Why this matters more than ads Someone searches for a service nearby, sees three cards on the map and picks one. Usually not the cheapest or the closest, but the one with more real reviews and fresh photos. Ads bring people to the choice. Reviews decide who gets chosen. That makes your maps profile the first thing worth fixing, and it is free. # What the profile needs - Accurate hours, including holidays. - A phone number somebody actually answers. - Photos of real work and the space, added regularly. - Services named the way customers name them. - Replies to every review, good and bad. A profile whose newest photo is two years old looks like a closed business. # How to ask ## Timing beats wording Ask right after the person is happy: the work is done and the result is visible. In a week they forget, in a month they will not bother. ## Ask in person and briefly "Did everything work out? If it is not too much trouble, leave a couple of words on Google, it really helps." One sentence. Then a link in a message so nothing has to be hunted for. ## Make it one tap A short link straight to the review form, sent by text or messenger. Every extra step halves the number of reviews. ## Ask steadily, not in batches Twenty reviews in one day look suspicious to people and to the platform. Two or three a week, but every week. # What you must not do - Pay for reviews with money, discounts or gifts. It breaks platform rules, and fake reviews can draw regulator attention in the US. - Write reviews yourself or ask friends who were never customers. - Filter: asking for a rating first and only sending happy people to the platform. That is also a violation. - Delete or hide honest criticism. The risk is not theoretical: a suspended maps profile costs a local business a visible share of its calls. # What to do about a bad review A bad review is not a disaster. A profile with nothing but fives inspires less trust than one with a slightly lower score and sensible replies. Answer in four steps: 1. Thank them for writing. 2. Acknowledge the facts if they are true. No arguing and no legal language. 3. Say what you have already changed so it does not repeat. 4. Offer to continue in private and leave a contact. The reply is not written for the author. It is written for the hundreds who will read it later. If a review is plainly false or comes from a competitor, you can dispute it through the platform. That is slow and does not always work, so the best answer is usually a calm public reply plus a steady flow of genuine reviews. # Reviews on your own site Your site needs reviews too, but a different kind: with a name, a city and, if possible, a photo of the work. An anonymous "everything was great, Maria" does nothing. Ask permission before publishing someone's name. That is both good manners and a legal matter. # Start this week 1. Update the profile: hours, phone, services. 2. Add five fresh photos. 3. Save a short review link in your phone notes. 4. Ask your last three happy customers. 5. Reply to every review that has no reply. That is enough to see a difference in calls within a month, with no ad spend.
