What Makes a GREAT Google Review? (And How to Get Them Consistently)

Today we’re tackling a simple but important question: What makes a GREAT Google review… and how do you get them consistently?

Most businesses recognise the importance of Google reviews. But most don't understand this: not all reviews are created equal.

A one-word grunt like “Great!” counts in Google’s system. It's a review. But, it doesn’t actually help you get found or win new customers.

However, a detailed review mentioning:

• the service,

• the location or suburb,

• what they liked, and

• why it mattered to the customer.

That’s what we call a gold-star review — and a steady flow like this can move the needle for your business in a big way.

In this article, we’ll dissect the anatomy of a Google review. We'll show you the difference between a dud and a gold nugget. And walk through two practical strategies you can use to coach your customers into giving you reviews that actually work.

Why Not All Reviews Are Equal

Think about it: when you’re looking for a plumber, would you choose a business with a review that said:

• “Good service.”
  

Or

• “John fixed our hot water system in Carindale the same day, so we didn’t miss our kids’ evening bath routine. Couldn’t be happier.”

Both are reviews. But the second one:

• Tells Google what service was provided.

• Anchors it to a location.

• Shares why it mattered (emotional connection).

• Builds trust instantly.

And, it's not just Google. The second review means a lot more to a prospective customer, too.

That’s the power of a great review. Google, and prospective customers LOVE THEM!

The Review Evolution Ladder

Do you remember dissecting a frog back in school? Probably in science? Did you do it?

Or did you chicken out?

Here, we’re going to "nerd out a little" and dissect a Google review, instead.

We’ll uncover what separates a dud from a performer — and then show you how to coach your customers to give you little gold nuggets every time you ask. And, the best bit.., there's no blood!

Here’s what we call the Review Evolution Ladder:

1. Caveman Review
   “Great!”
   ✔ Counts.
   ❌ Adds no value.
   

2. Service Mention
   “Great clutch repair.”
   ✔ Google now knows what you do.
   

3. Service + Location
   “Great clutch repair in Brisbane.”
   ✔ Google now knows what and where — that’s local SEO gold.
   

4. Staff Shout-Out
   “Dean did a great clutch repair in Brisbane.”
   ✔ Adds authenticity, motivates staff, reassures customers.
   

5. WIIFM (What’s In It For Me)
   “And he did it overnight, so I was back on the road the next day — that meant a lot to me.”
   ✔ A personal story that builds trust and shows real impact.
   

6. Photo / Selfie Review
   Same text plus a photo or selfie.
   ✔ People believe what they can see. Credibility spikes.
   

7. Video Review (Gold Standard)
   Same text on video.
   ✔ Ultimate trust. A living testimonial.
   

The higher you climb the ladder, the more your reviews “feed” Google’s algorithm, and the more persuasive they are for real customers.

Here’s why:

• For Google: Google is looking for signals — who you are, what you do, where you do it, and how well you do it.

  • A review that just says “Great!” gives Google almost nothing to work with.

  • But “Clutch repair in Brisbane” tells Google your service and your location. That helps it feel confident ranking you for searches like “clutch repair Brisbane.”

  • Add in staff names, suburb references, or details like “emergency overnight repair,” and Google gets even richer context. Each extra detail is like nutrition for the algorithm — it feeds the machine the information it needs to place you higher in the Map Pack.
    

• For People: Customers treat reviews like digital word-of-mouth.

  • “Good service” is forgettable — it doesn’t help them decide.

  • But “Dean fixed my clutch overnight so I could get back on the road for work the next morning” is relatable. Someone who’s also under pressure to get back on the road thinks: "Yeah, that's what I want."

  • The WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) element — why it mattered — is what turns a line of text into a relatable, persuasive story that converts readers into customers.

That’s why climbing the ladder matters.

Every step up doesn’t just make Google smarter — it makes customers trust you more.

How to Coach Customers for Better Reviews

The truth is, customers don’t naturally offer Level 5, 6, or 7 reviews.

Left on their own, most will stop at a little more than “Great service.” That’s why you need to coach them — gently.

And there are two ways to do it, depending on how your business interacts with customers.

Strategy 1: DIRECT (In-Person Ask)

This is the simplest and most powerful method if you’re face-to-face with your customers — think tradies, salons, consultants.

Step 1: Plant the Seed

When you first meet with them, or when you're starting the job, give them a heads-up that you're going to ask for a review. Something like "We're going to go all in with your job. We want you to be absolutely delighted. So happy, that you'll be bragging to your friends. If we pull this off, would you be open to giving a review? Is that okay?"

Step 2: Test the waters first.

At the end of the job, or at a significant milestone event, find out how happy they are. And, instead of a yes/no question like “Was everything okay?”, open it up with:
“How do you feel about YOUR results today?”

This is a powerful tip because it surfaces emotions right away:

• “Relieved — I didn’t think those stains would come out.”

• “Grateful you came so fast.”

• “Happy the gutters won't be overflowing anymore.”

Those words are gold. You can echo them back when helping the customer shape their review.

Step 3: Get their agreement.

Smile and say:
“Great! Would you be totally opposed to saying a few nice things in a review? It just takes two seconds.”
Most people will agree to giving you a review.

Step 4: Get the phone out.

This is important - get out your QR-coded review card so they can see it. And say
“Grab your phone — this takes us straight to the review page. I’ll help you through it.”

Pro tip: We explain all about QR Code Tools in our Scripts Cheat Sheet. 👉 Grab your free copy here

Step 5: Walk them through posting.

When the Google Review site comes up - the first step is selecting how many stars will be given. Now say:

• “How many stars are we worth today?” And, once they've selected it:

• “Now for the comment — it really helps if you can mention the service, your suburb, and how you feel about it today. For example: ‘Carpet cleaning in Carindale — stains gone, I’m so relieved the place looks amazing.’”

Step 6a: Level it up with a photo.

Once it's posted, if it’s gone smoothly, congratulate them and say:
“That's awesome! One more thing... Would you mind adding a quick selfie? Even just you in front of the house or business — it makes the review stand out, really builds trust, and I actually get a little bonus if there’s a photo attached.”

Step 6b: Or go for a video.

If they’re extra comfortable:
“Google loves video reviews — if you’re up for it, even a 10-second clip would be amazing. And I also get a little bonus when customers add video.”

You then go back into their review and edit it by adding the photo.

This flow is powerful because it:

1. Surfaces emotional language you can feed back into the review.

2. Moves the customer step by step — from “yes” → phone out → review posted.

3. Adds extra trust layers (photo/video) if the customer is comfortable.

4. And most importantly — it gets the review done while you’re still there, so you avoid the dreaded “Oh sorry, I forgot.”

And if the customer does say “I’ll do it later,” you need to have a follow up system.

This is your "plan B". That’s when you switch to SMS and Email.

You send gentle reminders with a link straight back to your review page. The reminders will catch some of the stragglers that you didn't get in person.

I'd suggest a follow up reminder after:

• 4 hours- "Hey, thanks for offering to give me a review- here's the link. Cheers!"

• 24 hours- "Hi Name, just circling back on that review. Any chance you can do that for me today? It only takes a minute. Here's the link. Ta."

• 72 hours- "Hey Name, noticed you haven't got to that review yet. Just checking, is there something you weren't happy with? Let me know. Cheers!"

• And, if you still don't get one - get on the phone to them. Something isn't right.
  

Use a spreadsheet to keep track of each customers messaging. Keeping notes in a spreadsheet helps you stay on top of it, and makes it easy to tally up how many good/bad reviews you get each month. It's a good KPI to keep.

Of course, it does take a bit of organising. If you don't want to set up a manual system of SMS and Emails, you might like our Smart Review System- which does all the hard work for you. Read about it in Strategy 2.

Strategy 2: INDIRECT (NOT Face-to-Face - Dumb Systems, and Smart Systems)

Strategy 2 is all about businesses that don't deal with customers face-to-face.

In this case, we rely on other communication tools. Fortunately, Video Calls, phone, SMS, and Email gives us a range of tools to use. And, much of it can be automated.

When I ask businesses if they have a “system” for reviews, I often get a sheepish "Yes". So, I dig a little deeper.

Usually, that just means sending out a generic SMS or email with a link that says: “Please leave us a review.” Or, a note at the bottom of their invoices saying much the same thing.

That’s better than nothing. But it’s a dumb system. It's blunt, easy to ignore, and rarely gets good results.

Turns out "not all Review Systems are created equal, either!"

A Smart System is very different. It follows the logic outlined in Strategy 1, and makes it personal:

1. Tests the waters first — asks “How did we do?” to ascertain if the customer is happy.

2. Routes responses — happy customers reviews are nudged to Google, unhappy customers are caught privately and sent to management. That means you can fix issues before they go public and damage your reputation.

3. Offers In-app Review Coaching- so you get a steady flow of gold nuggets coming in. It asks things like:

   • Where was the service provided?

   • What service did you receive?

   • What did you particularly like?

   • Why was that important to you?
     Then the AI engine stitches this into a neat draft review. All very easy for the customer. They can copy, paste, or edit as they wish - and post it. Click, copy, post - done. Another 5-stars in the bag.

4. Follows up gently with reminders if they don't respond (as we described in Strategy 1).

That’s the difference: a dumb system sends a simple message asking for a review (to every customer - even the not-so-happy ones). And, no telling what you'll get???

A Smart System feels like a conversation for the customer, saves you from bad reviews, and produces higher-quality testimonial style reviews that move the needle. And it doesn't require you to do the coaching or follow-up.

AI looks after it all, and another spreadsheet bites the dust!

Putting It All Together

So, what makes a great review?

• It’s not just a short sharp review saying: “Good service.”

• It’s service + suburb + what they liked + why it mattered— ideally with a photo or video.

• Customers won’t naturally write those reviews — you have to coach them.

• If you see them in person, guide them at the right moment.

• If you don’t, or you want scale your collection of reviews, use a Smart System that does the prompting for you.

• And if you never see your customers, automation is the only path forward.

WIIFM: Why This Matters for You

• Visibility: Google rewards detailed reviews with higher rankings.

• Trust: Prospects believe detailed, emotional stories over one-word grunts.

• Protection: A steady stream of quality reviews shields you from the occasional negative.

Without a flow of strong reviews, your business is invisible online. With them, you’re the obvious choice.

Next Steps

Want to make this easy?

We’ve created a free Google Reviews Cheat Sheet — a proven, step-by-step guide showing exactly how to effortlessly unlock a steady, predictable flow of 5-star Google Reviews.

You’ll see exactly the two best moments to ask for a review, the simple script that gets an instant 'yes,' and how to automate the process to make getting 5-star ratings easy every time.

👉 Grab your free copy here from Easy Automated Sales.