How to get more Google reviews
Ask every recent customer, soon after a good experience, with a short personal message and your direct Google review link. Make it one tap to leave a review, ask everyone rather than only the happy ones, and never offer anything in return. A steady trickle of fresh reviews does more than a one-off push.
Why it matters
When people search for a business like yours, the map results show your star rating and how many reviews you have before they see anything else. A place with 12 reviews from two years ago looks quieter and riskier than one with 140 reviews and several from this month, even if the service is the same.
Google says that review count and rating are part of how it judges prominence in local results, alongside relevance and distance. Recent reviews also answer the questions people actually have (is it still good, is the new branch as good as the old one) better than anything you write yourself.
Most happy customers will leave a review if you ask at the right time and make it easy. Most never think of it if you don't ask. The gap between businesses with many reviews and few is usually the habit of asking, not the quality of the work.
How to do it by hand
Get your direct review link
In your Google Business Profile, open the profile on Google Search or Maps while signed in, choose 'Ask for reviews' (or 'Get more reviews') and copy the short link. It opens the review box straight away, so the customer doesn't have to search for you.
Pick the moment
Ask when the good feeling is fresh: the same evening for a restaurant or salon visit, a day after delivery for a product, a day or two after an appointment for a clinic. Asking weeks later gets far fewer replies.
Write a short, personal message
Use their first name, mention what they bought or did, and ask one clear thing. Keep it under about 60 words, put the link on its own line, and say roughly how long it takes ('about a minute').
Send it on the channel they used
If they booked or chatted on WhatsApp, ask there. If they bought online, email is fine. A printed card or QR code at the counter helps too, but a direct message with a link gets far more reviews than a sign.
Ask everyone, and follow up once
Send the request to every customer, not just the ones you think were happy. If there's no review after three or four days, send one gentle reminder, then stop. Never ask twice for the same visit after that.
Reply to the reviews you get
Thank people by name and answer complaints calmly. Replies show the next reader that someone is listening, and they make the next customer more willing to leave a review of their own.
How to do it in Wirk
- Settings → Inbox → Review requests: tick Send review requests, paste your Google review link and save.
- Automate → Recipes → Review and referral ask: under Ask, choose 'Once a month, everyone who bought' or 'A few days after each purchase', and under Send on, choose Email or WhatsApp.
- Turn it on. 'Ask me before anything goes out' is on by default, so each message waits in Approvals; switch it off if you want them sent automatically.
Example output
Example for a sample business
Review request on WhatsApp, plus a reminder
Bright Smile Dental, a family dental clinic in Sharjah
Sent the day after a routine check-up and clean. The reminder goes three days later only if no review has come in.
Hi Mariam, thank you for coming in for your check-up yesterday with Dr. Farah. If you have a minute, would you leave us a short Google review? It helps other families in Sharjah find a dentist they can trust. https://g.page/r/brightsmile-sample/review Thank you, and see you at your next visit! The Bright Smile team
Hi Mariam, just a gentle reminder in case yesterday's message got buried. A quick Google review would mean a lot to our small team: https://g.page/r/brightsmile-sample/review No worries at all if you'd rather not. Thank you!
Written by our team for a sample business, not generated by Wirk
Template to copy
Review request (WhatsApp or email)
Hi [first name], thank you for [what they did: your visit / your order / choosing us for …] [when]. If you have a minute, would you leave us a short Google review? It helps other [people like them: families / customers in your city] find us. [your review link] Thank you! [your name], [business name]
Common mistakes
Only asking happy customers
Filtering who gets asked (for example, asking for a rating first and sending only 4 and 5 stars to Google) is called review gating, and Google's policies don't allow it. Ask everyone and deal with unhappy customers directly as well.
Offering a reward for a review
Discounts, free items or prize draws in exchange for reviews break Google's rules, and in many countries consumer law treats incentivised reviews as misleading. Reviews can be removed and the profile flagged.
Sending people to search for you
'Search for us on Google and leave a review' loses most people. Always send the direct link that opens the review box.
Asking in bulk once a year
A sudden spike of reviews, then nothing, looks odd to readers and to Google. A few every week from real customers is what you want.
Questions and answers
Is it allowed to ask customers for Google reviews?
Yes. Google encourages businesses to ask customers for reviews. What isn't allowed is paying or rewarding people for reviews, writing reviews yourself, or asking only the customers you expect to be happy.
When is the best time to ask for a review?
Shortly after the customer has had the benefit: the same day for a meal or salon visit, a day after delivery for a product, and a day or two after an appointment. One reminder a few days later is enough.
Should I ask by WhatsApp, SMS or email?
Use the channel the customer already uses with you and has agreed to hear from you on. WhatsApp and SMS tend to be read quickly; email works well for online orders. Keep the message short with the link on its own line.
Can I ask for reviews on other sites too?
Yes. The same approach works for Trustpilot, TripAdvisor or industry sites. Pick one main site per customer so you don't overload them with links.