How to improve your Google rating

Why it matters

Google says local results depend mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and that more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking. It also says you can't pay for a better local ranking. Your customers read those reviews as well.

The rules

Asking for reviews is allowed. These are not:

• Paying for reviews. No discounts, gift cards, free service or anything else in exchange for a review, or for changing or removing one.
• Asking only the happy ones. Google bars selectively soliciting positive reviews. A "were you happy?" screen that sends only satisfied customers to Google is that practice.
• Discouraging negative reviews.
• Pressure on site. Google says not to require or pressure customers to review while on the premises, or to request specific content.
• Quotas and name requests for staff. Google added language in 2026 against asking staff to solicit a certain number of reviews or reviews that name a staff member.
• Fake or insider reviews. The FTC rule in effect since October 21, 2024 covers fake reviews, incentives tied to positive or negative sentiment, undisclosed insider reviews and certain review suppression.

Google can remove reviews and restrict profiles that break these rules. Have your attorney review your process.

The system

1. Complete your profile. Services, hours, service area, and real photos of your people and trucks.
2. Get your direct review link from your Business Profile.
3. Send to every customer. Trigger it when a job is marked complete, so no one picks who gets it.
4. Send it soon. Do it the same day, after the tech has left.
5. Tell them it's coming. The tech can say "You'll get a text from us. We read every one." Say the same thing in every home.
6. Remind once. One reminder a few days later, then stop.
7. Reply to all of them. Google says replying shows you value the feedback.

Words you can use

Hi [Name], thanks for choosing [Company] today. We'd appreciate your honest feedback about your visit: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

Thank you, [Name]. We're glad the [type of work] went well, and we appreciate you trusting us with your home.

[Name], I'm sorry about your experience. That isn't the standard we hold ourselves to. I'd like to understand what happened and make it right. Please call me directly at [number]. [Owner name], [Company]

We take every review seriously, and we can't find a record of this visit under this name. Please call us at [number] so we can look into it. [Owner name], [Company]

Bad reviews

• Reply within a day, calmly, and never share job details in public.
• Move the conversation to the phone, then actually fix it.
• Don't ask for a change in return for a refund or anything else.
• If a review breaks Google's policies, flag it. Otherwise, a good reply is your best answer.
• Look for patterns. Three reviews about late arrivals are a scheduling problem.

Measure the process, not the count

Track the share of completed jobs that got the request. Don't set review-count targets or bonuses for staff. Give credit for service scores and callback rates instead.

Sources: Google Business Profile Help, local ranking; Google Maps report form describing fake engagement; PPC Land on the 2026 policy change; FTC final rule.

Published by Service ProCall. Last reviewed November 2026. General information, not legal advice.