at the point of highest satisfaction. For a tradie, that is when the job is done and the customer says 'looks great.' For a restaurant, it is when they compliment the food. For a service provider, it is after delivering results
- Step 2: Ask in person first. A face-to-face request is 3 to 5 times more effective than an email or SMS. Simply say: 'I am glad you are happy with the work. Would you mind leaving us a Google review? It really helps our small business.'
- Step 3: Make it easy. Send a direct link to your Google review page via SMS or email within 2 hours of the interaction. The longer you wait, the less likely they are to follow through
- Step 4: Follow up once. If they have not left a review after 3 days, send one gentle reminder. Do not send more than one follow-up
- Step 5: Thank every reviewer. Respond to every review within 48 hours, whether positive or negative. This shows potential customers that you are engaged and care about feedback
To get your direct Google review link: search for your business on Google, click 'Write a review' on your own listing, and copy the URL from your browser. Shorten it using a free URL shortener for easier sharing via text message.
What to Say When Asking
The way you ask matters. Avoid anything that sounds scripted or desperate. Keep it simple and genuine.
Review request templates:
- In person: 'Really glad you are happy with [the result]. If you have a minute, a Google review would mean a lot to us. I can text you the link right now.'
- SMS (same day): 'Hey [name], thanks for choosing [business]. If you have a sec, a quick Google review would be a huge help for our small business. Here is the link: [link]. No pressure at all!'
- Email (within 24 hours): 'Hi [name], thanks again for trusting us with [service]. If you had a good experience, we would really appreciate a Google review. It only takes a minute and it helps other people in [suburb] find us: [link]. Thanks!'
- Follow-up (3 days later): 'Hey [name], just a quick follow-up. If you get a chance to leave us a Google review, the link is here: [link]. Totally understand if you are busy. Thanks either way!'
Dealing With Negative Reviews
Negative reviews are inevitable, and how you respond to them matters more than the review itself. A professional, empathetic response to a negative review can actually build trust with potential customers. It shows you care, you take responsibility, and you want to make things right.
How to respond to negative reviews:
- Respond within 24 to 48 hours. Do not let negative reviews sit unanswered
- Start by acknowledging their frustration. 'We are sorry to hear you did not have a great experience.'
- Take responsibility where appropriate. Even if you disagree, avoid being defensive
- Offer a resolution. 'We would love the chance to make this right. Please contact us at [email/phone] so we can discuss this directly.'
- Keep it professional. Never argue, never be sarcastic, never get personal. Other customers are reading this
- Move the conversation offline. Resolve the specific issue privately, not in the review thread
A business with a 4.7-star rating and a few thoughtful responses to negative reviews is actually more trustworthy than a business with a perfect 5.0 and only 10 reviews. Consumers are sceptical of perfection. A mix of ratings with professional responses looks authentic.
Google's Rules About Reviews
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Google has clear policies about reviews, and violating them can get your reviews removed or your listing penalised. Know the rules before building your review strategy.
What is NOT allowed:
- Offering incentives for reviews (discounts, gifts, or entries into competitions)
- Asking only satisfied customers to leave reviews (review gating)
- Posting fake reviews or getting friends/family who are not customers to review you
- Buying reviews from third-party services
- Reviewing your own business from personal accounts
- Asking customers to include specific keywords in their reviews
What IS allowed:
- Asking all customers to leave honest reviews
- Sending a direct link to your Google review page
- Responding to all reviews (positive and negative)
- Displaying a 'Review us on Google' sign in your shop or on your invoice
- Including a review request in your email signature or follow-up emails
Displaying Reviews on Your Website
Your Google reviews should not live only on Google. Display them on your website too. This serves dual purposes: social proof for website visitors, and structured data that search engines can use to display rich snippets (star ratings in search results).
Ways to display reviews on your website:
- A dedicated testimonials or reviews page with your best reviews
- A rotating review widget on your homepage
- Relevant reviews on specific service pages (a review mentioning 'bathroom renovation' on your bathroom renovation page)
- Screenshot-style review displays for social proof
- Schema markup (structured data) so search engines can display your star rating in results
WordPress plugins like Site Reviews and Elfsight make embedding Google reviews straightforward. If you have a custom-built website, your developer can pull reviews via the Google Places API. The key is making reviews visible to every potential customer who visits your site, not buried on a page nobody finds.
Review Velocity: Why Consistency Matters More Than Volume
One of the most overlooked aspects of Google reviews is velocity, the rate at which you receive new reviews over time. Google pays attention to how consistently reviews are coming in. A business that receives 3 to 5 reviews per month, every month, sends a stronger signal than one that received 50 reviews two years ago and none since. This is why building a system matters more than a one-off review push.
We have seen this play out with multiple clients. One service business had 180 reviews but the most recent one was 8 months old. A competitor with only 65 reviews but a steady stream of 4 to 6 new ones each month was consistently outranking them in the local map pack. When we helped the first business restart their review system, their visibility improved noticeably within 6 weeks, even before they had added many new reviews.
Using Reviews to Improve Your Business
Reviews are not just a marketing tool. They are genuine customer feedback, and smart businesses use them to identify areas for improvement. If multiple customers mention slow response times, that is a signal to fix your communication process. If several reviews praise a specific team member by name, that is recognition you should celebrate internally. Read every review carefully, positive and negative, and look for patterns.
Create a monthly review audit: categorise all new reviews by theme (service quality, communication, pricing, timeliness, specific team members). Track sentiment over time. Share positive themes with your team to reinforce good habits, and address negative themes in your operations. This feedback loop turns Google reviews into a continuous improvement tool, not just a marketing channel.
Your 30-Day Review Growth Plan
Build your review engine in 30 days:
- Week 1: Get your Google review link ready. Test it yourself. Create SMS and email templates using the examples above. Train your team on when and how to ask
- Week 2: Ask every customer or client you interact with this week. Aim for at least 5 review requests. Send the link via SMS within 2 hours of the interaction
- Week 3: Follow up with anyone who has not reviewed yet (one reminder only). Respond to every new review within 48 hours. Ask 5 more customers
- Week 4: Review your progress. How many reviews did you gain? What method worked best (in-person, SMS, or email)? Refine your approach and make it a permanent part of your customer workflow
Most businesses that follow this system gain 10 to 20 new reviews in their first month. After 3 months of consistent effort, you should see a noticeable improvement in your local search visibility and the volume of enquiries coming through your Google listing.
Google reviews are free. They improve your search rankings. They build trust with potential customers. And they compound over time. Every review you earn today is an asset that works for your business indefinitely. The only thing standing between you and a strong review profile is a system and the habit of asking. Start this week.
Want to take your local SEO further? Our SEO Foundations course includes a full module on local search optimisation, including review strategy, Google Business Profile mastery, and local citation building. It is built on the same strategies we use for our agency clients every day.
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