How to Increase Your Online Reviews (Especially Google Reviews)

Why Online Reviews Matter for Local Search

Online reviews influence whether new patients choose you (especially when they’re comparing practices in Google search and Google Maps). The good news: you don’t need to “get comfortable asking.” You need a simple system that asks at the right moment, makes it easy for patients to leave a review, and runs consistently every week.

Many practices struggle with reviews because the request is inconsistent. If the process depends on someone remembering to ask at checkout—or feeling confident doing it—results are unpredictable. A better approach is to standardize when you ask, what you say, and how you deliver the link (text and email are usually the easiest).

You’ll get the best results when you ask:

• At the right time (after a positive outcome or good visit)
• In a low-friction way (one tap from a text message)
• With consistent volume (small weekly activity beats quarterly blasts)

A simple goal: ask a steady number of patients each week and track how many reviews you generate from those requests.

Choose Your Primary Review Platform (Start With Google)

For most local practices, Google reviews matter most because they show in Google Maps and local search results. You can still collect reviews on other platforms, but start by building consistent momentum on Google.

When to Ask for a Review

Now it’s time to talk about how you are going to ask everyone for a review. There are a number of strategies that you can implement depending on how hands on you want to be. The most obvious is having either the doctor or a member of the office staff ask face to face. This is the easiest to implement but also the most difficult to execute day in and day out. Many offices choose to avoid the face to face request by asking for reviews via email.

The best times to request a review are:

• Right after a patient expresses satisfaction (“That helped a lot.”)
• After a milestone visit or progress check
• After a smooth first visit/initial consult experience

Avoid asking when a patient is stressed, rushed, or in pain.

The emails can be sent to all of your patients at the same time on a quarterly basis in order to avoid missing anyone. They can also be sent based on appointment type if you do re-exams or something similar in your office. This strategy works well because it's sent right after you talk about progress that has been made with the patient.

How to Ask for Reviews Without Feeling Pushy

In-person script

“Thanks for coming in today—if you felt taken care of, would you be willing to leave us a quick Google review? It helps other patients find us.”

Text message template

“Hi [Name]! Thanks for visiting today. Would you share a quick Google review? It really helps. [Review Link]”

Email template

‍Subject: Quick favor—could you leave a review?
Body: “Hi [Name], thanks for your visit today. If you have a moment, would you leave a quick review? [Review Link]”

Make It Easy: Direct Links, QR Codes, and One-Step Requests

Nothing slows conversion faster than friction. Use:

• A direct review link (not your homepage)
• A QR code at checkout (optional)
• A consistent message with one clear call to action

Review Request Do’s and Don’ts

• Do ask every week, consistently
• Do respond professionally to all reviews
• Don’t offer incentives for reviews
• Don’t “gate” reviews by only asking happy patients (keep it ethical and consistent)

There is one final option and it can be used in addition to any of the above methods. If your office sends out email communications, like a newsletter, you can include a link that directs them to leave you a review. This is the most passive approach but sometimes patients are less reluctant to leave a review when they aren’t directly asked. Repetition is the key here, so adding this approach can increase your success without investing too much of your time.

Want to know what more you can do?

If you want more reviews, the key is consistency: clear timing, a proven script, and a simple workflow your team can run without guesswork. If you’d rather automate the process, an online reputation management system can send review requests after visits and help you monitor and respond to feedback in one place.

Check out our advanced reputation management system. It is a great way to build your online reviews.