How to Get More Google Reviews in Australia (2026)

The way to get more Google reviews is to ask every customer, soon after a good job, with a direct link. The way to get a profile penalised is to pay for reviews, ask only your happiest customers or pressure people on the spot. This guide covers how to ask in Australia, what Google and the ACCC say you can and can't do, the wording that works, and how to automate the request with GoHighLevel without breaking the rules.

1. Why reviews matter

Reviews help people choose between you and the next business in the map results, and Google says review volume and ratings can help your local ranking. They are the cheapest marketing a local business has. See SEO for tradies for how they fit into getting found.

2. The rules (read this first)

Google's rules

• No incentives. Google does not allow offering payment, discounts, free goods or services for reviews. Reviews posted because of an incentive are treated as fake engagement.
• No review gating. You can't discourage negative reviews or only ask customers you expect to be positive. Ask everyone.
• No quotas or pressure. Google says not to require or pressure customers to leave reviews on the premises, or tell staff to collect a set number.
• No conflicts of interest. Reviews from you, your staff or people with a relationship to the business are not allowed. Don't post from multiple accounts.
• Allowed: asking for honest reviews of a genuine experience, without offering anything in return.

These are summarised from Google's current policy; check it for the latest wording.

The ACCC and Australian Consumer Law

• The ACCC has said that businesses must not publish misleading reviews or testimonials and must not post reviews of their own business while presenting them as independent consumers.
• It also says that disclosing an incentive matters, and that removing or editing genuine negative reviews to inflate a rating can be misleading.
• Penalties for misleading conduct can be significant. Check the ACCC's current guidance, or get legal advice if you are unsure.

3. How to ask

1. Get your review link. Google lets you share a link or a QR code that opens the review box. Customers need a Google account to post.
2. Ask at the right moment: straight after a good job, while the experience is fresh. A text or email with the link works better than asking them to search for you.
3. Ask everyone, not just the people you think will be positive.
4. Keep it short. Say thanks, say honest feedback helps other people, and give the link.
5. Make it easy: put the QR code on invoices, job cards, quotes, flyers and your van.
6. Send one reminder, not five.

A message that works: "Thanks for choosing [business] today. If you were happy with the job, an honest Google review helps other locals find us. Here's the link: [link]. No worries if not."

4. Replying to reviews

• Reply to every review, promptly, and keep it short and human.
• Don't use replies to advertise or offer deals.
• With a negative review, thank them, acknowledge the problem and offer to sort it out by phone or email. Don't share their private details or argue.
• If a review breaks Google's content policy, you can flag it, but don't expect genuine criticism to be removed.

5. Automating review requests in GoHighLevel

You can send the request automatically when a job is marked complete, using the "Send Review Request" workflow action, then a single reminder if there is no click. The setup is in GoHighLevel Google review automation. Two things to get right:

• Send it to everyone, not through a step that filters out unhappy customers. That would be gating.
• The Spam Act: a text or email asking for a review is likely to count as a commercial message, so make sure you have consent or an existing relationship, say who you are and include a working opt-out. See the Spam Act and SMS in GoHighLevel, and check your own position.

6. Common mistakes

• Offering a discount or a prize for a review.
• Asking only happy customers, or sending unhappy ones somewhere else.
• Writing a review yourself, or having staff and family do it.
• Buying reviews from a cheap package.
• Never replying, or replying defensively.
• Asking in person while the customer is still on your premises and feeling pressured.

For the wider texting rules, see SMS marketing in Australia.

Want review requests running automatically?

I'm Arslan Mumtaz, a software engineer who builds GoHighLevel systems for service businesses, and I work Australian business hours. I can set up review requests that go to every customer, follow the Spam Act and sit alongside missed-call text-back and quote follow-up. Start with a $97 audit, see GoHighLevel expert for Australian businesses, marketing for tradies or pricing.

Frequently asked questions