Guides · By Hyrum Stanger · October 2026

How to get more Google reviews as a contractor

Reviews are one of the main things a homeowner looks at when choosing between three contractors they've never heard of. Most happy customers will leave one. They just won't think to unless you ask, and make it easy.

Ask at the right moment

The best time is right after the job, while the customer is still relieved the AC is blowing cold or the leak is gone. Not a week later when they've moved on. If you can, ask in person ("would you mind leaving us a quick Google review? I'll text you the link") and then send the link before you pull out of the driveway.

Make it one tap

Google gives every business profile a direct review link. You can find it in your Business Profile under "Ask for reviews." Google explains how in its help article on getting reviews. Send that exact link. Don't make people search for you.

What to say

Personal, short, with their name and yours. A text gets seen more than an email.

Things not to do

• Don't offer discounts or gifts for reviews. Google's policies prohibit incentivized reviews, and they can be removed.
• Don't only ask happy customers. Filtering who gets asked ("review gating") is against Google's rules too. Just ask everyone, and it evens out.
• Don't write reviews for yourself or have family do it. Google is good at catching it.
• Don't ask in big batches of old customers all at once. A sudden spike can look suspicious. Steady is better.

Reply to every review

Thank people by name for good reviews. For bad ones, stay calm, keep it short, and offer to make it right offline. Future customers read your replies as much as the reviews themselves, and a professional answer to a bad review often builds more trust than another five stars.

Make it a habit, not a campaign

The contractors with hundreds of reviews usually didn't do anything clever. They just asked after every job for years. Put it on your end-of-job checklist, or have it sent automatically. Review requests are part of the Growth plan on TextBack Trades, but a reminder on your phone works too.