Google reviews guides
Everything we know about getting Google reviews, written for businesses that serve people in person. No tactics that break Google's rules, and no pretending hardware does the asking for you.
THIRTY-FIVE GUIDES · UPDATED OCTOBER 2026
How to get more Google reviews for a small business
When to ask, the exact words to use, how to make reviewing take ten seconds, and the four things that will get your reviews removed.
How to get your first 10 Google reviews as a new business
Who to ask first, what to say, and the launch shortcuts that break the rules.
How to find your Google review link
Three routes to the short link that opens your review box: from your Business Profile, from Maps, and from your Place ID, plus how to test it.
How to programme an NFC review stand
Write your own review link to a blank stand in two minutes with a free app, on Android or iPhone, plus what to do when it will not read.
Google reviews for estate agents: ask before they leave
Your relationship with a vendor ends at completion, and no email sequence recovers it. Why the post-completion email fails and the two in-person moments that work.
Google reviews for letting agents: the move-in moment
Ask tenants at move-in, ask landlords at the right moment, and reply to reviews without breaching privacy.
Google reviews for restaurants, cafés and bars: the bill moment
Ask at the table when the bill arrives, before diners put their coats on, with a script your whole floor can use.
Google reviews for hair and beauty salons: the mirror moment
Ask at the reveal, while clients still love their new look, with a script for stylists and reception.
Google reviews for garages and MOT centres: the key-return moment
Ask as the keys go back across the counter, before drivers leave the forecourt and forget you until the next service.
Google reviews for guesthouses, B&Bs and holiday lets
Which accommodation can have a Google listing, and how to collect reviews at checkout without breaking platform rules.
Google reviews for gyms and fitness centres: the post-workout moment
Ask as members leave buzzing from a session, with a stand at the exit and a line for reception.
Google reviews for vets and groomers: the collection moment
Ask at collection, when owners are most grateful, and know the visits where you should never ask.
The 5 transaction milestones: when to ask property clients for a review
Listing, offer, exchange, completion, move-in. What to do at each, and why completion day at the counter is the one that works.
Standardising local reputation across multi-branch estate agencies
Your flagship has 200 reviews and the new branch has 12. How to close the gap, and run a branch leaderboard inside Google’s rules.
How estate agents can win the “best estate agent near me” Google pack
Categories, profile setup and the detailed, recent reviews that carry the most weight in local search.
The local SEO guide for multi-location medical and dental practices
Rank every site, handle clinician listings, and collect reviews without breaching patient confidentiality.
Google reviews for nail techs in a saturated market
In a town with fifty techs, reviews decide who gets found. Why no listing is worse than a low rating, and how to collect them under the lamp.
What to do when your Google reviews are low or poor
How to reply to a bad review, when Google will actually remove one, and the arithmetic of pulling an average back up.
Do NFC review cards actually work?
What tap-to-review hardware changes, where it fails, how it compares with QR codes and follow-up emails, and who should not buy one.
QR code vs NFC for reviews: which is better?
Cost, phone support, how many steps each takes, and why most counters end up carrying both.
Google reviews vs Trustpilot: which matters for a local business?
Where each shows, who reads it, how it affects local search, and when Trustpilot is worth it.
How to choose an NFC Google review stand
How your link is stored, subscription or one-off, chip, build and phone support: what to check before you buy.
How to ask for a Google review without breaking the rules
Incentives, review gating and staff reviews: what Google actually prohibits, what is fine, and wording you can use in person and by text.
UK fake reviews law: what the DMCC Act means for local businesses
What the law now bans, the penalties, how it differs from Google’s rules, and a six-step compliance checklist.
The front-desk script: exactly what to say when asking for a review
Three word-for-word, 10-second scripts for hospitality, retail and beauty staff, and what to say when a customer says no.
How to build a staff incentive scheme for Google reviews
Reward your team for asking, never customers for reviewing. How to design a fair scheme and track it honestly.
Why isn’t my Google review showing up?
How to tell a filtered review from a deleted one, the usual causes, duplicate listings, and how long Google really takes.
How to report and remove fake Google reviews
Spot a fake, report it under the right policy, appeal once, and limit the damage while you wait.
What to do if your Google Business Profile gets suspended
The common causes, the mistakes that make it worse, the evidence to prepare, and a step-by-step route to reinstatement.
How to merge duplicate Google Business Profiles without losing reviews
Choose the listing to keep, ask Google to merge, and give your reviews the best chance of moving across.
How to reply to Google reviews, with templates
Wording for five-star, three-star and one-star reviews, and the four things never to put in a public reply.
How many Google reviews do you need to rank on Google Maps?
No threshold exists. How to work out the real target from the businesses already ranking in your area, and why pace beats total.
How to increase your Google Maps ranking
What Google actually uses, the myths worth ignoring, and seven steps that move the needle.
Do NFC tags work on all phones?
Which iPhones and Android handsets can read a tag, where the antenna sits, and what stops a tap that should have worked.
Best ways to grow your Google Business Profile in 2026
The parts that actually move local rankings: category, review flow, replies, completeness, and the page you link to.
Guides for your trade
Where to put a stand, what staff should say, and the questions specific to each kind of business.