How to get your first 10 Google reviews as a new business
You have opened the doors, the sign is up, and the first customers loved it. On Google, none of that exists yet. A new listing with no reviews sits next to competitors with hundreds, and a searcher choosing between them has nothing to go on. The first ten reviews are the hardest you will ever collect, and the ones that matter most.
BY CHRIS EVANS · UPDATED 2 OCTOBER 2026 · 6 MIN READ
Verify and complete your Business Profile, get your review link, then ask every genuine customer in person from your first day. Start with customers who already know you, follow up warm ones once with a personal message, and reply to every review. Do not ask friends and family who have not been customers, buy reviews, swap them, or offer discounts. Ten real reviews take you from untested to established.
Why the first ten matter
Looks untested, or closed
An empty listing gives a searcher no reason to choose you over a competitor with history, and sometimes leaves them wondering whether you are open at all.
Set your rating
With three reviews, one unhappy customer moves your average a long way. Each genuine review steadies it.
Looks established
A handful of recent, detailed reviews tells searchers that real people use you and like what they get.
The shortcuts that backfire
New owners are under pressure to fill the gap quickly, which is exactly when the tempting shortcuts appear. All of these can get reviews removed, and some are now illegal in the UK.
- Friends and family who are not customers. A review from someone who has never used the business is fake. UK law bans fake reviews, and Google removes them.
- Staff reviews. Google treats them as a conflict of interest.
- Buying a review package. Agencies selling five-star reviews are selling exactly what the law bans.
- Review swaps with other new businesses on the same street.
- A launch discount for a review. Google prohibits incentives of any kind.
The honest route is slower by a few weeks at most. It also produces reviews that stay.
Seven steps to your first ten
Verify and complete your profile first
Before you ask anyone, make sure your Business Profile is verified, with the right category, hours, services, photos and contact details. A review on a half-finished profile is wasted.
Get your review link
Copy the short link that opens your review box directly from your Business Profile. Every ask from now on uses it.
Ask every customer from day one
Your launch week customers are your first reviewers. Ask each one in person at the end of their visit, in one sentence, while the experience is fresh.
Start with the customers who know you best
If you have brought customers with you from a previous job or self-employed work, they already trust you and are the most likely to say yes. They must be genuine customers of this business.
Follow up the warm ones personally
A customer who said they loved it but did not get round to it will usually respond to one short, personal message with your link. Send it once, not repeatedly.
Reply to every review
Thank each reviewer by mentioning what they enjoyed. Early replies show new visitors there is an attentive person behind the business.
Keep going after ten
Ten is a starting line, not a finish. Keep asking every customer so new reviews keep arriving every week.
Need the link? How to find your Google review link takes two minutes.
What to say
New businesses have one advantage established ones do not: customers want you to succeed. Say so.
“We’ve only just opened, so reviews make a huge difference to us. If you’ve enjoyed today, would you mind tapping your phone here and leaving us a quick one?”
It is honest, it is specific, and people are generous to a business that is just starting out. Say it to every customer, not only the ones who seem happiest. The front-desk script guide has more wording.
On the counter from day one
The hardest part of asking for reviews is remembering to do it while you are busy running a new business. An EvoMaxTap stand on the counter remembers for you. It is programmed to your Google review link, so a customer taps their phone and your review box opens directly. No searching for a name Google barely knows yet.
It is also low risk for a new business. A Solo Stand is a one-off £19.99 with no subscription, and if you get no new reviews in your first thirty days with it, we refund it in full.
Start collecting from your first customer
Programmed to your Google review link before it ships. One payment, no subscription, free UK delivery, with our thirty-day money-back guarantee and five-year hardware guarantee.
Get Your StandCommon questions
How do I get my first Google review?
Verify your Business Profile, copy your review link, and ask your first customers in person at the end of their visit. One short sentence and something to tap or scan is enough. Most first reviews come from customers who are asked directly.
Can friends and family leave my first reviews?
Only if they have genuinely been customers, and even then it is safer not to ask close family. A review from someone who has never used the business is fake, which is banned in the UK and against Google’s rules. Reviews from people with a close connection to the owner can also be removed as a conflict of interest.
How many Google reviews does a new business need?
There is no magic number. Ten genuine reviews is a sensible first target because it takes a profile from looking untested to looking established. After that, a steady flow of recent reviews matters more than reaching any total.
Can I offer new customers a discount for a review?
No. Google prohibits incentives of any kind for reviews, even for a launch. It also prohibits asking only the customers you expect to be happy.
Should I ask customers who followed me from my old job?
Yes, once they have used the new business. Their review should be about their experience with you at the new business, not the previous one.
Why are my first reviews not showing?
New profiles and new reviews are sometimes held back by Google’s filters, especially if several arrive at once. Our guide on reviews not showing up explains the common causes.
How quickly should I get my first 10 reviews?
As quickly as genuine customers allow. Asking every customer from your first day usually builds them naturally. Avoid trying to collect them all in a single day, which can look unnatural.
Do you offer support?
Yes. We are a UK team and you can reach us seven days a week during normal office hours at sales@evomaxtap.com.