In short
To get Google reviews, send the direct link to your profile right after a successful job, to all your satisfied customers, let them write in their own words and reply to every review. Never offer anything in exchange: it is forbidden by Google and punished by law.
Why Google reviews matter so much
Google reviews are often the first thing a customer looks at before calling you. A rating and a few sentences written by other customers reassure faster than any presentation page, especially for a tradesperson, a freelancer or a local shop.
They also weigh on local visibility. In its help pages, Google explains that local ranking rests on relevance, distance and prominence, and that reviews feed this prominence: the more reviews and good ratings a business receives, the higher it can climb. The useful replies you give to reviews can also help you stand out. The details are on the page Tips to improve your local ranking.
These reviews appear on your business profile, not on your site: the two complement each other. They do not compensate for an incomplete profile or an address too far from the search, however. The guide local SEO in Lyon explains how to put it all together.
How to ask for a Google review, step by step
1. Use the direct link or the QR code
From your profile, Google offers a link to send and a QR code to display. The customer lands directly on the review form, without having to look for your profile. Google covers this in its page Tips to get more reviews.
2. Ask at the right time
Right after a successful job, when the customer is happy and remembers everything: at the handover of the keys, at the end of a building job, on leaving an appointment. A week later, most have forgotten.
3. Ask simply, out loud or by message
A short message is enough: a thank you, the link, a sentence to say that their review helps other customers choose you. Below you will find a message template ready to adapt. If your customers book online, slip the link into the thank-you or reminder message sent after the appointment, as a site with online booking allows.
4. Ask all your satisfied customers
Do not select only those you are sure will write five stars: Google asks not to solicit only positive reviews. A profile where you read a few nuanced reviews also looks more credible than a series of perfect ratings with no text.
5. Make it a habit
One request at the end of each job beats a one-off campaign: a few regular reviews are more natural and more useful than a burst followed by several months of silence. Build it into the way you close a job or an appointment.
What to tell your customers so they write a useful review
You cannot write the review for them or dictate words to them: a review must reflect a genuinely lived experience. You can, however, tell them what makes a review useful to future customers:
- The initial need: “I had a leak”, “I was looking for an electrician to renovate my flat”.
- The service received and the place: “installation of a water heater in Caluire”, “redesign of my website for my practice in Lyon”.
- How it went: deadline met, clear quote, clean job site, listening.
- The result: what changed for them after your work.
- A precise detail: a concrete fact is worth more than a general “great work”.
One invitation sentence is enough: “To help other customers, you can say what you needed, what I did and how it went.” The words internet users search for, such as your trade or your city, then come naturally, without anyone having to impose them. A copied review or one stuffed with keywords inspires less trust and is quickly spotted.
What is forbidden: fake reviews, bought reviews, rewards
This is where people go wrong most. For Google, offering a benefit in exchange for a review, for changing it or for removing it counts as artificial engagement and is strictly forbidden, even for a small discount or a gift.
The law is just as clear. According to the DGCCRF, a professional may not publish fake reviews, pose as a consumer, or use paid reviews or reviews obtained in return for a reward. These practices are misleading commercial practices, an offence punishable by two years’ imprisonment and a €300,000 fine. Since May 2024, when they take place online, as online reviews do, the consumer code raises these penalties to up to five years’ imprisonment and a €750,000 fine for an individual. The professional, their provider and the people hired to write these reviews are all liable. See the page Online reviews: beware of fake comments!.
In practice, avoid:
- writing reviews yourself, or having relatives write them;
- offering a discount, a gift or a service in exchange for a review;
- paying a provider who promises “50 reviews in a week”;
- deleting or hiding negative reviews on your own site to show only the good ones.
Replying to Google reviews, positive and negative
Replying to every review shows that you are present. These replies are public: stay brief, polite and useful.
A positive review
Say thank you, mention the service provided and, if it comes naturally, the city. Two sentences are enough. Avoid the identical reply copied every time: it shows.
A negative review
Take your time before replying. Thank them for the remark, acknowledge what should be acknowledged, offer to discuss it by phone or e-mail and sign with your first name. Google advises never revealing private information about the customer and not attacking them. A calm reply to a harsh review often reassures future customers more than the review itself.
If a review breaks Google’s rules, you can report it from your profile. If it does not, it stays displayed: reply calmly.
Templates to ask for a Google review and reply to it
Adapt these templates to your way of speaking: a message that sounds like you gets more replies than a text that is too formal.
Message after a job, by SMS or e-mail
“Hello Mrs Martin, thank you again for your trust. If you have two minutes, your Google review would help other customers find me: [link]. Have a good day, Julien.”
Reply to a positive review
“Thank you Sophie for your feedback. I am delighted that your bathroom renovation in Villeurbanne went well. Looking forward to seeing you again, Julien.”
Reply to a negative review
“Hello Mr Durand, thank you for taking the time to write. I am sorry that the announced deadline was not met. I would like to talk about it with you: you can call me on [number]. Julien, [company name].”
In a reply to a negative review, do not mention the price paid, the customer’s address or any private detail: your reply is read by all your future customers.
Showcasing your Google reviews on your site
A showcase site can link to your profile: a “See our Google reviews” link and a “Leave a review” button on the contact page or in the footer, with the direct link. If you reuse the text of a review on your site, it is better to inform its author, and never invent any to fill a page.
Real example
On sentinelle-investigations.fr, the website of a private detective agency in Lyon that I built, a section of the home page is devoted to the agency’s Google reviews, next to the FAQ.
The showcase site guide details the proof to show, and the website for tradespeople in Lyon page shows where to place it. To build everything in order, see the steps to build a website.
Key takeaway
To get Google reviews: ask right after the job, with the direct link, from all your satisfied customers; let them write in their own words; offer nothing in exchange; reply to every review.