The playbook · en español
ask every customer soon after the job, send a direct link or QR code, and let them write it in their own words. Don't ask only the happy ones, and don't tell them what to include. Google's policy rules out both, along with paying or rewarding reviews (Google's review policy). See what Google and AI tools can read about your business, free, in 60 seconds.
My take: machines read your reviews as evidence. When someone asks Google, ChatGPT, or Gemini "who rebuilds fences in Napa," a review that actually says fence and Napa gives them more to go on. A five-star "great place!" still counts toward your rating, and Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking (Google). But it says almost nothing about what you do. A review that says "they rebuilt our back fence in one day and explained the price before starting. Worth the drive from Vallejo." has the service, the place, and the proof, in the customer's own words.
Here's the catch: you can't ask for that. Google's review policy says merchants should not "request that specific content be included" (Google's review policy). So no "please mention the fence and Napa." You ask for an honest review, and you earn the specific ones by doing work worth describing. Your own replies (below) are where you get to say the service and the town.
| What it has | Instead of | Why it helps (my take) |
|---|---|---|
| The specific service: "rebuilt my fence," "did my balayage," "fixed my transmission" | "Great work!" | A review that says "fence" backs up your fence work |
| The town: "here in Napa," "worth the drive from Fairfield" | No location at all | Geography in review text backs up your service area beyond what your profile claims |
| One concrete detail: "done in one day," "explained the price first," "habla español" | "Highly recommend" | Specifics read as authentic to humans and machines; vague praise reads as noise |
That last example is worth underlining. If your team speaks Spanish and a customer happens to mention "habla español" in a review, Spanish-speaking customers reading your reviews see it right away. You can't ask them to write it, but you can say it yourself: put it in your profile's description and in your replies.
One sentence, said to every customer soon after the job, while it's fresh (not three days later by blast email):
"If you have a minute, an honest review on Google really helps a small business like ours. Here's the link."
That's the entire script. It asks for a review, not a good one, and it leaves every word to the customer. In email, the same line works with your review link under it. In person, a QR card at the counter is easy, as long as nobody feels pushed: Google's policy says not to pressure customers to review while they're on your premises.
On a computer, signed in as the account that manages your Google Business Profile, open your profile, select Read Reviews, then Get more reviews (Google's steps). Google gives you a link to copy and a QR code to save. Both drop the customer straight into the review form. Put the link in your email signature, your receipts, your thank-you texts; print the QR for the counter.
My take: review replies are the only review words you fully control. A reply like "Thanks for trusting us with your kitchen remodel here in Napa" naturally restates the service and the city, written by you. Reply to every review, good and bad. It shows the next customer you pay attention.
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The bright lines: never pay or reward customers for reviews, never write reviews for them or tell them what to include, and never ask only the happy ones. Google bans incentives and selective asking, and removes incentivized reviews (Google's policy). The FTC's rule bans rewards that depend on a review being positive or negative, and lets the FTC seek civil penalties against knowing violators (FTC, Aug 2024). And know your platforms: this playbook is for Google. Yelp tells businesses not to ask anyone for reviews (Yelp's policy), so don't ask there at all.
Ask every customer, not just the ones you think are happy. Google's policy bans selectively asking for positive reviews. Ask soon after the job, while it's fresh, and send the direct link or QR code so it's one tap. Don't pressure anyone, and don't tell them what to write. A wording that works: 'If you have a minute, an honest review on Google really helps a small business like ours. Here's the link.' Never pay or reward a review: Google prohibits incentives, and the FTC's rule bans rewards that depend on what the review says, good or bad.
Whatever is true for them, in their own words. Google's review policy says merchants should not request that specific content be included, so don't ask for keywords, the service name, or your town. My take: the most useful reviews name the service, the place, and one real detail ('they rebuilt our fence in one day'), and you earn those by doing work worth describing. Your replies are where you can restate the service and the town yourself.
On a computer, open your Business Profile, select Read Reviews, then Get more reviews. Google gives you a link to copy and a QR code to save. Both take customers straight to the review form. Google suggests putting it on receipts and in thank-you emails, and printing the QR code for your store.
No. Google's policy bans incentives like payment, discounts, or free goods in exchange for reviews, and says incentivized reviews will be removed. The FTC's rule bans rewards that depend on a review being positive or negative, and the FTC can seek civil penalties against people who knowingly break it. Writing reviews for customers is out too. And one platform difference: Yelp tells businesses not to ask anyone for reviews at all, so this ask is for Google only.
Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking. My take: AI tools that use web and map data can see review text too, but nobody outside those companies knows exactly how they weigh it. Here's what AI visibility is and how to check yours free.