How to get more Google reviews without breaking the rules

Why reviews matter

Google has said that local results are ranked on relevance, distance and prominence, and that prominence includes how well known a business is, including review count and score. Whatever the exact weight, reviews do two other things that matter more. They reassure the person reading, who is often deciding in seconds. And they provide words from real clients that search engines and AI tools can read. A profile with a steady stream of recent, specific reviews is more convincing than one with a handful from years ago.

What is allowed and what is not

Google’s policy on contributed content prohibits reviews posted because of an incentive from a business, and, since a 2023 update, offering incentives to remove or change a negative review. Google’s own advice is that you can ask customers to visit a Google link or scan a QR code to leave a review, as a general invitation without conditions.

The law behind it

• United States: the Federal Trade Commission’s rule on reviews and testimonials has been in force since 21 October 2024. It prohibits fake or false reviews and testimonials, buying positive or negative reviews, review suppression through threats or intimidation, and publishing insider reviews without disclosing the relationship. The FTC can seek civil penalties of up to nearly $52,000 per violation, adjusted annually for inflation.
• United Kingdom: since 6 April 2025 the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 bans commissioning or posting fake reviews, and concealing that a review was incentivised (with money, discounts, freebies and similar). The Competition and Markets Authority enforces it and has published guidance for businesses.
• Elsewhere: the EU and many other countries also have consumer-protection rules against fake reviews and misleading advertising. Check the rules where you work.

None of this stops you asking real clients for honest feedback. It stops you manufacturing it.

Special care for regulated professions

If you are a doctor, dentist, therapist, lawyer, accountant or financial adviser, there are two further things to think about.

• Your regulator’s advertising rules. Some regulators restrict how you may use testimonials in your own marketing, for example on your website or in adverts. Rules differ by country and profession, so check with your regulator or professional body before you display, quote or share clients’ reviews yourself. Independent reviews that clients post on Google are different from testimonials you collect and publish, but the guidance can still affect how you ask and respond.
• Confidentiality. You owe your clients and patients privacy. Never confirm that a reviewer is your client, and never discuss their case, even to defend yourself. In the US, the health regulator (OCR) has said repeatedly that providers must not disclose protected health information when replying to online reviews, and it has fined practices that did: reported cases include a $50,000 penalty on a dental practice and a $30,000 settlement with a psychiatric practice.

A safe reply to a clinical or legal complaint says only that you take feedback seriously, that you cannot discuss any individual matter publicly, and invites them to contact you directly.

How to ask

Make it easy

1. Find your profile’s review link. In your Google Business Profile there is an option to ask for reviews, which gives you a short link and a QR code.
2. Put the link in your email signature, on a card you hand out, and on a thank-you page or message.
3. Make sure the link opens the review form directly on a phone.

Ask at the right moment

Ask when the client has had a good result or a clear sense of value: after a successful appointment, once a matter is resolved, when a project is delivered, or when someone thanks you. Ask everyone, not just the ones who seem pleased, and do not ask when someone is upset or the work is still in progress.

Three short scripts

• In person: “If you found today helpful, a short Google review would help other people find me. There’s a card here with a QR code, no pressure.”
• By text or email: “Thank you for coming in. If you’d like to share your experience, here’s a link to leave a review: [link]. Honest feedback of any kind helps.”
• On a card or invoice: “Your feedback helps others choose well. Leave a Google review: [QR code].”

Note what the scripts leave out: no reward, no request for a positive review, no condition. Ask once, and perhaps send one gentle reminder. Do not chase.

Make it a routine

• Add the request to your end-of-appointment or end-of-project routine, so it happens automatically.
• Aim for a steady few a month rather than a burst. A sudden spike of reviews can look unnatural.
• Keep a note of when you last asked and who, but do not try to steer what they say.
• Check for new reviews weekly, and reply within a few days.

How to reply

To a good review

Thank them by name or first name if they gave it, mention something specific if you can without revealing anything private, and keep it short: “Thank you, Maria. I’m glad the treatment plan was clear. Do get in touch if anything changes.” Avoid repeating the same reply every time.

To a bad review

1. Wait a few hours, so that you reply calmly.
2. Thank them for the feedback and say you are sorry that they were disappointed. Do not argue or correct them in public.
3. Do not reveal any private details or confirm they were a client.
4. Offer to talk offline, with a phone number or email address.
5. Keep it short and professional. Future clients read how you respond more than they read the complaint.

Example: “Thank you for telling us about your experience, and I’m sorry it fell short. I take all feedback seriously, though I can’t discuss individual matters in public. I’d welcome the chance to talk; please contact me at the number on my profile.”

To a review that breaks the rules

If a review is fake, spam, off-topic, from someone who was never a client, or breaks Google’s policies, flag it through your profile. Google reviews flagged content and may remove it. A review does not qualify for removal just because it is negative or unfair. If a review contains false factual statements that damage your reputation, see how to deal with an old or damaging result.

Mistakes to avoid

• Review gating: sending unhappy clients to a private form and only happy ones to Google.
• Rewards: a coupon, a prize draw or a discount in exchange for a review.
• Writing reviews for yourself, or having a colleague or relative do it.
• Using a service that “guarantees” reviews.
• Arguing with reviewers in public, or revealing details about their case.
• Posting on your website only the best reviews while claiming a full picture.
• Naming staff in a way that breaks Google’s review policy, or setting staff review quotas.
• Asking everyone at once and creating a spike followed by silence.

Where BeVisible fits

Google reviews live on your Google listing, and BeVisible does not collect them for you. Your page has a Reviews section for quotes you choose to show, with the client’s permission and within your profession’s rules; the builder’s notices flag professions where testimonials are discouraged, and the quotes are not marked up as star ratings. Your page links to your listing and states the same name, address and phone number. You can build and preview free, and publish free for 7 days with no card needed; after that one yearly plan keeps a website online, and one plan covers one website. Start from a photo or type your details.