A homeowner needs a roof repair after a storm. They search Google, tap two listings, and compare one thing fast: reviews. Not just the star rating, but how recent they are, how specific they sound, and whether the business replies like a real company.
That is why learning how to get more Google reviews is not “nice to have.” It is one of the clearest ways to earn trust before your phone ever rings.
Reviews also feed what AI assistants and search features pull into summaries about your business. If you want to see how your business shows up across AI answers and what it is saying about you, you can check your AI visibility with Pantora. It complements your existing website and helps you tighten up the information AI and customers rely on.
Why you are not getting reviews
Most home service businesses do good work and still have a review problem. It usually comes down to one of these:
- You ask at the wrong time. You wait until the end of the week, or after the invoice is paid, when the job is already forgotten.
- The ask feels awkward. Techs do not want to sound pushy, so the request gets skipped.
- The process is too hard for customers. If they have to search you, pick the right listing, and then write from scratch, many will not.
- You do not follow up. A single text request can work, but a lot of happy customers simply miss it.
- You get reviews, but not the right kind. “Great service!” helps a little. “Fixed my leaking skylight, showed up same day, cleaned up everything” helps a lot more.
The fix is not a gimmick. It is a consistent system that your whole team can run.
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Your review system in 15 minutes
If you want more reviews this month, you need a process that is easy for your customer and easy for your techs. Here is a simple system you can set up quickly.
Step 1: Make the link idiot-proof
Do not send customers to your website and hope they find the right place. Send them straight to the Google review box.
How to get your Google review link:
- Open your Google Business Profile on Google Search.
- Click Ask for reviews.
- Copy the short link Google gives you.
Google’s own guidance is here: Google Business Profile Help: Ask for reviews.
Put that link in:
- Your invoicing software
- A saved text template for the office
- A QR code on a thank-you card (optional)
Step 2: Pick one timing rule and stick to it
Most businesses improve review volume just by asking at the right moment.
Use this timing rule:
- Ask within 30 minutes of the job being completed, while the customer is still thinking about the experience.
For example:
- A house cleaning crew finishes and the home looks perfect. Ask right then.
- A window cleaning job wraps up and the customer can literally see the difference. Ask right then.
- A roofer finishes a repair and shows photos. Ask right then.
If you wait until “later,” you are competing with their dinner, kids, and life.
Step 3: Use a two-message follow-up
You are not pestering anyone. You are catching busy people who intended to help and forgot.
A simple follow-up schedule:
- Message 1: same day
- Message 2: 2-3 days later (only if they did not review)
Keep it polite and short. No guilt. No long explanations.
Copy-and-paste templates that get reviews
You do not need perfect wording. You need wording your team will actually use every time.
Text message (best all-around)
Same day
Thanks for choosing [Business Name] today. If you have 30 seconds, would you leave us a Google review? It helps other homeowners find us.
[Google review link]
Follow-up
Quick follow-up, if you meant to leave a review but got busy, here’s the link again. Thank you either way.
[Google review link]
Email (good for bigger jobs)
Subject: Quick favor after today’s service?
Body:
Thanks again for having us out. If you’re happy with the work, would you share a quick Google review?
[Google review link]If anything wasn’t right, reply to this email and we’ll fix it.
That last line matters. It gives unhappy customers a private path back to you.
In-person script (for techs)
“If you feel like we took good care of you today, would you mind leaving us a Google review? I can text you the link so it’s easy.”
The goal is not to “sell.” It is to make the next step simple.
How to get better reviews, not just more
A pile of generic 5-star reviews is good. A steady flow of specific reviews is better for ranking, trust, and customer decisions.
Here’s how to nudge specificity without telling customers what to say:
- Ask a simple prompt: “If you mention what we helped with, that’s super helpful.”
- Remind them of the service: “Roof leak repair,” “move-out cleaning,” “gutter cleaning,” “chimney inspection.”
- Encourage location details: “If you mention your neighborhood or town, that helps people nearby.”
What not to do:
- Do not offer gifts or discounts in exchange for reviews. Google’s policies prohibit incentivized reviews, and it can backfire. See: Google policy on fake engagement.
The mistakes that get reviews removed or ignored
If you want reviews to stick and help your local visibility, avoid these common problems:
- Review gating. Do not filter customers into “happy customers leave a review, unhappy customers email us.” You can ask for feedback, but you cannot manipulate who gets asked to review.
- Buying reviews. It is risky, often obvious, and can lead to removal or profile issues.
- Asking from your own device in the customer’s home. Google may flag multiple reviews coming from the same device or network.
- Ignoring negative reviews. A calm, professional reply often builds more trust than a perfect score.
A simple rule: make it easy, make it consistent, keep it honest.
How reviews connect to AI and future search
Even if your main goal is “more calls from Google,” reviews now have a second job. They shape how automated summaries describe you.
When someone asks an AI assistant for “the best gutter cleaning near me,” it looks for businesses that are easy to confirm online: clear services, consistent details, and reputation signals like reviews.
This is where Pantora fits naturally alongside your current marketing. Pantora builds and hosts an AI-optimized site for your business, tracks how you appear across major AI platforms, and gives you weekly recommendations. If you want to know whether AI is describing you accurately, Pantora’s sentiment analysis can catch problems like the wrong service area or “expensive” getting attached to your name.
If you have been comparing options, these two are helpful context:
- Read about comparing Pantora to marketing agencies if you are weighing cost and who does the work.
- See Pantora vs Thumbtack if you are tired of paying for leads that do not turn into jobs.
- If you want the bigger picture on how people are finding services through AI, reference our 2026 AI search report.
A simple weekly cadence you can run
You do not need to overhaul your business. Add a repeatable routine.
Daily
- Office sends the review text after every completed job (or tech triggers it from the field).
Weekly (15 minutes)
- Count: how many completed jobs vs how many reviews came in.
- Read the newest reviews and pull one line for training. Example: “Showed up when they said they would.”
Monthly
- Reply to every review, good and bad.
- Spot patterns in complaints and fix the root cause.
Consistency beats intensity here. A steady drip of recent reviews builds trust better than a burst once a year.
Getting started
If you want more Google reviews, pick one channel (text is usually best), use one link, and commit to two follow-ups. You will feel the difference in how often prospects choose you after checking your listing.
Then make sure the rest of your online presence matches the reputation you are building. If you want a clear view of how you show up in AI-driven answers and what to fix next, get a free AEO analysis.