Three solid options: Podium ($300-500/mo, easiest), BirdEye ($299/mo, more features), NiceJob ($75/mo, solo/SMB). Free tier: DIY via Google's short-link generator + an email sequence tool.
critical
Review Acquisition Checklist.
Twenty points across five workflow phases: setup, request timing & triggers, platform priority, response SLAs, and monitoring. The workflow that turns happy customers into a ranking asset — without nagging or asking at the wrong moment.
◆ Your progress
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01 · Workflow setup
GBP → 'Get more reviews' → copy short link. Looks like g.page/r/.... One-click, pre-fills the review form, no searching required.
https://g.page/r/xxxxxx/review
critical
Template for: completed service, delivered product, annual check-in, post-resolution. Each mentions the Google short link and offers an opt-out.
high
Reception clicks the button post-appointment? Service tech from the field? Billing at invoice time? Define ownership or it falls through the cracks.
high
02 · Request timing & triggers
Too fast (same day) = customer hasn't experienced the work yet. Too slow (week+) = they've forgotten. 24-48 hours after the value was delivered is the sweet spot.
critical
Screen with a 2-question pre-check ('How did we do? Any concerns?') before the review request. Customers signaling concerns get routed to a private feedback form, not a Google review link.
critical
Not 2, not 3. One polite reminder with slightly different framing. Multiple reminders feel like harassment and hurt the relationship.
high
Some customers just don't write reviews. Two tries and you move on. Respect their time; they'll remember the respect for future purchases.
high
03 · Platform priority
Google reviews drive the most ranking impact and are seen by the most prospects. Prioritize Google unless an industry-specific platform (Healthgrades, Avvo) is dominant in your vertical.
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Medical: Healthgrades. Legal: Avvo. Home services: Angi. Restaurants: Yelp (still important). Rotate rather than pile up on one platform.
high
Diversification of review signals. Each platform has its own audience. No single platform should have 100% of your reviews.
ongoing
Yelp filters reviews from first-time reviewers. Asking for Yelp reviews can trigger their solicitation filter, which removes recent reviews. Let Yelp happen organically; focus explicit asks elsewhere.
high
04 · Response SLAs
Fast, sincere, specific. Use templates (50 available) but personalize. Thanking reviewers by name reinforces that you read them.
highongoing
Neutral reviews often contain constructive feedback. Respond quickly, acknowledge specifics, offer to improve. Shows prospects you listen.
highongoing
Every hour a negative review sits un-responded-to, it does more damage. Acknowledge, don't argue, offer to take it offline. Every response is a letter to your next prospect.
criticalongoing
Never confirm or deny the reviewer was a patient. Never reference treatments, diagnoses, or outcomes. Use the HIPAA-aware templates in the response library.
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05 · Monitoring & iteration
15 minutes each Monday. Volume this week vs prior 4 weeks. Rating trend. Sentiment themes (what keeps coming up in reviews, positive or negative).
ongoing
Small changes compound. Test email subject line variants, timing (24h vs 48h), channel (SMS vs email). Keep what wins, discard what loses.
ongoing
Competitors occasionally plant fake reviews. Report via Google's flag tool with screenshots. Track attempts in a spreadsheet. Persistent reporting gets results over weeks.
highongoing
When a team member is named in a 5-star review, tell them. Review mentions are free morale; use them. Weekly Slack shout-out, monthly recognition.
ongoing
Start here
Good reviews come from good service. Getting them takes a system .
If your review velocity is flat and you don't know why, the $197 audit includes review acquisition analysis as one of its categories — plus a specific playbook for your vertical.