Reviews are the one local ranking factor entirely in your hands, and they are also what customers read before they call. Businesses with fifty recent reviews are not luckier than businesses with six; they have a routine. Here is one that works.
Make it a step in the job
Add "send review link" to the end of every job, invoice or appointment, the same way you add "send invoice". If it depends on remembering, it will not happen. The Google Business Profile dashboard gives you a short link; put it in your phone, your invoicing software and your email signature.
Ask at the right moment
Ask when the customer is happiest: the moment the hot water comes back on, the day after the haircut, when the tax return lands. Ask in person if you can ("Would you mind leaving a quick review? I'll text you the link"), then follow up with the link within the hour.
Wording that works
Keep it short and human. "Thanks again for today. If you have thirty seconds, a Google review really helps a small business like ours — here's the link." Do not offer discounts or gifts for reviews; it breaches Google's rules and customers can tell.
Reply to every review
A short reply to positive reviews ("Thanks Sarah, glad the new switchboard sorted it") shows future readers you are paying attention. Replies also let you mention the service and suburb naturally, which helps the profile.
When a bad review arrives
It will. Do not reply immediately and do not argue. Wait a few hours, then reply briefly, calmly and publicly: acknowledge, state what you did or offered, invite them to call. Future customers read the reply more than the review. If a review is fake or breaches policy, flag it through the dashboard; otherwise let your volume of good reviews do the work.
Show reviews on the website
Quote three or four recent reviews with first names and dates on the homepage and service pages, near the contact button. Third-party proof beside the call to action is one of the simplest conversion improvements a small business can make.
For a check of how your reviews, profile and website work together, see search visibility.