How to get Google reviews for a new business
Written by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo, the founders of Urban Media, Melbourne. Updated .
Reviews are one of the strongest trust signals a new business can have, and they feed local search. Getting the first ten is mostly about asking every customer the same simple way, and staying inside Google's rules.
Checked against Google Business Profile Help on 15 October 2026. Policies change, so check the current page before you set up a process.
Use your review link or QR code
Google lets you create a link or QR code from your Business Profile that opens the review box directly. Put it in a follow-up message, on an invoice, on a card at the counter or on your email signature.
Ask at the right moment
- Right after a good result: when the job is done, the delivery lands or the customer says thank you.
- In a short, personal message from the person they dealt with.
- Once. A polite reminder a few days later is enough.
What Google does not allow
- Offering a discount, gift or anything else in return for a review.
- Asking only your happiest customers, or discouraging negative reviews.
- Pressuring people to review on the spot, or asking for specific wording.
- Setting staff quotas for reviews.
What happens if you break them
Google can remove the reviews and restrict the profile, for example by blocking new reviews for a period or showing a warning that fake reviews were removed. It is not worth the risk.
Reply to every review
Thank people by name, mention the job, and answer criticism calmly and specifically. Replies are public, and future customers read them.
Where Urban Launch fits
Urban Launch sets up your Google Business Profile properly and the follow-up system that sends your review link to every customer, so the first reviews do not depend on remembering to ask.
Official sources
This guide was checked against these official pages on 15 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the source before you rely on a detail.
More guides for new businesses
- Logo or website first for a new business
- What to do after registering an ABN
- New business launch checklist, Melbourne
- How to name a business in Australia
- Business name vs company name in Australia
- Do I need a website for a small business
- What is a brand identity for a small business
- Brand guidelines for a small business
- How to get your first customers as a new business
- Google Business Profile for a new business
- How much a new business should spend on ads
- Website checklist before you launch a small business site
- What photos a new business needs
- Landing page or website for ads
- Social media profiles for a new business
- How to start a business in Melbourne
- How to start a clothing brand in Australia
- How to register a brand name in Australia
- Do I need an ABN to start a business in Australia
- Sole trader or company in Australia
- Do I need to register for GST
- How to choose a .com.au domain name
- How to get a logo for a new business
- Business email for a new business
- Privacy policy for a small business website in Australia
- What to post on social media when you start a business
- Setting up a business in Victoria
- How to open a business in Australia
- How to launch a startup in Australia
- Marketing plan for a new business
- Brand voice for a small business
- How to set up Google Search Console for a new website
- Why my new website is not showing on Google
- Website copy for a small business
- How to price your services as a new business
All of them are on the guides page.
Who is behind this
Urban Launch is built and run by Urban Media (ABN 28 169 446 902), a Melbourne studio founded by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo. Urban Media makes video, design and websites for clients including Box Hill United, Brighton Grammar and Porsche Club Victoria.
If you want to talk to the people doing the work, call 0456 785 904. More about who we are, and how to check us, is on the About page.
Common questions
- Can I ask customers for Google reviews?
- Yes. Google allows you to ask for reviews, including with a review link or QR code, as long as you offer no incentive and do not try to influence the rating or the wording.
- Can I offer a discount for a review?
- No. Google prohibits offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for posting, changing or removing a review.
- Can I only ask happy customers?
- No. Google's policy prohibits selective solicitation, such as asking only happy customers or discouraging negative reviews.
- How do I get my Google review link?
- Sign in to your Business Profile and use the option to create a review link or QR code, then share it with every customer.
Start with a Launch Call
Live and generating enquiries within 45 days, or we keep working at no extra cost until you are. The Launch Call is where we check it is the right fit before we book anything in. For a real example, read the Airwize case study (12 conversions, meaning leads that became sales, in the first month of Google Ads from $70 of ad spend, our figures). You can also read how a launch package compares with hiring separately, or go to the packages and prices on the homepage. If you are setting up from scratch, see the business start-up package.
More: Brand and website package, Melbourne, Startup package for a new business, Melbourne, Branding, website and photography package, Melbourne.