How do you get more Google reviews? Make leaving one quick, ask every customer at the right moment and answer the reviews you receive. None of it requires paying anyone or bending the rules. If you're a freelancer or run a local business in Spain, this guide covers each stage, from setting up your profile to the wording of your message and what to do with a bad review.
When someone in Valencia searches for a hairdresser or an electrician, Google shows each one with its rating and how many reviews it has, often before anyone opens a website.
Why online reviews matter
Reviews do two jobs: they help people choose someone they don't know yet, and they count in local search rankings.
What Google says about local ranking
According to Google's own documentation, local search results are based mainly on three factors: relevance, distance and prominence, which is how well known a company is. Google says that review count and review score factor into local ranking, and that more reviews and positive ratings can improve it. Our guide to the Google Map Pack explains the other factors.
You'll also read that recent reviews count for more, or that the words reviewers use, such as “emergency plumber” or “quick service”, help the search engine understand what you do. These are observations by SEO specialists, not official rules: plausible, but unconfirmed.
What reviews tell your future clients
Customers often read reviews before making a purchase or booking a job. They look at the rating, how many reviews you have, how old they are and how you answer them. Detailed opinions with polite replies from the owner say more than a perfect score from a handful of reviewers.
Set up your Google Business Profile first
Before you start, check that your profile (formerly Google My Business) is claimed, verified and complete. It's what appears when someone searches for you, and it's where you answer reviews.
Fill in your name, address or service area, phone number, opening hours, categories, services and photos, and add your website address. If anything is missing, our tips to optimise your profile go through each section.
This is also where you manage customer reviews directly: you read each new one, answer in public and flag any that break the rules. It's important to sign in with the account that owns the listing, because other users won't see these options.
How to create your Google review link
A review link is a direct link to your review form, so nobody has to search for your business on Google Maps. Google gives you a short link:
- Sign in with the Google account that manages your Business Profile and open it.
- Choose the option to ask for reviews.
- Copy it and keep it somewhere easy to find, such as your phone's notes or your email signature.
Before sending it to anyone, open it yourself to check that it works. Customers need a Google account to review local places, so not everyone will be able to. Add it to your website as well, for instance on your contact page, so visitors who already know you can share their opinion.
When should you ask for a review?
It's best to ask straight after the job or appointment, while the experience is fresh, and to include every customer, not only the ones who seemed happy.
Choose the right moment
The right moment is when the work is done and the customer has seen the result: the hairdresser after the final look in the mirror, the electrician in Elche once the new circuit is tested, the carpenter in Alicante when the wardrobe is fitted. Wait a few days and your request gets lost among other messages. Make it part of how you close each job, like handing over the invoice.
Ask everyone and accept a no
Don't filter: picking only the people you expect to be satisfied goes against Google's policies. Asking everyone also gives a more honest picture: a few critical opinions among many good ones look more genuine than a wall of perfect scores. If someone says no or doesn't answer, respect it. One request is enough; never pressure anyone.
How to ask for a review on each channel
Use whichever channel works best with each client. A good request is short and includes their name, a reference to the job, one sentence asking for an honest opinion, your direct link and a word of thanks, whatever they decide.
By WhatsApp or text message
WhatsApp is a natural choice if customers already use it to contact you. For example:
“Hi [name], thanks again for choosing us for your bathroom. If you have a minute, an honest review would help other people in Valencia find us: [link]. Thanks!”
With WhatsApp Business you can save this text as a quick reply and share it in seconds; our WhatsApp setup guide explains how. A text message works the same way for anyone who doesn't use WhatsApp.
In person
Face to face, keep it natural and personal: “I'm glad you're happy with it. Reviews really make a difference for me. Would you mind leaving me a review? I'll send it to you now.” If they agree, share it before they leave.
By email
Email suits clients you mainly work with in writing, such as another company or anyone who requested a written quote. Keep it brief: a subject such as “How did we do?”, two or three sentences, the link on a line of its own, and your contact details in the signature. Send it the same day or the next.
You can also post the link on your social media now and then. A general invitation to all your followers is fine, because it doesn't single anyone out.
Use a QR code or an NFC tag at the counter
For customers you see in person, a QR code or an NFC tag makes it easy to open your review form without typing anything.
Where to display it
Turn your review link into a QR code (many generators are free) and test it yourself before printing. Good places for it:
- the counter or reception desk;
- invoices, quotes and business cards;
- a sticker on your van;
- a note you hand over with the finished job.
NFC cards and stands
An NFC card or stand opens your review link when someone holds a compatible phone close to it. It's handy at a counter, but some phones have NFC switched off, so keep the printed version next to it.
Responding to reviews, good and bad
Google doesn't require you to reply to every review, and you don't need to say thanks for every positive one. Still, a short answer in your own words is worth the effort: the search engine says that replying shows customers you value their feedback, and anyone choosing between you and a competitor will read your answers too.
Positive reviews: keep it short
Use the person's name, mention the job and keep it to a couple of lines: “Thank you, [name]! It was a pleasure fitting your new kitchen. We're here whenever you need us. – [Your name]”
Negative reviews: stay calm
A bad review stings, but a calm, polite answer reassures anyone who reads it later. A simple structure:
- Wait until you're calm before writing.
- Acknowledge the feedback and apologise if something went wrong.
- Explain the facts briefly, without arguing.
- Offer to sort it out by phone or email.
For example: “We're sorry the repair didn't go as you expected. We'd like to understand exactly what happened and fix it. Could you call us on [phone]? – [Your name]”. Our guide on replying to negative reviews covers harder cases.
Fake reviews and spam
You can't delete a review yourself. If one breaks the rules, for instance because it's spam, offensive or written by someone who was never a customer, report it from your dashboard. Reports are checked against the policies, which can take several days. In the meantime, answer politely that you can't find any record of that person.
Google's review rules: what not to do
Several practices aren't allowed. Don't:
- offer incentives such as discounts, gifts or free services in exchange for a review;
- review your own business or ask your staff to do it;
- buy reviews, or ask people who were never customers to post them;
- ask only happy customers, or discourage negative reviews;
- post reviews about your competitors.
Google can remove reviews that break these rules and may restrict your profile. If you show reviews on your own website, EU consumer rules, which apply in Spain, also say you should explain whether and how you check that they come from genuine customers.
Keep a steady flow of new reviews
Make asking a habit rather than a one-off campaign. A regular flow keeps your listing current for anyone reading it, and it looks more natural than a sudden burst.
Many past customers, few reviews?
Start with your latest clients, then spread the requests over several weeks instead of messaging everyone on the same day. Skip anyone from years ago who may barely remember you.
A weekly routine
Official tips to get more reviews
The official guidance for businesses lists a few tips to get more reviews, and they match the steps in this guide:
- remind customers that you welcome their opinion;
- point them straight to the form;
- answer so people understand that you read what they write;
- never give anything in return, and never ask only satisfied customers.
If something in your listing doesn't work as expected, the Help Community for business owners is a forum where community members answer questions, and the same support site explains how to reach support. It's a good place to learn how others handle the same problem.
Once a week, read your latest reviews, answer any you've missed and check that the short address still works.
If you'd rather not manage your listing yourself, WebAutonomos manages Google Business Profiles for €29/month, plus a one-off €49 to create and verify yours if you don't have one yet: we optimise it, publish four posts a month and answer your reviews.
Getting more Google reviews is a habit: a complete profile, a short address that's always to hand, one honest request after every job and a short answer to each review. Take care of the customers who took the time to write, and make your next request today. For the wider picture, see our local SEO guide for freelancers.