How to Get More Google Reviews — and What to Do With Them When You Do

If you've read anything about local SEO recently, you've heard that reviews matter. What most guides skip is the how — how to actually get customers to leave them, what to say when they do, and why the words inside those reviews are now feeding the AI systems that decide whether to recommend your business.

This is a practical guide. No vague advice about "providing excellent service." Just the system that works.

Why Reviews Are More Powerful Than Ever in 2026

Reviews have always influenced whether a potential customer chooses you. What's changed is that they now influence whether you get found at all.

Google's ranking algorithm for local search weighs review quantity, recency, and quality as a major signal. Businesses with more reviews — and especially recent reviews — consistently outrank competitors with fewer, older ones. But that's only the first layer.

The second layer is AI. When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google's AI Mode "who's the best marketing agency in Des Moines?", the AI systems that generate those recommendations are pulling from review content to characterize businesses. The specific language your customers use — "transparent," "responsive," "actually explained everything in plain English" — trains how AI tools describe you to the next person who asks.

Reviews are now simultaneously a ranking signal, a trust signal, and AI training data. Treating them as an afterthought is a significant competitive disadvantage.

The Ask: Getting Reviews Without Being Annoying About It

The single biggest barrier to reviews isn't customer unwillingness — it's that no one asks. Most satisfied customers simply don't think to leave a review unless prompted, and they never get prompted.

The Right Moment to Ask

Timing is everything. The ideal ask happens at peak satisfaction — right after a project wraps, a problem gets solved, or a client mentions they're happy. Not a week later when the moment has passed.

For service businesses, this typically means:

• At the end of a project kickoff call when a client expresses excitement
• Within 24 hours of delivering a finished project
• Immediately after a client shares a positive update or result
• At the close of a successful check-in meeting

The Right Way to Ask

A direct, personal ask dramatically outperforms a generic "please leave us a review" email blast.

In person or on a call: "I'm really glad this worked out well for you. Would you be willing to share that on Google? It helps us a lot with finding new clients like you, and it takes about two minutes."

Via email or text: Keep it short. One sentence of context, one direct link, one specific ask.

"Hi [Name] — so glad the [project/service] came together well. If you have two minutes, a Google review would mean a lot to us: [direct link]. No pressure at all, just wanted to ask!"

The direct link is essential. Generate your Google review link from your Business Profile dashboard (Business Profile → Get more reviews → Share review form) and save it somewhere easy to paste.

Automate the Ask

A simple follow-up sequence handles the ask consistently: Day 1 personal check-in, Day 3 soft follow-up if no response, Day 5 the review ask with your direct link, Day 14 one gentle reminder. Most CRMs can automate this sequence once set up.

What to Say When Customers Ask "What Should I Write?"

When a customer asks what to say, give them a gentle prompt: "Just share what the experience was like — what you came to us for, what you got out of it, and how you'd describe it to a friend."

That framing naturally produces keyword-rich, specific reviews that help your ranking and give AI systems real content to work with.

The Response System: Every Review Gets a Reply

Responding to reviews does four things simultaneously: shows prospective customers you're engaged, signals to Google that your listing is actively managed, gives you a chance to include relevant keywords naturally, and defuses negative reviews before they damage you.

How to Respond to Positive Reviews

Keep it warm, specific, and brief. Don't copy-paste the same response to every review.

"Thank you so much, [Name]! It was a pleasure working with you on [specific project]. We're thrilled [specific result]. Looking forward to continuing to work together!"

If you can include your city or a service keyword naturally, do: "So glad the local SEO work is already paying off for your Des Moines storefront — that's exactly what we love to hear."

How to Respond to Negative Reviews

Acknowledge the concern without arguing about facts, take it offline, and keep it professional — your response speaks to future customers as much as the reviewer.

"Thank you for sharing this, [Name]. I'm sorry to hear your experience didn't meet expectations — that's not the standard we hold ourselves to. Please reach out to us directly at [email] so we can make this right."

How Many Reviews Do You Actually Need?

In Des Moines for a professional service business, 25–50 high-quality, recent reviews puts you meaningfully ahead of most competitors. More important than the total number is recency. Ten reviews from the last six months outperform 100 reviews with the most recent from two years ago.

A sustainable target: 2–3 new reviews per month, every month, indefinitely.

The Reviews-to-Rankings Flywheel

More reviews → Better local pack ranking → More profile views → More website visits → More clients → More opportunities to ask for reviews → More reviews.

The businesses in the top 3 of your local map pack almost always have the most reviews and the most recent ones. That's not coincidence — it's the flywheel running. Starting it is the hard part. Keeping it running is just a process.

Solle Solutions helps Des Moines area businesses build local search presence through Google Business Profile management, review strategy, and local SEO that converts visibility into calls. Get in touch for a free audit.