LocalePulse / Pest control / Google reviews
Guide for Australian pest control businessesThe short version: ask every customer, the same way, on the day the job is done, using your direct Google review link or QR code. Then reply to the reviews that come in.
Direct answer
To get more Google reviews for a pest control business, send every customer your direct Google review link (or show your Google QR code) at the same point in every job, such as with the invoice or treatment report. Reply to each review in a short, specific way. Don't offer discounts, free treatments or prize draws for reviews, and don't ask only the customers you think are happy: Google's policy prohibits both.
Six steps that work for a pest business
- Get your review link and QR code from Google. On a computer, open your Business Profile, choose Read reviews, then Get more reviews. Copy the link, and right-click the QR code to save it. Google says review QR codes can only be generated in a computer browser, not on mobile. To turn the link into a printable card, use our free review QR card maker.
- Put the link where the job already ends. Google suggests receipts, thank-you emails, the end of a chat and a printed QR code. For pest jobs that means the invoice, the job-complete SMS or email, the treatment or inspection report, and a card in the van.
- Ask every customer at the same point. Pick one moment and stick to it, for example when the invoice or the written termite inspection report goes out. For recurring or commercial contracts, ask once rather than after every visit.
- Send it from a number people can reply to. If your message says "Reply STOP to opt out", send it from your mobile or a business number. The ACMA warns that people generally can't reply to an SMS sender ID (a name instead of a number), so a STOP instruction on those doesn't work.
- Reply to reviews, good and bad. Google's own tips: keep replies short, polite and specific, don't use them to promote deals, never share a customer's private details, and invite anyone unhappy to call or email so you can sort it out privately.
- Count it for a week. Tally review requests sent and reviews received. If requests are low, the problem is the asking habit, not the wording.
What's allowed and what isn't
Google's Maps content policy and the ACCC's guidance on online reviews both apply to Australian businesses. In plain terms:
| Practice | OK? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Asking every customer for an honest review | Yes | Google allows businesses to encourage reviews of a genuine experience, without incentives or trying to influence the rating. |
| Your review link or QR code on invoices, emails, cards and the van | Yes | Google's help page suggests receipts, thank-you emails and printed QR codes. |
| A discount, free treatment or prize draw in exchange for a review | No | Google treats incentivised reviews as fake engagement and removes them. The ACCC says any incentive must apply whether the review is positive or negative and be clearly disclosed, but Google's own rules still prohibit it on Google. |
| Asking only happy customers, or a "rate us first" survey that sends only high scores to Google | No | Google's policy says businesses must not discourage negative reviews or selectively solicit positive ones. |
| Offering a refund or freebie to remove or change a bad review | No | Google lists incentives for revising or removing a negative review as prohibited. |
| Reviews written by you, your staff or family | No | Google removes reviews biased by a personal or professional conflict of interest, and the ACCC says fake reviews breach the Australian Consumer Law. |
| Replying to every review, including the bad ones | Recommended | Google says replies show customers you're listening, and a mix of positive and negative feedback can feel more trustworthy. |
Free templates you can paste
Swap the brackets for your details. Keep one version and send it to every customer.
After-job SMS (send the same day)
Hi [First name], thanks for having [Business] out today. If you have a minute, an honest Google review helps other [suburb] locals find us: [review link]. Reply STOP to opt out.
After-job email
Subject: Thanks from [Business] Hi [First name], Thanks for choosing [Business] for your [service] today. If anything comes back or you have questions, reply to this email or call [phone]. If you have a minute, we'd appreciate an honest Google review. It helps other locals choose a pest controller: [review link] Thanks, [Your name], [Business] To stop emails like this, reply "unsubscribe".
QR card for the van or invoice (make it free here)
Happy with today's service? Scan to leave [Business] a Google review. [QR code]
Reply to a good review
Thanks [Name]. Glad the [service] in [suburb] sorted the [pest]. If anything comes back, just give us a call. [Your name], [Business]
Reply to a bad review
Hi [Name], thanks for letting us know, and I'm sorry this wasn't the experience you expected. I'd like to look into it properly. Please call me on [phone] or email [email] so we can sort it out. [Your name], [Business]
Never include job details, addresses or what was found at the property in a public reply. Google's tips say to protect the reviewer's privacy and take complex issues offline.
FAQ
- Can I offer a discount for a Google review in Australia?
- No, not for Google reviews. Google treats reviews posted in exchange for payment, discounts or free goods or services as fake engagement and removes them. The ACCC's guidance adds that any review incentive must apply whether the review is positive or negative and be clearly disclosed, but that doesn't override Google's ban.
- Can I ask only my happy customers for a review?
- No. Google's policy says businesses must not discourage negative reviews or selectively solicit positive ones. Send the same request to every customer at the same point in the job.
- Where do I find my Google review link?
- On a computer, open your Google Business Profile, choose Read reviews, then Get more reviews. You can copy the link there, and right-click the QR code to save it as an image.
- Do customers need a Google account to leave a review?
- Yes. Google says reviewers must be signed in to a Google Account, and they can create one with a non-Gmail email address.
- Does a review request SMS need an opt-out?
- Under the Spam Act, messages that offer, advertise or promote your business need consent, must identify you, and must include a working unsubscribe option. A review request is safest treated the same way: include your business name and "Reply STOP to opt out", and send it from a number people can reply to. This is general information, not legal advice.
- Will more reviews get me to the top of Google Maps?
- Nobody can promise that. Google says reviews can help your profile stand out and give customers helpful information, but where you appear depends on many factors. Asking consistently is the part you control.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to get more reviews (including tips for review replies)
- Google Maps user-generated content policy: Prohibited & restricted content
- Google: Incentivized or biased reviews
- ACCC: Online reviews for products and services
- ACMA: Avoid sending spam and common issues and mistakes (sender IDs and STOP replies)