Local SEO — Guide
How to get better online reviews.
More reviews, better reviews, and the rules you can't break — plus why reviews now shape what AI assistants say about your business.
Quick answer
- Ask every customer, right after a good experience, with a direct link to your review page.
- Make it effortless: a short link, a QR code at the counter, and a follow-up email or text.
- Reply to every review — positive and negative — within a couple of days.
- Never buy reviews, offer rewards for them, or ask only your happiest customers.
Why reviews matter more than ever
Reviews influence where you appear in Google Maps and whether people choose you once they find you. Now they also feed AI answers: Google's Ask Maps and other assistants draw on what customers say about you when someone asks for a recommendation. The specific details in your reviews — the service, the location, the outcome — become the details AI repeats.
How to ask for reviews
- Get your review link. In your Google Business Profile, use the "Ask for reviews" option to copy a short link.
- Ask at the right moment — right after a job is finished or a problem is solved.
- Make it physical: put a QR code that opens your review link on receipts, invoices and the counter. Our QR code generator makes one in seconds.
- Follow up once by email or text, with the link front and center.
- Ask everyone. Google's policies don't allow you to request reviews only from customers you expect to be happy.
How to get better, more useful reviews
You can't tell customers what to say, but you can prompt them to be specific: "If you have a minute, we'd love to hear what we helped you with." Detailed reviews are more convincing to readers and more useful to search engines and AI.
Want a review program that runs itself?
We set up review requests, tracking and local SEO that compounds.
How to reply to reviews
- Positive: thank them by name and mention what they mentioned. Keep it short and human.
- Negative: respond calmly, acknowledge the issue, and offer to make it right offline. Future customers read your reply as much as the review.
- Fake or abusive reviews: flag them for removal through your Business Profile instead of arguing publicly.
Rules you can't break
Since October 2024, the US Federal Trade Commission's rule on consumer reviews has banned fake reviews, buying or selling reviews, rewards that depend on a review being positive, and suppressing negative reviews — with penalties per violation. Google's own policies go further:
- No incentives of any kind for reviews on Google.
- No review gating — screening customers and only sending happy ones to Google.
- No reviews from employees or owners about their own business.
Frequently asked questions
Can I offer a discount for leaving a review?
Not for Google reviews — Google prohibits incentives. Under FTC rules, rewards that depend on a positive review are illegal everywhere.
Can I get a bad review removed?
Only if it breaks Google's policies — for example spam, conflicts of interest or offensive content. Otherwise, a thoughtful reply is your best response.
How many reviews do I need?
There's no magic number. Aim to match or beat the competitors who outrank you, and keep new reviews coming steadily — recency matters.