If you want to know how to get more Google reviews, the answer is boring. Ask every customer, at the right moment, with a link that takes one tap. Most Ottawa businesses skip at least one of those three.
Customers are more willing than you think. BrightLocal's 2026 survey of US consumers found 78% were asked for a review in the past year, and 28% now say they will always write one when asked, up from 16% in 2025.
The catch is Google's rules. Some popular review "hacks" are banned outright, and they can cost you reviews you already earned. Here's the system we set up for local businesses, step by step.
Ask every customer, not just the happy ones, within a few hours of the visit, and send your Google review link by text or email so it takes one tap. Have staff mention it at checkout, but never offer a discount for a review or screen out unhappy customers first. Google bans both.
Why you're not getting reviews (it's not your service)
Happy customers don't wake up thinking about your Google profile. They leave, they get busy, they forget. Silence is not a verdict on your work.
Meanwhile, readers want fresh proof. The same survey found 74% of consumers only care about reviews written in the last three months. One big push a year leaves you looking stale for most of it.
So-what: you don't need more happy customers. You need a way to catch the ones you already have before they walk out the door.
How to get more Google reviews: the 5-step system
This flow works for a restaurant in the Glebe or an HVAC company in Barrhaven. Only the timing changes. Restaurants can go deeper with our guide to how Ottawa restaurants get 30 reviews in 60 days.
- Get your real review link. In your Business Profile, go to Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the link. Google's help page also offers a QR code there, but only on a computer browser.
- Pick the moment. Ask right after the value lands. For a restaurant, that's the same evening. For a furnace repair, it's when the heat is back on and the tech has left.
- Keep the ask short. Their name, one line, the link. Ask for an honest review, never a five-star one.
- Send it by text or email. Google itself suggests putting the link on receipts, in thank-you emails and at the end of chats. In Canada, those texts fall under anti-spam law, so use our CASL-safe review request templates.
- Make it a staff habit. One line at checkout: "An honest Google review really helps us. The code's right here." Then put a Google review QR code where people pay.
One follow-up is fine if they don't respond. Two starts to feel like nagging.
So-what: this works because it runs every day, not because the wording is clever. Consistency beats copywriting here.
What Google bans (and why review gating backfires)
Google's rules are stricter than most owners realize. Its Maps content policy says businesses can't do any of this:
- Pay for reviews. No money, discounts, free items or services in exchange for a review, or for changing or removing a bad one.
- Gate reviews. You can't discourage negative reviews or ask only happy customers. The "happy goes to Google, unhappy goes to a private form" flow is exactly that.
- Pressure people on site. Don't require or push customers to review while they're still on your premises.
- Set staff quotas. No targets like "get 10 reviews this week," and no asking customers to mention a staff member by name.
Plenty of review software still sells gating as a feature. Don't buy it. Google says incentivized or biased reviews are not allowed and will be removed from Maps.
Staff reviews are a trap too. Canada's Competition Bureau warns that businesses could be liable when employees post reviews without disclosing the connection.
So-what: every shortcut on this list puts your existing reviews at risk. The honest system is also the only one that lasts.
Reply to every review, then keep the flow going
Getting the review is half the job. BrightLocal found 89% of consumers expect owners to respond to reviews, and 80% say they're likely to use a business that responds to all of them.
Reply to the good ones in a line or two. For the bad ones, stay calm, keep it short and take it offline. We wrote 10 templates for negative reviews, and Google's AI review replies can speed up the first draft.
Then watch the weekly number, not the total. Fresh reviews carry more weight with readers, which is why review recency beats volume. To see what that's worth in dollars, run your numbers through the review ROI calculator.
So-what: a review system is a habit plus a tracker. If you can't say how many reviews you got last week, you don't have a system yet.
Getting More Google Reviews: FAQ
Can I offer a discount in exchange for a Google review?
No. Google's policy bans offering money, discounts, free goods or services in exchange for any review, even an honest one. It also bans incentives to change or remove a negative review.
Is it okay to ask only happy customers for a Google review?
No. Google doesn't allow businesses to selectively ask for positive reviews or discourage negative ones. Ask everyone, and answer the occasional bad review in public.
Where do I find my Google review link?
Open your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the link. Google also offers a QR code on that screen, but only on a computer browser.
Do customers need a Google account to leave a review?
Yes. Google says customers must be signed in to a Google account, but they can create one with a non-Gmail email address. Mention this if a customer says the link didn't work.
How many Google reviews does a small business need?
There's no magic number, but BrightLocal found 47% of consumers won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews. After that, a steady weekly flow matters more than the total.
Want a review system that runs itself? Start with a free audit.
We'll look at your Google profile, your review flow and your reply rate, then show you exactly where reviews are leaking. Founder-led, free, and yours to keep.
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