If you’re a local business, collecting more Google reviews is key to an effective online marketing strategy. Positive reviews indicate social proof, and 59% of prospective customers prefer using Google to read business reviews.
Simply put, online reviews can make or break your business and brand image. More positive feedback equates to more customers and better search engine optimization.
There are a variety of ways to ask for a review (here’s a list of 11!), but email remains one of the most effective channels to request reviews.
64% of small businesses use email to reach their customers and 89% of marketers consider it their primary lead generation channel.
In this Google review email guide, we’ll go over a few best practices on how to email review requests and three templates you can use today.
Campaign vs Transactional Emails
There are two main ways to email customers to ask for a review: run an email campaign, or set up transactional email automation.
Email Campaigns
An email campaign is a series of one-time emails, usually sent to a large list of customers or subscribers. Email campaigns are effective for businesses with a large customer base because they can reach a lot of people at once, but they may not be ideally timed to request reviews.
The major downside of running a large review campaign is potentially triggering Google’s policies against bulk solicitation. To avoid spam, Google discourages businesses from requesting reviews from large groups of customers at once. For this reason, we recommend batching an email campaign: stagger sending review requests to smaller email list segments rather than a full list at once.
Transactional Emails
Transactional emails are automated messages that are sent to customers after they take a specific action. The most common type of transactional email is an order confirmation, but they can also be created for shipping notifications, appointment reminders, password resets, and more.
Transactional emails have very high open rates because they are time-sensitive and related to an action that the customer has recently taken.
By setting up transactional emails, you can automatically email happy customers your Google review link after they receive a product or service from your business. Your brand will already be top of mind, and they’ll be far more likely to write a review.
Email Best Practices for Requesting Reviews
Before jumping into the templates, there are a few best practices to keep in mind when emailing customers with a review request.
Personalization is key
Targeted personalization dramatically increases email engagement. When possible, include your customer’s name, what they purchased from your business, and any other personalized information.
Be specific
When requesting business reviews, it’s important to be specific and concise about what you’re asking for. Include a clear CTA and link to your business’s customized Google review link.
Ask at the right time
Have you ever felt inspired to write a local business review four months after you interacted with them? Us neither. The best time to email a customer is within a few days of their purchase.
This way, they’ll remember their experience with your business and be more likely to leave reviews while your brand is still top of mind.
Don’t selectively solicit positive reviews
To provide an impartial business rating, Google prohibits selective solicitation: that is, discouraging bad reviews. While you can certainly ask individuals who you know are loyal customers, don’t actively try to prevent unhappy customers from sharing their feedback.
For a guide on how to deal with negative reviews, click here.
Keep it short and sweet
Customers are busy people! Keep your email request short, sweet, and to the point. Data shows that the ideal length of an email is between 50-200 words.
3 Free Templates
Crafting the perfect review request email can take time, but don’t let that stop you from sending it! Here are three review request templates you can use today to grow your Google reviews listing.
Template #1: The Standard Request
Below is a basic email template for any business to ask for a review.
Subject line: How did we do?
Body:
Hi [First Name],
Thanks so much for visiting [Business Name]. We really value your business!
If you don’t mind me asking, how was your experience with us? We’d appreciate it if you could drop us a quick review on our business listing (linked here). It only takes a minute or two and helps us improve customer experience.
Take care,
[Sender Name]
Template #2: Make it Personal
For a more personal request, consider sending an email as if it were coming straight from the business owner (whether or not it actually is).
Subject line: Can I ask a favor?
Body:
Hi [First Name],
[Your Name] here, [Position] at [Business Name]. As a valued customer, I’d love to get your honest feedback on your recent [service, visit, recent purchase, etc] with us.
If you have a moment, I’d appreciate it if you could leave a quick Google review on our page. I personally read each review and am always looking for how we can better provide for our customers.
Here’s the review link to our Google Business page: [Link].
Either way, we’re looking forward to your patronage again.
Thanks so much,
[Sender Name]
Template #3: 1-1 Service Email
If your business is service-oriented, use the below email template to ask for a review. If you are confident you provide great service and have a positive relationship with clients, it may be worth being honest about the impact of positive reviews on your business’s Google search results.
Subject line: Mind dropping us a review?
Body:
Hi [First Name],
It was a pleasure being able to help you today: I hope you’re loving [Service].
As you may know, reviews are a huge part of digital marketing success for [Profession]. Without online reviews, it’s difficult for potential customers to find me.
If you’re happy with my work, it’d mean the world to me if you could write an online review about your experience.
Here’s the Google review link. [link]
Hope to see you soon! If you have any questions, you know where to find me.
[Sender Name]
When successfully marketing and optimizing SEO for a local business, collecting online reviews has become practically non-negotiable. Over 99% of email users check their inboxes at least once per day, making it the best bet for reaching your target customer audience. By following these best practices and templates, marketers can establish a strong email channel for review requests.
