Why Google Reviews Matter (And How to Get More of Them)
Why Reviews Matter More Than You Think
There was a wild storm one evening out here on our property.
The silhouettes that the lightning cast of the trees across the night sky — we could tell it was dangerous and destructive.
The power was out and there was no way to tell exactly what kind of damage had been done until the storm subsided a bit.
I got in my ute for some quick reconnaissance around the property.
Shed was fine.
House was fine.
Guinea fowl eggs incubating? Not fine.
(They were getting close to hatching, so they were in the most fragile state - no power = no warmth in the incubator.)
The worst thing though?
The roof of our granny flat had blown off, soaking the interior. Lounges, photo albums, books, walls, carpet — all saturated. Some stuff was saveable, other stuff, not so much.
The typical process of contacting the insurance company started the following morning.
After some back and forth, they ended up sending out a guy who we’d never heard of — from a city 500km away.
He went over all the damage and eventually came back with a quote.
It was wildly too cheap for the work that was required.
We wanted a second quote — from a company in town. Someone we knew. Someone with a good track record. Someone we trusted.
That quote came back at nearly twice the price.
But who do you reckon we got to do the work?
The guy we trusted, at twice the price?
Or the guy we’d never met, no reviews on Google, but cheaper?
If you guessed the cheap guy - you guessed wrong.
But that’s not the point I’m trying to make here.
The point is:
You can charge wildly higher prices for the same service someone else offers — if you’ve got the social proof to back it up.
And one of the biggest pieces of that social proof?
Reviews.
Whether that’s on Google, Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor, TrustPilot - or all of them.
The Psychology Behind Social Proof
Our brains are still wired the same way they were 100,000 years ago.
The same psychological triggers that helped us survive back then?
They still drive our decisions today.
There’s a bunch of proper names for this kind of thinking, but today we’re just going to roll with the “consensus heuristic.”
That basically means:
If others do it and survive, we probably will too.
Kinda like when your mum used to ask, “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?”
Yes. You probably would.
This is exactly why reviews matter so much.
If you’re in the market for a hammer and you see one with 10,000 reviews and one with 5 — which one are you buying, regardless of price?
We both know which one.
Why Reviews Are Critical for Local SEO
Google has one goal and one goal only - keep the searcher happy.
If Google shows someone info that’s irrelevant, fake, or low-quality, that searcher gets frustrated and clicks away.
That’s a fail in Google’s eyes.
Reviews are one of the strongest trust signals Google looks at - they show credibility, quality, and popularity.
Google knows about the consensus heuristic.
So when it sees a business with a high volume of solid reviews, it’s far more likely to show that business higher up in the search results.
Why You Should Reply to Every Review
And as a business owner, you should be replying to those reviews, too.
Here’s why:
A user leaves a review because you asked them to - they’re using Google’s platform.
You reply and like the review - you’re using Google’s platform.
The reviewer sees your reply, likes it - they’re using Google’s platform again.
That’s three touchpoints from one review.
What does Google love?
Users staying on its platform.
Why?
Because every single use is a chance for Google to show ads - and get paid.
It’s honestly that simple.
But it’s not just about the algorithm.
It’s about what real people see, too.
When new customers are researching you, and they see that you’ve replied to past reviews - even the bad ones - it shows you care. It shows you’ve got good customer relations.
That matters.
If reviews are piling up and you don’t have time to reply to them all - even though you should - AI can help.
Auto-review replies can save you hours a month.
(I can help you set that up — click here if you want to chat about that.)
It’s Not About Being the Best — It’s About Being the Most Proven
Your competitor is only one good review away from stealing the customers that should be coming to you.
A mediocre business with 100 reviews will beat a better business with only 2 reviews, nine times out of ten.
Buying decisions aren’t logical.
They’re psychological.
They’re risk-averse.
And when a business has loads of reviews, it feels like the safest bet.
Those psychological triggers can vary between men and women - and they influence how you speak to your ideal customer avatar - but that’s a chat for another time, (I cover ICA's in another blog, which you can find here.)
Being found on Google is only half the battle.
Being chosen is the other half.
You can sit at the top of the search results all day long — but if you don’t have the reviews to back you up, you’ll still get skipped.
Visibility without trust gets you nowhere.
How to Get More Reviews Without Being Awkward
Let’s say you’re a plumber.
Someone’s called you because they’ve got a burst pipe — water’s shooting three metres into the air, and the owner’s inside having a panic attack.
Would that be the right time to whip out your phone, flash your QR code and say,
“Mind leaving me a review?”
Obviously not.
✅ When to Ask
You ask for a review after you’ve done a good job.
After the tools are packed up.
After the mess is cleaned.
When the customer’s relaxed and grateful.
Ask when the emotion of having their issue solved is at its highest - because if you wait, that feeling will fade and they’ll forget.
Guaranteed.
✅ Make It Frictionless
Don’t send them down a rabbit hole of login screens and broken links.
Here’s the best way to do it:
Best ways to get a review:
All of this can be automated, so you’re not relying on memory or sticky notes to follow up.
Some people will say, “Yeah I’ll leave a review” - but if they’ve never done it before and don’t know where or how, they’ll just give up.
Make it stupidly simple.
And like I said earlier — reply to every review.
Good, bad or average.
It shows engagement, professionalism, and that you give a shit.
Your Reputation Is Public — Make It Work for You
At the end of the day, people just want to know they’re making the right choice - and your reviews do that for them before you even answer the phone.
The more proof you’ve got, the easier it is to win the job and charge what you’re worth.
It’s not about being the cheapest - it’s about being the most trusted.
So go get those reviews - they’re worth more than gold.
