Google reviews are the most underused marketing asset most Melbourne tradies have. They're free to collect. They directly influence your Google ranking. And they're the first thing a Bayside homeowner looks at before deciding whether to call you or the next tradie on the list.
Yet most Melbourne trade businesses have fewer than 10. The ones with 40 or 50 reviews almost always rank higher, convert better, and can charge more — not because they're necessarily better tradies, but because they've built visible proof that they're trustworthy.
Here's the system.
Businesses with 40+ Google reviews receive 3.5x more clicks than those with under 10 — and conversion rates from those clicks are significantly higher.
The five-step review system
Get your direct review link
Go to your Google Business Profile, click "Get more reviews," and copy the link. Shorten it with Bitly or similar. This link takes customers directly to the review box — no hunting around Google Maps. Save it in your phone and use it constantly.
Ask at the right moment
The best time to ask for a review is immediately after the job is done and the customer has expressed satisfaction. Not a week later via email. Right there, on the spot or within 30 minutes of leaving. Happiness fades fast — catch it at its peak.
In person: "I'd really appreciate it if you left us a Google review — it only takes two minutes and it means a lot for a small business like ours." Then pull out your phone and show them the link.
Follow up with a text — once
Send a text message within 2 hours of leaving the job. Text has a dramatically higher open rate than email (98% vs 20%). One text, one link, no follow-up if they don't respond. Chasing is counterproductive.
Make it dead simple
People don't leave reviews because it feels like effort. Remove every point of friction. The direct link does most of the work. But also: don't ask customers to leave a specific kind of review, don't give them a script, and don't ask for five stars explicitly — Google's guidelines prohibit it and customers smell inauthenticity.
Respond to every review
Every single one — good and bad. Google sees review responses as a signal of an engaged, active business. It also shows future customers how you handle feedback. A thoughtful response to a 3-star review can actually increase trust more than a wall of 5-star reviews with no responses.
The text message template
Copy this, personalise the business name, and save it as a canned message in your phone:
Keep it short. Include their first name. Mention it only takes two minutes. Add the direct link. That's it.
Handling negative reviews
You will eventually get a negative review. Even the best Melbourne tradies do. Here's how to handle it:
- Respond within 24 hours. A prompt, professional response shows you take feedback seriously.
- Don't get defensive. Even if the review is unfair, an aggressive response looks worse than the original complaint.
- Acknowledge and offer to resolve it offline. "We're sorry to hear about your experience — please reach out to us at hello@yourbusiness.com.au so we can make this right." This moves the conversation out of public view.
- Bury it with volume. One 3-star review amongst 50 five-star reviews is barely noticed. The same review against a background of 8 reviews is significant.
Building a cadence, not a one-off blitz
The biggest mistake Melbourne tradies make with reviews is treating it as a one-time campaign. They ask 20 customers at once, get 8 reviews, feel good, and stop. Six months later their review recency has dropped and their Google ranking has slipped.
Google values recency. A steady flow of 2–3 reviews per month is worth more than 20 reviews followed by silence. Build the ask into your job completion process permanently — not as a campaign, but as a habit. Over 12 months, that's 24–36 reviews. Over two years, you have the most-reviewed trade business in the Bayside corridor.
That position is worth more than most advertising budgets.