Reviews are the ratings and comments your customers leave on your Google profile. Your “online reputation” is the image these reviews, and everything else found about you online, give of your business.
Why it matters
Google lists prominence among its local ranking criteria, and reviews are part of it.
Above all, a customer hesitating between two tradespeople reads the reviews, and the replies. A calm reply to a negative review often reassures more than a perfect rating.
The words to know
- Average rating
- The average of the stars, from 1 to 5, shown next to your name.
- Owner’s reply
- Your public reply, shown under the review. Your future customers read it.
- Reporting
- You can report to Google a review that breaks its rules (fake customer, insults, off-topic).
What you can do yourself
- Ask for a review at the right time: at the end of a successful job
- Give a direct link or a QR code, so it is easy
- Ask all your customers, not only the ones you think are happy
- Reply to every review, thanking the customer
- For a negative review: stay calm, acknowledge, explain, offer a solution
- Buying reviews, writing them yourself or having friends and family write them
- Offering a discount or a gift in exchange for a review
- Asking only satisfied customers: Google forbids that too
- Replying in the heat of the moment
French law also punishes fake reviews: they are a misleading commercial practice.
With your Google profile, we give you a link and a QR code to collect reviews. As an option, “Your review matters” cards to hand out at the end of a job.
Frequently asked questions
Can I delete a negative review?
No, unless it breaks Google’s rules (fake customer, insults, off-topic): you can then report it. Otherwise, the best defence is a calm and precise reply.
How many reviews do I need?
There is no magic number. Regular, recent reviews are better than a burst followed by nothing.
Can someone else reply on my behalf?
Yes, anyone who manages the profile can reply on behalf of the business. The tone should remain yours.