How to get more Google reviews without breaking Google's rules

By Henry Williams, sole trader, London · 14 October 2026

A useful review process starts with a genuine customer experience and a straightforward invitation. Google's own guidance on getting reviews recommends sharing a review link or QR code. It also says reviews must reflect genuine experiences and prohibits incentives.

Do not filter customers by how happy they are

Review gating means using a satisfaction question to decide who gets invited to post publicly. An example would be sending the Google link only to people who choose a high score, while directing everyone else to a private form.

Google's prohibited and restricted content policy forbids discouraging negative reviews or selectively asking for positive ones. Use the same invitation rule for eligible customers regardless of expected sentiment. A private feedback channel can exist alongside that invitation, with the public review route available to unhappy customers too.

No incentives and no manufactured reviews

The same Google policy bans rewards for posting, revising or removing reviews, including payments, discounts and free goods or services. It also bans contributions that are not based on a real experience and reviews posted through multiple accounts to manipulate engagement.

Do not offer a discount for an honest Google review, write reviews for customers or buy a bundle of ratings. A request should let the customer choose whether to review, what to say and which rating to give. Google's policy allows requests for genuine feedback when they carry no incentive and do not try to influence the rating or content.

The UK rules also matter

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 introduced a specific banned practice concerning reviews in Schedule 20, paragraph 13. The CMA's official fake reviews guidance explains that submitting or commissioning fake reviews or concealed incentivised reviews is prohibited, as is publishing reviews or review information misleadingly.

The CMA's unfair commercial practices guidance confirms that these provisions apply to commercial practices from 6 April 2025. The Act's treatment of concealed incentives and Google's ban on review incentives are distinct. Disclosing a reward does not make an incentivised Google review acceptable under Google's policy.

If you publish consumer reviews or review information yourself, including material gathered by someone else, the CMA's short guide for publishers explains your responsibility to take reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent and remove banned content. That includes fake reviews, concealed incentivised reviews and false or misleading review information.

Build the request into the routine

Choose a clear trigger, such as a completed job or appointment. Send a neutral invitation with the correct review link. Agree how to record responses and stop follow-ups; do not assume a system can identify every review automatically. Keep a person responsible for checking exceptions and customer replies.

Sparrow's Google Reviews Booster costs £250, with delivery within 7 working days. The published scope covers setup in your existing tools, a text or email request after each finished job or appointment, one reminder if the customer does not respond, wording agreed with you and 14 days of fixes. SMS costs are separate.

The service excludes fake or incentivised reviews and review gating. It sets up a request process; it does not guarantee a number of reviews, a particular rating or a search ranking. Bring your current customer follow-up process to a free systems check and we can work out a suitable next step.