Get More Google Reviews Without Breaking the Rules

Happy customers rarely leave a review on their own. They will if you ask on the right day, with the right words, and a link that takes them straight to the form. This checklist is the whole process, from the ask to the reply.

Work through it once to set the process up, then use the templates section every time a job finishes. Ticks are saved in this browser.

Google Review Request Checklist

Set it up once, then use the templates after every job.

0 of 27 complete0%

Your ticks are saved in this browser, so you can work through the list over several sessions.

01Set up once

0/5

Do these before you send a single request.

Google Business Profile claimed and verifiedReviews can only be collected on a listing you control. Check the name, category, service area and phone number are right.
Direct review link copied from the Business ProfileThe link that opens the review form in one tap. Save it in your phone notes and your job system.
Link tested on a phone not signed in to your businessConfirm it lands on the review form for the right listing, not a search page.
Decided who sends the request and whenYou, the office, or an automatic message when the job is marked complete. Pick one so it always happens.
Customer mobile and email captured at bookingYou cannot send the request without them. Make them part of the booking checklist.

02Timing and the ask

0/5

The same day, while the finished job is in front of them.

Mention the review in person as you finishOne sentence: you would appreciate an honest review, and a text with the link is on its way.
Text sent within an hour of leaving the jobBefore the next job, not that evening. The sooner it lands, the more likely it gets done.
Request goes to every completed job, not a chosen fewAsking only the customers you expect to be positive is review gating and is not allowed.
Sent from the number the customer already has for youA text from a familiar number gets opened. One from an unknown number gets ignored.
Invoice and review request kept separateSend the invoice first. A review request stapled to a bill reads as a condition.

03Wording that follows the rules

0/6

Honest, short, and nothing offered in return.

No discount, gift, draw or credit tied to the reviewIncentives breach Google's review policies and can get reviews removed.
Ask for an honest review, not a five-star oneAsking for a rating steers the customer. Asking for their honest view does not.
Use the customer's name and name the jobA message that could have gone to anyone reads as spam. One about their new hot water service does not.
Business name included so they know who sent itRequired for any commercial message, and it stops the text being mistaken for a scam.
SMS template saved and reused word for wordExample: Hi Sam, thanks for having us out for the switchboard today. If you have a minute, an honest Google review would help us a lot: [link]. Cheers, [name], [business].
Email template saved for customers who prefer emailSame wording, same link, a subject line that names the job. Keep it under five sentences.

04Follow up once, then reply

0/6

One reminder, then a reply to everything that comes in.

One reminder sent three to five days after the first requestA short nudge for the people who meant to do it. After that, let it go.
No second or third reminderRepeated requests cost goodwill and can tip a happy customer into an annoyed one.
Stop requests honoured immediatelyIf a customer asks not to be contacted, note it in your system and never send another.
Every positive review replied to within a few daysThank them by name and mention the job. Two sentences is plenty.
Every negative review replied to calmly, with an offer to sort it out offlineState the facts briefly, no arguing, and give a way to contact you. Other customers are reading.
No customer details revealed in any replyDo not confirm addresses, invoices or anything the customer did not put in the review themselves.

05Track it

0/5

If you do not count it, you will not know whether it is working.

Requests sent this month countedA tally in your job system or a spreadsheet. Automatic sending makes this a report rather than a chore.
Reviews received this month countedCompare with requests sent. If the share is low, look at timing and wording first.
Overall rating and review count noted monthlyWrite the two numbers down on the first of each month so you can see the trend.
Reviews checked for anything that needs a reply at least weeklySet a reminder. A review sitting unanswered for a month looks worse than no review at all.
Process reviewed once a quarterRe-test the link, re-read the templates and check the profile details are still right.

Have review requests sent automatically

A general process checklist, not legal advice. Review platform policies change; check the current Google Business Profile rules before running any campaign, and keep any text or email marketing within the Spam Act.

Why the Process Matters More Than the Ask

Most tradies ask for reviews sometimes, in different words, days after the job, with no link. The result is a handful of reviews a year. The same business with a fixed process gets one from most happy customers.

Timing decides the response

The customer is most pleased on the day the job is finished, while the result is in front of them. Every day that passes, the goodwill fades and the request feels more like a chore. Ask on the day, ideally within an hour or two of leaving.

The wording has rules

Google's review policies do not allow offering anything in exchange for a review, and reviews that are misleading can also be a problem under the Australian Consumer Law. Ask for an honest review, offer nothing for it, and never ask only the customers you expect to be positive while steering the rest elsewhere.

The link does the work

A customer who has to search for your business, find the right listing and locate the review button will usually give up. A direct review link opens the form in one tap. Get the link once, save it, and put it in every request.

The Four Steps

The checklist follows the order a review request actually happens in, from setting up the link to reading the numbers a month later.

1

Set up once

Claim the Business Profile, get the direct review link, and decide who sends the request and when.

2

Ask on the day, in the right words

Mention it in person as you finish, then text the link before the next job. Short, honest, no incentive, and the same wording every time.

3

Follow up once, then reply

One reminder a few days later if nothing has happened, then a reply to every review that arrives, good or bad.

4

Track it

Count requests sent and reviews received each month so you know whether the process is working.

The Three Mistakes That Cost Reviews

Each of these is common, each is easy to fix, and each one on its own can be the difference between a trickle of reviews and a steady flow.

Asking in a way that is easy to ignore

A general "leave us a review if you get a chance" at the door, with no link and no follow-through, is a request the customer will forget by dinner. The fix is a specific ask, in person, followed by a text they can act on in one tap while they are still standing in the finished room.

Say it in person first, then text the link within the hour
Use the customer's name and mention the actual job
Keep the message to three sentences and one link
Send from the number the customer already has for you

Offering something for it

A discount, a gift card or entry in a draw in exchange for a review breaches Google's policies and can get reviews removed or the profile penalised. It can also make the review misleading in a way that matters under consumer law. Ask because you did a good job. That is the only reason that holds up.

No discounts, gifts, draws or credits tied to a review
No asking for five stars, just an honest review
No screening customers so only the happy ones are asked
No writing reviews yourself or asking staff and family to

Not replying

A review with no response looks like a business that does not read them. A short reply to every review, thanking the customer by name and mentioning the job, shows the next person reading that you pay attention. Negative reviews need a reply most of all, and a calm one does more for you than the review does against you.

Reply within a few days, in plain words, no template feel
Thank them and name the job so it reads as genuine
For a negative review, state the facts calmly and offer to sort it out offline
Never argue in public, and never reveal details the customer did not share

Next Steps

How to Get More Google Reviews as a Tradie

The longer guide behind this checklist, including what reviews do for your ranking.

Read the guide →

Tradie Lead Response Scorecard

Reviews are the last of four stages. See how the whole path from call to review scores.

Score your setup →

Tradie Job Booking Checklist

Capturing the mobile number at booking is what makes the review text possible later.

Open the checklist →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find my direct Google review link?

In your Google Business Profile, once the listing is claimed and verified, there is an option to get a link that opens the review form directly. Copy it, shorten it if you like, and save it somewhere you can reach from your phone. Test it yourself on a phone that is not signed in to your business account, so you see exactly what the customer sees. Then put it in your text and email templates and never retype it.

Can I ask for a review by text message?

Yes, and for tradies it works better than email because the customer already has your number and reads texts quickly. Keep it short, include your business name so they know who it is from, and send it only to customers you have done work for. If your review requests are part of a broader marketing message, the Spam Act rules on consent, identification and unsubscribe apply, so keep the message about the job you just did and honour any request to stop.

Is it against the rules to ask only happy customers?

Choosing who to ask based on whether you expect a good review, and sending unhappy customers to a private form instead, is the practice usually called review gating, and Google's policies do not allow it. The safe approach is to ask every customer whose job is complete, in the same way, and deal with any unhappy ones by fixing the problem rather than by hiding the review. A business with a few honest three-star reviews among the fives looks more credible than one with nothing but perfect scores.

How many times should I follow up?

Once. A single reminder a few days after the first request catches people who meant to do it and forgot. A second and third reminder starts to feel like pestering and can cost you the goodwill you earned on the job. If they have not reviewed after one follow-up, let it go and ask again the next time you do work for them.

What do I do about a bad review?

Reply, calmly, within a few days. Thank them for the feedback, state briefly and factually what happened from your side without arguing, and offer to sort it out by phone. Do not share private details about the customer or the job. If the review is fake, or is about a different business, you can report it through your Business Profile, but expect that process to take time and to be uncertain. The reply is what other customers will read, and a measured one works in your favour.

Can whoever answers my phone send the review request?

Yes, and it is one of the easiest things to hand off. Whether the phone is answered by a family member, an office person, an answering service or an automated system, the request can go out automatically when a job is marked complete. That removes the step most tradies skip, which is remembering to send it. The wording and the link stay the same, so the process is consistent whoever triggers it.

Want the Request Sent for You?

You have the process. The hard part is remembering to send the text at the end of every job. Tell us your trade and we will show you how the request goes out automatically when a job is marked done.

Automate my review requests How to get more reviews