How to get more Google reviews, the allowed way.

Why reviews matter so much

When homeowners pick a contractor, reviews do a lot of the selling. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey of 1,002 US consumers, 97% said they read reviews for local businesses.^[2]

Two findings matter most for a contractor:

• Freshness: 74% said they only care about reviews written in the last three months.^[2] A great review from two years ago does less than you'd think.
• Volume: 47% said they won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews.^[2]

So the goal isn't one big push. It's a steady flow of new reviews, every month.

What Google allows

You're allowed to ask customers for reviews. Google's policy permits businesses to encourage reviews that reflect a genuine experience, as long as no incentive is attached.^[1]

That means you can ask every customer, send them a direct link to your review page, and follow up once if they forget.

What Google bans

Google's rules on fake engagement list what businesses must not do.^[1] In short:

• No incentives. No discounts, free services, gift cards or anything else in exchange for a review, positive or not.
• No review gating. You can't ask only the customers you think are happy. Google's policy says businesses must not "selectively solicit positive reviews from customers."^[1]
• No discouraging negative reviews. You can't pressure people out of leaving an honest bad review.
• No pressure on the spot, and no asking people to include specific content in their review.^[1]

A simple system that works

1. Ask everyone, right after the job is done, while the experience is fresh.
2. Ask by text. It's short, it's on their phone, and one tap opens your review page.
3. Send a direct link, not "find us on Google." Every extra step loses people.
4. Keep it short and personal: "Thanks for choosing Summit Roofing, Dana! Would you leave us a quick review? [link]"
5. Reply to every review, good and bad. In the same survey, 89% said they expect owners to respond.^[2]

What to do with a bad review

Reply calmly, thank them, and offer to sort it out by phone. Never offer anything in exchange for changing or removing the review: Google treats that as fake engagement too.^[1]

A fair, polite reply to a bad review often tells future customers more about you than ten five-star ones.