How to get more Google reviews as a tradie.

I'm Ayman, from Ayman Results in Western Sydney. When I look at the top 3 businesses on Google Maps for a trade, there's almost always a big gap in reviews between them and everyone else. Not because they're better tradies. Because they ask.

Asking for reviews feels awkward to a lot of tradies. It shouldn't. A customer who's just had their hot water fixed or their deck finished is usually happy to help. You just have to make it easy.

Why reviews matter so much

Google ranks local businesses on relevance, distance and prominence. Reviews are a big part of prominence: how many you have, how recent they are and what they say. A review that mentions "hot water system replacement in Kingswood" tells Google what you do and where you do it.

And then there's the customer. Someone comparing three electricians on the map will look at the stars and the count before anything else. 4.9 stars from 140 reviews wins against 5 stars from 6, almost every time.

The tradie with the most recent reviews usually isn't the best tradie. They're the one who asks.

Step 1Get your direct review link

Never ask a customer to "search for us on Google and leave a review". Most won't get past the search. Send them a link that opens the review box straight away.

• Sign in to your Google Business Profile, or search your business name on Google while logged in.
• Find the option to ask for reviews. Google has called it "Ask for reviews" and "Get more reviews" at different times.
• Copy the short link, or download the QR code.

Save that link in your phone as a text shortcut, put the QR code on your invoices, quotes and business cards, and add the link to your email signature.

Step 2Ask at the right moment

The best time is the moment the customer says something nice. "That looks great." "Thanks for coming out so quick." That's your cue. Say something like:

Then send the link before you've driven off. If you wait until the invoice goes out next week, the moment's gone.

Step 3What to send

Keep it short and personal. Use their name, mention the job, and if they're happy to, ask them to mention the job and suburb. It helps future customers, and it helps Google understand what you do and where.

If they haven't left one after a few days, one friendly reminder is fine. More than that is pushy.

Make it a habit, not a campaign

A burst of 30 reviews in one week and then nothing for a year looks odd, and it does less than a steady trickle. Aim for every job, every time. A few ways to make it automatic:

• Make it the last step on every job, like packing up your tools.
• If you use job management software, set it to send the review link when a job is marked complete.
• Put the QR code on the invoice and the quote.
• If you have staff, make it part of how every job finishes, and celebrate reviews that name them.

Try this week

• Get your review link and save it as a text shortcut on your phone.
• Text it to every customer from the last month who you know was happy.

Reply to every review

Thank people by name, and mention the job. It shows customers you care, and it's one more signal that your business is active. Two lines is plenty: "Thanks Sarah, glad the new hot water system is going well. Give us a shout if you need anything."

Handling a bad review

Every busy tradie gets one eventually. The way you reply matters more than the review itself, because future customers read both.

• Wait until you're calm. Never reply angry.
• Keep it short and polite. Acknowledge the problem, give your side in one line if you need to, and offer to sort it out offline.
• Don't argue in public. You won't win, even if you're right.
• Report fake reviews. If it's clearly not a customer, or breaks Google's policies, flag it from your Business Profile. Only report genuine policy breaches.

A handful of fair, calmly answered bad reviews among lots of good ones actually makes your profile look more real.

What not to do

• Don't buy reviews. It breaks Google's rules, and fake reviews can breach Australian Consumer Law. The ACCC has taken action over fake reviews.
• Don't offer discounts or gifts for reviews. Google doesn't allow incentives.
• Don't only ask the happy ones. Google doesn't allow selectively asking for positive reviews only. Ask everyone.
• Don't write reviews for yourself, or get family and staff to.
• Don't review-swap with other businesses.

Reviews are one of nine steps in how we get tradies into the top 3. The rest are in how to rank higher on Google Maps. If you're still relying on lead sites for work, here's my honest take on whether hipages is worth it. And if you're in Western Sydney, here's how we run local SEO across Western Sydney.