Optimising Reviews on your Google Business Profile
Gavin Reynoldson July 18, 2025
The Importance of Reviews for Your Google Business Profile
0:00 Reviews play a crucial role in how your Google Business Profile performs. Google prefers to show profiles with more reviews.
0:10 If you’re in an area with very little competition, you might rank well with just one review. But in most cases, there’s heavy competition and other businesses may already have hundreds of reviews.
0:23 Your goal should be to get as many authentic reviews as possible.
How to Get More Reviews
- Ask for a review after every completed job or interaction
- Send follow-up emails to previous clients asking for a review
- Make review collection part of your customer service process
0:47 Never buy fake reviews. Google is smart and can detect them. Your profile could be blocked if caught.
How to Handle Reviews
- Always respond to every review — positive and negative
- For positive reviews: thank the customer, acknowledge their feedback
- For negative reviews: remain professional, explain calmly, and respond politely
1:39 Even if the reviews are old and unanswered, go back and reply. Google rewards businesses that engage with their reviewers.
What’s a Good Star Rating?
1:54 Google expects realistic ratings — somewhere between 4.2 and 4.8. A perfect 5-star average with few reviews might not appear trustworthy.
2:16 Businesses with many reviews and a slightly lower rating (like 4.6–4.8) tend to perform better in local search.
How to Ask for Reviews
2:24 In your Google Business dashboard, you can click on “Ask for a Review.” This opens up options for sharing a review link:
- Share via WhatsApp, email, or Facebook
- Copy the link and embed it in follow-up emails
- Download a QR code for use on print materials
Smart Ways to Use Review Links
2:43 Include the review link in automated thank-you emails after payment or job completion:
- “Thanks for working with us! Please leave a review: [link]”
Use the QR code creatively:
- On flyers, leaflets, or business cards
- In packaging inserts or handwritten thank-you cards
Make It a Process
3:21 Businesses with hundreds of reviews typically use an automated system or process to request reviews consistently.
3:32 If you’re not doing this yet, put a system in place — it can massively improve your visibility in local search results.