Key facts (UK, 2026)
• Your Google review link and QR code are free, in your Business Profile under Read reviews → Get more reviews. The QR code can only be downloaded on a computer, not the phone app.
• Google lets you ask any genuine customer, but bans incentives and asking only happy customers.
• Fake and undisclosed incentivised reviews are illegal under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act from 6 April 2025. The CMA can fine up to 10% of global turnover.
• In BrightLocal’s 2026 consumer survey, 74% looked for reviews from the last three months and 80% were more likely to use a business that replies to all its reviews.
• You can’t delete a Google review yourself. You can report it, and Google says decisions usually take several days.
How do I get my Google review link and QR code?
Google gives you both for free. From the Google Business Profile help page:
- Sign in to your Business Profile on a computer.
- Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
- Copy the link with the copy icon, or right-click the QR code and choose Save image as…
Google says the QR code can currently only be made in a computer browser, not on a phone. Save both somewhere you can find them in seconds, because the moment to ask is usually standing on a customer’s drive.
You don’t need a paid “review link generator”, review card or NFC tag to get started. Those are just other ways of delivering the same free link. If you haven’t got a profile yet, start with how to set up your Google Business Profile.
How do I ask customers for Google reviews?
The simplest system that works: ask everyone, at the moment they’re happiest, with a link that takes one tap. Ways to do it, side by side:
| How you ask | When | Cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| In person, then send the link | As you finish the job | £0 | Trades, salons, anyone who meets the customer |
| WhatsApp or text with the link | Same day | £0 | Most local businesses |
| Email with the link | With the invoice or a thank-you | £0 | Businesses that invoice by email |
| Printed QR code | On a card, receipt or counter | Printing only | Shops, cafés, venues |
| Automatic message after each job | Set up once | Depends on your booking or CRM tool | Busy businesses that forget to ask |
Two rules from Google’s review policy to keep to: don’t “selectively solicit positive reviews”, so ask every customer rather than only the happy ones, and don’t pressure people to review “while on the premises”. Sending the link for later is fine.
Asking in person without it being awkward
Make it about helping other people find you, not about you. Something like: “If you’re happy with it, a quick Google review really helps people round here find us. I’ll send you the link now.” Then send it before you drive off. A link in their messages is far easier than remembering to look you up later.
Google review request templates
Short beats clever. Change the details to suit you.
Text or WhatsApp
Hi [name], thanks again for today. If you’re happy with the work, would you mind leaving a quick Google review? It really helps other people nearby find us: [link]. Thanks, [your name]
Subject: Thanks from [business name]
Hi [name], thanks for choosing us for [job]. If you have a minute, a short Google review would help other customers decide whether to get in touch: [link]. And if anything isn’t right, reply to this email and I’ll sort it. [your name]
That last line matters. It gives an unhappy customer a way to reach you directly, without stopping them from reviewing, which is what Google’s rules require.
How many Google reviews do I need?
There’s no magic number, and recency matters more than the total. In BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (1,002 US adults, February 2026):
- 74% looked for reviews from the last three months, and 32% wanted reviews from the last two weeks.
- 31% said they’d only use a business rated 4.5 stars or more, up from 17% in 2025.
- 41% said they always read reviews when choosing a local business, up from 29%.
It’s a US sample, and there’s no UK study of the same size, but the direction is clear. Twenty reviews from the last six months will usually do more for you than eighty from 2021. Aim for a steady trickle: a few every month, from every kind of job you do.
Can you pay for Google reviews?
No, in two separate ways.
Google bans it. Its policy says offering “payment, discounts, free of cost goods and/or services” in exchange for a review is fake engagement. That includes offering a discount for a review, entering reviewers into a prize draw, and paying someone to remove a negative review. Staff, family and anyone with a business connection shouldn’t review you either.
UK law bans it. Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has banned fake reviews, incentivised reviews that aren’t clearly labelled as such, and presenting reviews in a misleading way, such as hiding negative ones. The Competition and Markets Authority can fine businesses up to 10% of global turnover without going to court (CMS summary of the Act).
Anyone selling Google reviews, or offering to “remove bad reviews for a fee”, is selling something that breaks Google’s rules and probably the law.
How to respond to a good Google review
Reply to every review, and make each reply specific. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey, 80% were more likely to use a business that replies to all its reviews, and 50% were put off by generic, templated replies. Google’s own advice is to keep replies “clear, helpful and polite” and to sign them with your name.
A good reply thanks them by name, mentions the actual job and, where it’s natural, the town:
Thanks, Sarah. Glad the new bathroom in Farnham has turned out the way you wanted, and thanks for putting up with the dust for a week. — Sam
Mentioning the job and the place is natural for the reader, and it also tells anyone else reading what you do and where.
How to respond to a negative Google review
Reply once, calmly, within a day or two, and take it offline. You’re writing for the next customer reading it, not to win the argument.
- Thank them and acknowledge what went wrong, without arguing.
- Give the short facts if something is untrue, politely and without personal details.
- Offer a way to sort it: a name and a phone number or email.
Hi Mark, I’m sorry the job ran two days over. That isn’t what we aim for, and I should have kept you better updated. I’d like to put it right: please call me on [number]. — Sam, [business name]
If the review is from someone who was never a customer, say so plainly and once (“We have no record of working with you, but please get in touch if we’ve got that wrong”), then report it. Never reveal a customer’s details in a reply.
How do I remove a Google review that is false?
You can’t delete a review yourself. Google removes only reviews that break its policies, such as spam, fake reviews, conflicts of interest or offensive content. A fair but negative review won’t be removed. To report one (Google’s removal help page):
- Open your Business Profile and select Read reviews.
- Select the report icon next to the review.
- Choose the reason it breaks the policy, then Send report.
Google says decisions usually take several days, and you can follow progress in its Reviews Management Tool. If a report is turned down, you get one appeal, covering up to 10 reviews at a time. Replying publicly while you wait is still worth doing.
Why are my Google reviews not showing?
The usual reasons:
- Google removed it because its systems judged it broke a policy. Google doesn’t publish exactly why individual reviews are taken down.
- It’s still being checked. New reviews can take a little while to appear publicly.
- It shows only to the reviewer. If a reviewer can see their review but it disappears when they sign out, it hasn’t been published to everyone. Check in a private window.
- The profile isn’t verified or is suspended. See what a Google Business Profile costs and the set-up guide linked above.
Do Google reviews help SEO?
For Google Maps, yes. Google says “more reviews and positive ratings can help your business’s local ranking”, and that replying to reviews shows you value customers’ feedback. Reviews are also part of how AI tools describe a local business. They won’t make up for a weak website, though: the right category, a complete profile and pages for your services and towns matter as much. See how to rank higher on Google Maps.
Can I do this myself?
Yes, entirely. Save your review link, ask every customer the same day, and reply to every review within a couple of days. The hard part is doing it consistently, which is why some businesses set up an automatic message after each job.
Website Clarity sets up Google Business Profiles and simple follow-up messages after each job, so asking for reviews happens without you remembering. See website services.
Common questions
- How do I get Google reviews for my business?
- Get your free review link and QR code from your Business Profile under Read reviews, then Get more reviews. Send the link to every customer by text, WhatsApp or email on the day you finish the job, and reply to every review.
- How do I get my Google review link?
- Sign in to your Business Profile on a computer, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the link. You can download a QR code from the same screen, but only in a computer browser.
- How many Google reviews do I need?
- There's no set number, and recent reviews count for more than old ones. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 74% of people looked for reviews from the last three months, so aim for a few new reviews every month.
- Can I pay or offer a discount for Google reviews?
- No. Google's policy bans any incentive for reviews, and since 6 April 2025 fake and undisclosed incentivised reviews have been illegal in the UK, with fines of up to 10% of global turnover.
- How do I remove a fake Google review?
- You can't delete it yourself. Report it from your Business Profile under Read reviews, choosing the policy it breaks. Google says decisions take several days, and you get one appeal if the report is turned down.
- Should I reply to every Google review?
- Yes. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 80% of people were more likely to use a business that replies to all its reviews. Keep replies specific, polite and signed with your name.