If you want more Google reviews, the easiest way to encourage customers to leave feedback is by sending them directly to your review form. A Google review link takes customers straight to the place where they can leave a review, removing the friction of having to search for your business on Google.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to find your Google review link, how to send it to customers, and how you can automate the review request process to consistently collect more reviews.
If your business has a Google Business Profile, Google already provides a direct review link that you can share with customers.
Here’s how to find it.
First, log in to your Google Business Profile account. Once you’re logged in, search for your business name on Google while signed in. In the management panel that appears in the search results, look for the option labeled “Ask for Reviews.”
When you click this option, Google will generate a short link that takes customers directly to your review form. You can copy this link and share it anywhere you communicate with customers, including emails, text messages, invoices, or receipts.
This direct link removes the need for customers to search for your business and significantly increases the chances that they will actually leave a review.
The easier it is for customers to leave a review, the more reviews you’ll receive. Even satisfied customers often won’t take the time to search for a business and navigate to the review section on their own.
Direct review links eliminate that friction by taking customers straight to the review form in one click.
Businesses that actively send review links typically see several benefits:
For many businesses, simply making it easier for customers to leave a review can dramatically increase review volume.
How can you use your Google Review link to get more reviews? Below, we’ve provided some review request templates, tips, and strategies to get more Google reviews, improve review quality, and bring in more customers with Google.
Jump to any section using the links below, or fill out the form to download a PDF copy for easy reference.
1. Why Are Google Reviews Important?
What do Google reviews really do for your business? Let’s take a closer look.
2. How to Use Your Google Review Link to Get More Reviews
How can you use the Google Review Link to get more reviews? First, you have to ask for reviews. Here are a few templates that will help.
3. How to Improve the Quality of Your Google Reviews
If you already have some Google reviews, but you’d like to make them better, you can improve the star-rating, content, or both. Here’s how.
4. What Are Google’s Review Guidelines?
Before you start gathering Google reviews, make sure you know what you can and can’t do, according to Google’s policies.
5. Conclusion
Now you’re ready to take your Google reviews to the next level and get to the top of search results pages.
Let’s put your Google Review link to work.
Winning customers over is tough enough, but getting reviews requires customers to go out of their way to praise your business. How do you get happy customers to actually share their thoughts?
Our goal with this guide is to make the review gathering process simple and fast. We’ll give you some tips and strategies to get customers’ attention and make sure they leave reviews.
Part 1
The reviews submitted to Google, which appear in a search along with your location, hours, and other information, are attached your Google Business profile. You can claim your profile and make a Google Business account for free at any time, but this profile and the attached reviews will exist either way.
So why are Google reviews important? Do they actually help your business?
Potential customers look to Google reviews more than any other platform to learn more about local businesses. Google processes over 63,000 searches every second. It’s the most-used search engine in the world, and dozens of attached tools, like Google Maps and YouTube, provide a wide range of information. Google reviews have become an important part of that information. From 2015 to 2016 the number of Google reviews grew by 278%, and that number continues to grow.
On average, businesses have 39 Google reviews
Google is the go-to search engine for a vast majority of customers, and they might be searching for suggestions, directions, or more information, including reviews. Research shows that Google puts businesses with more reviews higher on search results pages. This means customers searching for something like “restaurants near me” or “best car dealership” will see businesses with better reviews first. Those businesses will get more clicks and are more likely to get more visits.
The top three search results have an average of 47 reviews on Google.
Boast makes it easy for businesses large and small to request customer feedback and collect more Google Reviews.
If a customer considers visiting your business, they might ask their friends about it first. But, if they don’t know anyone who has made a visit, they’ll probably look to online reviews. Online reviews help consumers gather more information about a business, so they can decide if it’s right for them. Reviews can also show where a business can improve and problems that a customer might encounter, so they can either avoid the business or so they know what to look out for.
84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.
—Inc
Part 2
If you want to take advantage of the benefits of Google reviews, the first step is getting more of them.
As you might expect, the best way to do this is simply to ask your customers to submit reviews. There are a variety of ways to ask customers for reviews. The easiest way to get more reviews online is to ask via email or social media. Since your customer is already online to open your email or see your post, they’re only a few clicks away from leaving a review.
70% of consumers asked to leave a review did.
If you have a sizable customer email list, or if you can build one, email can be a fast and easy way to get more Google reviews. Consider making a review request in a special email, and include a direct link to your Google listing at the bottom. Your review request email might look something like the example below.
Review Request Email Template
Subject: Hey [customer’s first name], got a minute?
Hi [customer’s first name],
We at [your business’s name] appreciate your business, and we’d really like to reach more customers as cool as you. We were wondering if you’d be willing to share your thoughts in a Google review? This would really help us bring in more customers like you and keep [your business’s name] going strong!
Click the following link and you’ll go straight to our Google review page. Tell others what you love about [your business’s name], your favorite [product/service/event], or what your experience has been like. Feel free to tell us how we can improve too!
Click here to leave a review: [Insert link]
All of us at [your business’s name] thank you in advance!
Cheers,
[Your name]
[Your title]
[Your business’s name]
[Your business’s contact information]
Use your email automation platform to fill in personalization fields, like your customer’s first name. This will make the email feel more familiar, and it will help to get your customer’s attention. This template uses a casual voice, so you may wish to make edits if your business is more professional. Don’t be afraid to use this email more than once, but make sure you don’t resend it to customers who have already left a review. In your email automation platform, you can automatically remove recipients who click your link.
If you are active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or another social media platform, use your Google review link here instead. Or, if you have a notable email list, and you also engage with customers on social media, you can try both methods. You probably already know what your customers respond to on social media. But if you’re not sure about how to word this request, here’s a few templates to get you started.
Facebook Review Request Template
Hey guys!
We love hearing that we’re doing a great job at [your business’s name]—it really makes our day. We’ve heard a lot of nice things from our awesome customers, and we were hoping you all could share with Google too.
Would you write us a review? It takes less than a minute! Just click the link and talk about what you love about [your business’s name], or your most recent visit. Here’s the link; [insert link here]
Thanks for being awesome
—Your friends at [your business’s name]
Twitter Review Request Template
Do you love [your business’s name]? Would you write us a review? You’d make our day. Click the link and talk about what you love about [your business’s name] >>> [insert link here]
LinkedIn Review Request Template
We at [your business’s name] have had a great year so far, and we owe it to our terrific customers. We love hearing about a job well-done, and we were hoping you all could share your thoughts on Google as well. If you haven’t already, would you share your experience in a Google review? Click the link below to write a review (it takes less than a minute!)
[insert link here]
Thank you,
—Your friends at [your business’s name]
Boast helps businesses automate this process so you can collect more reviews without adding extra work to your day.
With Boast, you can automatically send review requests to customers through email or SMS. Customers are guided through a simple feedback flow that encourages them to share their experience.
When customers have a positive experience, Boast can direct them to leave a public review on platforms like Google. At the same time, it allows businesses to capture detailed testimonials and feedback that can be used for marketing.
Instead of manually asking for reviews one customer at a time, you can build a system that consistently collects feedback and strengthens your online reputation.
Boast makes it easy for businesses large and small to request customer feedback and collect more Google Reviews.
Collecting reviews consistently requires more than simply sharing a link occasionally. Businesses that generate reviews regularly tend to follow a few best practices.
First, they make review requests part of their normal workflow. Instead of asking randomly, they build review requests into their follow-up process after completing a service or transaction.
Second, they remove friction wherever possible. The fewer steps customers must take, the more likely they are to leave a review.
Finally, they follow up. Many customers are happy to leave a review but simply forget. A polite reminder can significantly increase the number of responses.
When done correctly, review requests feel natural rather than pushy, and customers are often happy to help.
Part 3
Some customers read many reviews, some read just a few. For many, it depends on what they’re looking for.
This makes the quality of the reviews just as important—if not more important—than the number of reviews that you have. When we say “quality,” we mean two things: The overall review rating (out of 5), and the information provided in the review. If you have a number of Google reviews but they’re not positive overall, here are some ways to improve them. If you have some Google reviews, but they’re very vague, here are some ways to improve the content.
57% of consumers will only use a business if it has 4 or more stars
Prior to 2017, Google used a Bayesian average to calculate the overall star rating of businesses, which wasn’t completely dependent on an individual business’s scores. Now, they use the approximate mean average of a business’s star reviews. This can make it difficult for businesses that only have two reviews, and at least one is bad. Though you can’t delete a Google review just because it’s bad, there are some things you can do to improve your overall score.
Customers do read review responses, and this is the place for you to tell your side of the story. If you feel that a complaint is unfair, respond, but be sure to be courteous and unemotional. Remember that other prospective customers will read it!
If you believe that a review is false or abusive, flag it, and respond. Though it’s difficult to prove whether or not a review is false, and Google does not often remove these, it does signal to other customers that the review should not be trusted.
If you acknowledge a problem and fix it, the customer can change their review, and many do.
Your overall star rating is an average, so gaining more 5-star reviews will improve your appearance in Google. Try requesting reviews via email, social media, even in-store or in-person.
How Can Customers Edit Their Google Reviews?
Customers can indeed edit their reviews. This is actually quite simple, if you know where to look. If you’ve successfully changed an unhappy customer’s mind and they’ve agreed to change their bad review, give them these steps.
Maybe your overall star rating is good, but your reviews don’t provide much helpful information. Remember that customers also use reviews to get a sense of your business, not just to see what the quality is. Short, non-descriptive reviews also raise red flags for prospective customers, since it’s difficult to tell if these are made by real customers or not. If your reviews aren’t very helpful, here’s how you can improve the content.
Part 4
As you are requesting Google reviews, remember to always follow the website’s terms of service. If you don’t, a number of your reviews may be removed, and you may even be banned from Google services all together.
Google’s review policies outline what business owners can and can’t do to get more reviews. Make sure you have a good understanding of what is and isn’t allowed before you start gathering reviews. Here are a few important tips to keep in mind, but remember that this is not a comprehensive list, nor is it legal advice.
Interested in a tool for collecting more Google reviews? Use Boast to collect feedback and request Google reviews from your customers.
Part 5
Online reviews play a major role in how customers choose businesses. By sharing a direct Google review link and asking customers at the right time, you can steadily grow your collection of reviews and strengthen your online reputation.
If you want a simpler way to manage review requests and collect customer testimonials automatically, Boast can help.
Start your free trial of Boast and begin turning customer feedback into powerful social proof.
You now have all the tools you’ll need to get more reviews. Send your customers straight to your listing, and start bringing in reviews.
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