Whether you call them reviews or testimonials, they're doing more for your business than you might realise, and not just because they reassure potential clients.
Reviews help you rank higher on Google
When someone finds you on your Google Business Profile and reads a glowing review, that's great. But here's the bonus: those reviews also help you show up higher in search results in the first place. Especially if your happy customers use the kinds of words and phrases people actually search for.
For example, if you sell Wellington boots (my favourite oddly specific example) and a customer writes a review that mentions "Wellington boots", that helps you rank for that term. The same goes for whatever your customers are searching to find you. Those keywords in reviews carry real weight with Google.
So if you haven't set up your Google Business Profile yet, it's worth doing. A bit of a faff to get going, but worth it.
What if confidentiality is a concern?
If you're a counsellor, therapist, or work in a field where clients need anonymity, you can simply ask them to email you a few lines about how things went. It's not quite as powerful as a live Google review, but it's far better than nothing, and you can use those kind words on your website.
Your reviews help even beyond Google
I have profiles on Trusted Trader and The Best of, and the reviews there help Polyspiral too. Google is smart enough to connect the dots between platforms — it knows they're the same business. So a good review anywhere associated with your business name and keywords is working for you.
Don't leave your SEO person to do it alone
If you're paying someone to do your SEO (hi, that's me), please don't leave the reviews side of things to chance. SEO is a partnership, I can do a lot, but I can't manufacture reviews on your behalf. The businesses I work with who get the best results are the ones who are consistently asking their customers for feedback.
Not sure how to ask? Just ask nicely.
As a nation, us Brits can be a bit awkward about this. But it doesn't have to be a big deal. Drop your client a short email, something like: "If you have a moment, I'd love it if you could write a couple of lines about how you found working with me." That's genuinely all it takes.
If you want help wording it, I'd suggest using Claude (it's what I use) to help you draft something that sounds like you, not like a corporate review-begging machine.
The key is: if a client has told you they're delighted with what you did, they almost certainly will write that review. You just have to ask.
Want to know how your website is performing? I offer a free website health check — just contact us your website address and we'll take a look here
