Why Google reviews matter more than ever.
Reviews influence map-pack ranking, LSA ranking, click-through rate, and close rate. A jump from 4.4 to 4.8 stars can double your call volume from the same visibility.
Ask for reviews at peak happiness.
The best moment is right after the customer says "wow" — job completion, first cool morning after HVAC install, first rain after a new roof. Trigger the ask within 2 hours of that moment, not 3 days later.
Text review requests beat email 4×.
SMS review requests get 35–45% completion rates vs 8–12% for email. Every request should include a direct one-tap link to your Google review form — no logging in, no navigating.
Route unhappy customers privately.
A "how did we do?" step before the review link lets you catch unhappy customers privately — resolve their issue before it becomes a 1-star. This is ethical (not review-gating) if every customer still gets the option to leave a public review.
Respond to every Google review.
Google's algorithm rewards owners who reply. Thank the positive ones. Respond calmly and specifically to the negative ones — future customers read your responses more than the reviews themselves.
Set a review cadence and measure it.
Target 8–15 new reviews per month, minimum. Track "review request → review posted" conversion rate. If it drops below 25%, your ask timing or message is broken.
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