Two businesses show up side by side on Google. One has 50 reviews from this year. The other has 8 reviews from 2021. Most people call the first one, even if the second one does better work.
Ask every time, the same way
Most happy customers will leave a review. They just never get asked, or they get asked once and forget. The fix is a habit, not a campaign.
- Ask right after the job, while they are still happy.
- Send a direct link so it takes one tap, not a search.
- Keep the message short: thank them, ask, link.
- Send one friendly reminder a few days later. Then stop.
What not to do
Never buy reviews, write them yourself, or offer a discount in exchange. Google removes them, and customers can usually tell. Real reviews from real customers are the only kind worth having.
Reply to every review, even the bad ones
Thank people for good reviews by name. For a bad one, stay calm, keep it short, and offer to fix it offline. Future customers read your reply more closely than the complaint. A polite answer often wins more trust than a perfect score.