How to get more Google reviews

How do you get more Google reviews?

Ask every customer for a review, send a direct link that opens Google's review form, and reply to the reviews that come in. Google's own best practices for businesses are to remind customers to leave reviews, reply to reviews, and value all reviews.

Google also sets limits. It removes reviews that were posted because of an incentive or that come from people with a conflict of interest, and it doesn't allow businesses to ask only their happy customers.

How do I get my Google review link?

Google Business Profile creates the link and a QR code for you:

1. Go to your Business Profile.
2. Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
3. To copy the review link, select Copy.
4. To download the QR code, right-click it and select Save image as.

Google notes that review QR codes can only be generated in a computer browser, not on a mobile device.

Customers must be signed in to a Google Account to leave a review. Google says they can create one with a non-Gmail email address.

Where should a moving company share the review link?

Google suggests including the link or QR code on receipts, in thank-you emails, and at the end of a chat conversation, and printing and displaying the QR code. It also lists email, WhatsApp, and Facebook posts as ways to send review requests.

For a moving company, the same ideas fit the end of a job:

• The final invoice or receipt, with the link printed or embedded.
• A thank-you text or email sent after the move, with the link in it.
• A printed card with the QR code that the crew leaves with the customer.

When should a moving company ask for a review?

Ask after the job is finished, while the move is fresh, and ask every customer the same way. The request should go to customers with a damage claim or a late truck as well as to customers whose move went perfectly. Asking only the happy ones is review gating, which Google prohibits. See what is review gating.

Google's policy also limits how the request is made:

• No pressure on site. Merchants "should not require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises."
• No requests for specific content. Merchants shouldn't "request that specific content be included." Google's policy names "merchants requesting that staff solicit reviews that include specific content, including content that identifies a staff member." Asking customers to mention a crew member by name falls under that rule.
• No quotas for staff. Google doesn't allow "merchants requesting that staff solicit a certain number of reviews."

A crew lead can still tell the customer that a review request is coming and hand over the QR card. The customer decides whether and what to write.

Why should a business reply to Google reviews?

Replies show customers that the business values their feedback. Google says helpful replies "can show that you're responsive to your customers." When you reply, Google notifies the reviewer, and the reply appears publicly under the review.

Google's tips for replies:

• Keep it short and simple.
• Make replies count. Instead of the same "thank you" on every review, focus on reviews where you can share a useful update or answer a question.
• Be conversational, not promotional. Avoid offering deals or promotions in replies.
• For negative reviews, protect the reviewer's privacy, acknowledge mistakes, apologize when appropriate, and respond promptly.

What isn't allowed when asking for Google reviews?

Google's Maps policy and the FTC both restrict how businesses get reviews. Where they differ, Google's policy is the stricter of the two for Google reviews.

• Incentives of any kind. Google says offering incentives, "like free or discounted goods or services," in exchange for reviews "is considered fake engagement and is strictly prohibited." The FTC rule doesn't prohibit incentives that don't require a particular sentiment, although the FTC says undisclosed incentives could violate the FTC Act. Google's policy is stricter, so a Google review request can't include a discount, free service, or payment.
• Asking only happy customers. Google doesn't allow merchants to "selectively solicit positive reviews from customers." The FTC's guide says: "Don't ask for reviews only from customers you think will leave positive ones."
• Reviews from employees, family, or competitors. Google treats content based on "current or former employment" or personal affiliations "such as industry competitors, familial relationships" as a conflict of interest.
• Buying reviews. Google removes "reviews or ratings that have been paid for, directly or in kind." The FTC rule prohibits paying for reviews that must express a particular sentiment, and it prohibits writing or selling fake reviews.
• Posting from multiple accounts. Google removes "content that has been posted from multiple accounts by or at the request of one person."
• Vendors that do these things for you. The FTC warns that some SEO and reputation management companies may get results by writing fake reviews without saying so, and that "you can be held responsible for what they do on your behalf."

Do more reviews help a moving company rank in Google Maps?

Reviews are associated with stronger Google Maps positions, but they don't decide rankings alone. In MMAI's observational snapshot of 320 large U.S. cities, movers in the first Google Maps position averaged 381 reviews, against 125 for businesses in tenth position. The study measured correlation and did not prove that review counts caused the higher rankings. The method and limits are in the full study.

Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity. Reviews also matter to customers comparing movers: Google says reviews "can help your business stand out and give potential customers helpful info."