The short answer
Ask every happy customer for a review at the end of the job, give them a direct link, and reply to every review you get. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking.
What Google says
Google's Business Profile help names three things that decide local results: relevance, distance and prominence. On prominence, it says more reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking. It also says that replying to customer reviews shows you value feedback.
How to ask
Make it part of finishing the job:
- ask in person when the customer is happy and the work is done
- send a text the same day with your Google review link
- keep the message short and personal, and thank them first
- ask every customer, not only the ones you think will say yes
How to reply
Reply to every review, good or bad. Thank the customer by name, mention the job, and keep it short. For a bad review, stay calm, say what you will do to put it right, and take the detail offline.
What not to do
Do not write reviews yourself, buy them or ask friends to post them. Real reviews from real customers are the only kind worth having, and they are what homeowners trust.
Common questions
Do Google reviews help my ranking?
Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking.
Should I reply to bad reviews?
Yes. Google says replying to reviews shows you value feedback. Keep the reply calm and short.
When is the best time to ask for a review?
At the end of the job, when the customer is happy with the result.
Sources
- Google Business Profile help: improve your local ranking, checked 11 November 2026