Buyers rarely make decisions in isolation. They consider online reviews, compare experiences and rely on the feedback from your existing customers to determine if your business is worth their time and money or if they should move on to your competitor.
Customer reviews for local businesses don’t just appeal to your prospects — they also appeal to search engines and boost your local search engine optimization (SEO) rankings. That’s why your Google Business Profile (GBP) is such a powerful tool.
Your GBP plays a major role in how potential customers find you. If a competitor with a similar product or service ranks higher locally, it’s often because their profile has more and better customer reviews.
Reviews aren’t just star ratings — they signal to Google that your business is trusted, active, and relevant. Increasing both the volume and quality of your reviews helps you earn customer confidence while improving your visibility in local search results.
In this guide, we explain why reviews matter for SEO and share valuable review management tips to help you gain control of both your review profile and local SEO performance.
Contents:
• Why Google Cares About Reviews
• How To Encourage Customers To Leave Reviews (Without Being Pushy)
• Tips for Responding to Reviews the Right Way
• Showcasing Reviews To Build Trust and Boost SEO
• Keep the Momentum Going
Why Google Cares About Reviews
Google’s local rankings algorithm prioritizes three factors:
1. Relevance
2. Distance
3. Prominence
Image source: Google
Reviews for local businesses help boost prominence. The key benefit is that review justifications can appear in search results, adding a layer of trust when someone searches for a specific service.
But it’s not just the number of reviews. In Google’s own words, it’s also:
• The frequency of new reviews
• The average star rating
• The specific customer feedback used in reviews
“Google uses Google reviews and other review sites to help determine the rankings on Google Maps. This is more important on local and mobile searches than in national SEO results or desktop searches,” said Tim Clarke, Senior Reputation Manager at Thrive Internet Marketing Agency.
“Other review sites like Facebook, Yelp, BBB, etc., also have great rankings and show the review star rating on the SERPs, so reviews are highly influential.”
How To Encourage Customers To Leave Reviews
A smart review management strategy can make the process feel natural and effortless for both you and your customers.
Review management for Google reviews SEO involves actively monitoring and responding to reviews and analyzing customer feedback to enhance a business’s online reputation and improve customer experience. Earning reviews shouldn’t feel like pulling teeth, and customers are more than willing to share positive experiences — you just have to ask the right way.
1. Ask at the right moment: After a successful delivery, service or purchase — when the customer is happiest.
2. Keep it simple: Share a direct link to your GBP review form via email or SMS. You can also use a QR code.
To create and share a link or QR code:
→ Go to your Business Profile.
→ To find your review link, select Read Reviews → Get more reviews.
→ Share the link or QR code directly or use the share options.
◆ To copy the review link, select Copy.
◆ To download the QR code:
• Right-click the QR code.
• Select Save image as…
3. Personalize your request: Use the customer’s name and refer to the specific service/product.
4. Say why it matters: Let them know their feedback helps others find a reliable local service.
One of the better ways to ask for reviews without making customers feel uncomfortable is by “using the QR code face-to-face if the relationship is familiar or strong,” Clarke said.
“Also, email and SMS requests are less obtrusive and won’t annoy most clients because they can unsubscribe or ignore them if they don’t want to receive them.”
Tips for Responding to Reviews the Right Way
Reviews are a two-way street. Whether they’re glowing or critical, your response (or lack of one) shows how much you care about your customers.
Here Are Some Dos and Don’ts
Do:
✅ Always respond to reviews — both positive or negative.
✅ Thank the reviewer sincerely.
✅ Acknowledge the specifics they mention.
✅ Address any issues with empathy and solutions.
Don’t:
❌ Copy-paste generic responses.
❌ Get defensive in replies to negative reviews.
❌ Use templated responses without personalization.
Example Responses
Positive Review Response:
“Thank you so much, Jenna! We’re thrilled to hear you loved the carpet cleaning service. Our team takes pride in delivering spotless results and your kind words made their day!”
Negative Review Response:
“Hi Daniel, we’re really sorry your experience didn’t meet expectations. This isn’t the standard we aim for. We’d love to speak with you directly and make it right. Please reach out at [contact info].”
These responses are not only courteous — they’re opportunities to boost engagement and build trust. If the review doesn’t follow Google’s posting guidelines, you can request its removal.
Even the most negative reviews and customer experiences can be handled professionally and turned into opportunities by “de-escalating the situation and responding with a factual and polite answer,” Clarke said.
“Do not argue with the client or say anything rude. Try to get the situation offline and offer a private follow-up channel by sharing the company email and or phone number. State the facts but don’t appear argumentative, unprofessional or angry because the whole world is watching.”
Showcasing Reviews To Build Trust and Boost SEO
Once you’ve collected reviews, put them to work.
Here’s How To Showcase Your Customer Feedback
• On your website: Add a testimonials page or embed review widgets on high-traffic pages – they contribute to your local rankings.
• On your GBP: Pin a top review or upload images that show the happy customer or their review.
• In your local listings: Make sure review snippets are visible across directories like Yelp, Facebook and Apple Maps.
• On social media: Share positive reviews as posts or Stories — they serve as social proof and help boost local SEO.
Tip: Use schema markup (review structured data) to help Google display star ratings in search snippets.
When customers see real feedback from real people, they’re more likely to trust and engage.
Keep the Momentum Going
Reviews are not a set-it-and-forget-it tactic — they’re an ongoing reputation management strategy.
Here’s how to keep it working:
• Monitor new reviews weekly.
• Share internally with your team to reinforce what’s working.
• Use negative reviews to improve customer experience.
• Set quarterly goals for review quantity and average rating.
In addition, conducting regular SEO audits can help identify gaps in your local visibility strategy — from underperforming keywords to missing review signals — and ensure your efforts are aligned with Google’s evolving ranking factors.
When managed consistently, reviews boost your visibility, reinforce your reputation management and, ultimately, improve your bottom line.
Start Making Your Reviews Work for You
Want to unlock the full potential of your online reviews? Contact Thrive today and find out how we can help you transform every positive review and star rating into measurable SEO success.
Our proven reputation management strategies focus on:
• Generating more reviews from your happy customers
• Monitoring and responding to reviews in real time
• Strengthening your local presence with citation management
Want to see our expertise in action? Request a free demo today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Reviews and Local SEO
HOW MANY GOOGLE REVIEWS SHOULD A LOCAL BUSINESS AIM FOR?
There’s no magic number, but businesses with 50+ recent and genuine reviews tend to perform better in local search visibility and boost Google reviews SEO.
CAN I REMOVE A BAD REVIEW FROM MY GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE?
You can report reviews that violate Google’s policies, but honest negative reviews can’t be removed. The best course is to respond thoughtfully.
WHAT’S THE BEST TIME TO ASK FOR A REVIEW?
Right after a service is completed, when the customer is most satisfied and your brand is top of mind.
DOES THE STAR RATING IMPACT MY LOCAL RANKINGS?
Yes. Google considers the average rating, review frequency and review sentiment when ranking local businesses.
HOW DO I SHOWCASE REVIEWS ON MY WEBSITE?
Use review widgets, testimonial sliders or structured data to display reviews on key pages and improve both SEO and user trust.
