Short answer: ask every customer, at the moment they're happiest, with a direct link that takes them straight to the review box. Do it the same day, by text, and make it take less than a minute. Don't pay for reviews, don't only ask the customers you know loved you, and reply to every review you get. Most trades with a handful of reviews aren't doing anything wrong. They're just not asking.
You know the feeling. The job went well, the customer said "brilliant, I'll definitely leave you a review", and then nothing. It's not that they didn't mean it. Life got in the way, they couldn't find you on Google, or they opened the app, didn't know what to write, and closed it again.
Getting reviews isn't about being pushy. It's about removing every reason a happy customer has not to do it. This guide covers why reviews matter more than they did, the rules you can't break (some of them are now law), and a simple routine with word-for-word messages you can copy into your phone tonight.
Happy customers don't forget to review you because they don't care. They forget because you made it their job to remember.
Why reviews matter more in 2026
BrightLocal surveys consumers every year on how they use reviews to pick local businesses. Its 2026 survey found people are reading more closely, and being fussier, than ever:
- 41%always read reviews when looking for a local business, up from 29% the year before
- 31%will only use a business rated 4.5 stars or higher, up from 17%
- 74%look for reviews written in the last three months
- 80%are more likely to use a business that replies to all its reviews
Source: BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, 1,002 US adults surveyed in February 2026. A US sample, but UK buying behaviour on Google tends to follow the same pattern.
The one most trades miss is recency. A 4.9 rating where the newest review is from 2023 looks like a business that's gone quiet. A 4.7 with three reviews this month looks busy and trusted. You don't need hundreds. You need a steady trickle of fresh ones.
Reviews also feed into where you appear in the Google Maps results for searches like "electrician near me". They're not the only factor, but they're one of the few you can directly control. There's more on the rest in how to show up in Google Maps.
Read this firstThe rules: what you can and can't do
Two sets of rules apply here: UK law, and Google's own policies. Both got stricter recently.
UK law. Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has banned fake reviews outright, along with hiding the fact that a review was incentivised, and presenting reviews in a misleading way (like hiding the bad ones and only showing the good). The CMA can fine businesses up to 10% of their global turnover. It has published guidance for businesses on fake reviews if you want the detail.
Google's policy. Google goes further than the law. It doesn't allow any incentive for a review at all, even a disclosed one. In April 2026 it also added two new rules: you can't set staff targets for a number of reviews, and you can't direct staff to ask for reviews that say particular things, including naming a member of staff. Break the rules and Google can stop your profile receiving new reviews for a while, unpublish existing ones, or show a public warning on your profile saying fake reviews were removed. That last one is the one that really hurts.
| Fine | Not fine |
|---|---|
| Asking every customer for a review | Only asking the customers you think will leave five stars (known as "review gating") |
| Sending a direct review link by text or email | Offering a discount, prize draw or anything else in return |
| A QR code on your invoice or van | Reviews from family, friends or staff |
| A polite reminder a few days later | Telling customers what to write |
| Replying to every review, good and bad | Writing reviews for yourself, or paying someone to |
| Showing your real rating on your website | Cherry-picking only the best reviews and implying that's the full picture |
This is practical guidance, not legal advice. If you're running anything more elaborate than asking customers for reviews, like a referral scheme that might overlap, check the CMA guidance or talk to a solicitor.
Get your review link
The biggest reason customers don't review you is friction. "Search for us on Google and leave a review" is four steps too many. A direct link opens the review box with your business already selected.
- Sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile.
- Search Google for your business name. Your profile management panel appears at the top.
- Look for Ask for reviews (sometimes under Read reviews). It gives you a short link you can copy and share.
- Save that link somewhere you'll use it: a note on your phone, a text template, your email signature.
- Turn it into a QR code (plenty of free generators do this) and put it on invoices, job sheets and the back of your business card.
Test the link on your own phone, signed out, to check it opens the review box. Not sure your profile is set up properly in the first place? Run it through our free Google Business Profile scorecard.
Step 2Ask at the right moment
There's a moment on every job when the customer is happiest. The boiler's firing, the consumer unit's signed off, the patio's finished and they're stood on it with a cup of tea. That's when you ask. Not two weeks later with the invoice.
Keep it light and specific. Something like:
"Glad you're happy with it. Can I ask a favour? Reviews on Google make a massive difference to a small business like mine. I'll text you a link now, it takes about thirty seconds. Only if you've got a minute."
Saying "I'll text you a link" does two things. It tells them it'll be easy, and it gives you a reason to send the message straight away, while they're still pleased.
Ask everyone, not just the customers you're sure loved it. That's the law and Google's rules, but it's also good business. A few honest four-star reviews among the fives make the whole profile look real, and the occasional unhappy customer is better heard from than stewing.
Step 3Send the text the same day
Text or WhatsApp beats email for trades every time. It gets read. Here are three you can save as templates and adapt:
Hi Sarah, thanks for having me round today. If you've got a minute, a quick Google review would really help. Here's the link: [your link]. Cheers, Dave
Hi Mark and Jo, it's been a pleasure working on the extension. Thanks for the tea and the patience. If you're happy to, a Google review would mean a lot. It helps other people in the area find us: [your link]. Any snags at all, just shout. Tom
Hi Sarah, hope everything's still working well. No worries if you haven't had a chance, but here's that review link again in case it got buried: [your link]. Thanks again, Dave
One reminder, then leave it. Chasing more than that turns a favour into a nuisance.
You'll notice none of these tell the customer what to write. You don't need to. Reviews written right after a specific job naturally mention what you did and where, which is exactly what helps other customers, and Google, understand what you do.
Step 4Reply to every review
Eight in ten people are more likely to use a business that replies to all its reviews. It shows you're active, and that you care what customers think. Keep replies short, personal and specific to the job. Copy-pasted "Thanks for your kind words!" on every review reads as automated, because it is.
For a good review: thank them by name, mention the job, and say something human. For a bad one: stay calm, don't argue the details in public, and offer to sort it out offline. We've written a whole guide to handling a bad review without losing the next ten customers, because how you reply often matters more to future customers than the review itself.
Step 5Put them to work
Your reviews live on Google, but they shouldn't only live there. Use them on your website, near your contact button, on your quote emails, and on social posts when a job finishes. Show your real overall rating and link to your full profile, so nobody can accuse you of picking only the best.
Reviews and a website do different jobs, and you need both. We explain why in reviews vs website: the short version is that reviews get you trusted, and your website is where that trust turns into a phone call.
Keep it goingMaking it a habit
The trades with 200 reviews didn't get them in a burst. They built a routine and stuck to it. Here's one that takes about five minutes a week:
- The review link is saved as a text template on your phone, and on every invoice as a QR code.
- Every finished job gets the ask in person, and the text the same day.
- One reminder, a few days later, for anyone who hasn't.
- Friday, five minutes: reply to the week's reviews.
Aim for steady rather than sudden. Twenty reviews in a week and then nothing for six months looks odd to customers and to Google's filters, and some reviews from sudden spikes get held back. One or two a week, every week, is worth far more.
What about Checkatrade, Trustpilot or Facebook? They're fine, and if a customer would rather use one of them, take it gratefully. But if you're only asking for one, ask for Google. It's where most people search, and it's the one that sits next to your listing in the map.
Want this done for you?
If you'd rather not think about it at all, our Momentum add-on handles review requests and responses for you, alongside the rest of your Local plan. Or start with the free Google Business Profile scorecard and see where you stand.
Keep reading: Google Business Profile, set up properly · Google Business Profile suspended? How to get it back · Free Google review link and QR generator
