How to Get More Google Reviews (NZ Tips)

17 January 2026 by Connor London

Google reviews are the best free marketing a small business can get. When someone searches for a plumber, electrician, cafe, or any local service, they look at two things: how close you are and what your reviews say. A business with 30 five-star reviews will get the call over a business with two reviews every single time.

The problem is, most happy customers don't leave reviews unless you ask them. And most business owners feel awkward asking. Here's how to get past that and build up your reviews the right way.

Why Google Reviews Matter So Much

Before we get into the how, let's be clear about why this matters:

• They affect your Google ranking. Google uses review quantity, quality, and recency as ranking factors. More good reviews = higher in search results.
• They build trust instantly. People trust Google reviews like they trust word of mouth. A string of five-star reviews tells a new customer you're the real deal.
• They influence decisions. Research consistently shows that most people read reviews before choosing a local business. If you don't have any, you're invisible.
• They're free. Unlike ads, you don't pay for reviews. They just sit there working for you 24/7.

Get Your Review Link Ready

The single biggest thing you can do to get more reviews is make it dead easy for people to leave one. That means having a direct link that takes them straight to the review form -- no searching, no clicking through menus.

Here's how to get your direct review link:

1. Go to your Google Business Profile dashboard
2. Click "Ask for reviews" or find it under "Get more reviews"
3. Copy the link Google gives you

That link opens Google Maps with the review form already showing. One tap to leave stars, type a few words, done. The easier you make it, the more reviews you'll get.

Save this link somewhere handy. You're going to use it a lot.

Ask at the Right Time

Timing is everything. The best time to ask for a review is right after you've done a great job and the customer is happy. Not a week later when they've moved on to thinking about something else.

For tradies, that's when you've just finished the job and the customer is looking at the result. "Glad you're happy with it -- if you get a chance, a Google review would really help us out. I can text you the link." That's it. Simple, direct, not pushy.

For cafes and restaurants, it's when the customer compliments the food or thanks you for great service. For professional services, it's after you've delivered the result they were after.

The key is catching people when they're genuinely pleased. That's when they're most willing to spend two minutes writing something nice.

Text the Link

This is the single most effective method for tradies and service businesses. After you've finished a job and the customer is happy, send them a text:

"Thanks for choosing us! If you've got a minute, a Google review would really help us out: [your review link]"

Keep it short. Keep it casual. Don't write an essay. People are busy -- give them the link and let them decide.

Texting works better than email because people read texts. Open rates for texts are around 98%. Emails? About 20% if you're lucky. Send the text the same day as the job while it's still fresh.

Add the Link to Your Email Signature

Every email you send is an opportunity. Add a line to your email signature: "Happy with our work? Leave us a Google review" with a link. It's passive -- you're not putting anyone on the spot -- but over time it adds up.

This works well for businesses that do a lot of communication over email. Every invoice, every follow-up, every quote has a gentle nudge to leave a review.

Put It on Your Invoice

If you send invoices (and you should), add a small note at the bottom: "We'd love a Google review if you have a minute" with the link or a QR code. You can generate a free QR code that links to your review page using any QR code generator.

This catches people at a natural touchpoint -- they're already interacting with your business. Some of them will click through and leave a review while they're sorting out the payment.

Don't Offer Incentives

This is important: Google's review policy says you can't offer incentives for reviews. No discounts, no free coffees, no "leave a review and go in the draw". If Google catches you doing this, they can remove your reviews or suspend your profile.

It's also against the Fair Trading Act in New Zealand to publish incentivised reviews without disclosing the incentive. So don't do it. You don't need to. Just ask genuinely and let the quality of your work speak for itself.

Respond to Every Review

When someone leaves you a review -- good or bad -- respond to it. Thank people for positive reviews. Be genuine, not copy-paste generic. Mention something specific about the job if you can.

For negative reviews, stay professional. Don't get defensive. Acknowledge the issue, apologise if it's warranted, and offer to make it right. Other potential customers are reading your response, and how you handle criticism says a lot about your business.

Responding to reviews also signals to Google that you're an active, engaged business. It's a small ranking factor, but it all adds up.

Make It a Habit, Not a Campaign

The businesses with the most reviews didn't get them all at once. They got them steadily over time because asking for reviews became part of their normal process.

After every job, send the text. On every invoice, include the link. In every email, have the signature line. It becomes automatic. You don't have to think about it, and the reviews just keep coming in.

Aim for one or two new reviews a month. That might sound slow, but after a year you've got 12 to 24 reviews. After two years, you're sitting on 25 to 50. That's enough to stand out from your local competition, because most of them have zero.

What About Fake Reviews?

Don't do it. Don't ask your mates to leave fake reviews. Don't buy reviews from some bloke online. Google is getting better at detecting fake reviews every year, and the penalty is severe -- they can strip all your reviews or suspend your profile entirely.

Besides, you don't need fake reviews. Real reviews from real customers are more convincing anyway. A slightly imperfect 4.8 star rating with genuine reviews looks more trustworthy than a suspiciously perfect 5.0 with reviews that all sound the same.

The Bottom Line

Getting Google reviews isn't complicated. Do good work. Ask happy customers to leave a review. Make it easy with a direct link. Do it consistently. That's the entire strategy.

Most of your competitors aren't doing this. They're sitting on 2 reviews from 2019. If you start today and keep at it, within six months you'll have a review profile that sets you apart from everyone else in your area. And it's completely free.