When someone in New Zealand searches for a plumber, a café or an accountant, Google reviews are often the first thing they read. Honest reviews help people choose you, and give you useful feedback.
This guide covers how to set up your Google Business Profile, how to ask for reviews, how to reply to them, and the rules you must not break. It is written for NZ small-business owners and sole traders. Everything here is free.
1. Set up and verify your Google Business Profile
Reviews on Google Search and Google Maps attach to your Google Business Profile. If you don’t have one yet, create it at business.google.com. If Google already shows a listing for your business, claim it rather than making a second one.
Next, verify the profile. Verification proves to Google that you run the business. You need it before you can edit your details and interact with customers, and Google’s help pages say you must verify before you can reply to reviews.
Google offers several verification methods, such as phone or text, email, a video call or recorded video, a postcard, or Google Search Console for some websites.
You can’t pick the method yourself. Google decides what is available based on your business type, region and other details. Google says it reviews verifications within up to five business days, though some take longer. Postcard codes usually arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 days.
While you wait, make sure your profile follows Google’s rules: your real business name, a real address or a service area, and accurate hours. Our checklist for getting your NZ business found on Google covers those basics step by step.
2. Get your review link and QR code
The easiest way to get reviews is to make leaving one quick. Google gives every profile a direct review link and a QR code. To find them on a computer:
- Go to your Business Profile at business.google.com.
- Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
- Use the copy icon to copy your link, or right-click the QR code and save the image.
Google notes that review QR codes can currently only be made in a computer browser, not on a phone.
Customers need a Google Account to leave a review. They don’t need Gmail. Google says an account can be created with any email address.
3. When and how to ask
Google suggests sharing your link in places like receipts, thank-you emails, the end of a chat, or a printed QR code in your shop. It also lets you send requests by email, WhatsApp or a Facebook post.
Google doesn’t set a best time to ask. In practice, the natural moment is soon after the job is done, while the experience is fresh. Some simple habits that work for small businesses:
- Add the link to your invoice or receipt email. One short line is enough: “If you were happy with our work, a Google review helps other locals find us.”
- Put the QR code on the counter, a business card or a job sheet.
- Ask in person, then follow up with the link. A quick text with the link the same day is easy for the customer.
- Ask everyone, not just the happy ones. This matters, and it is explained in the next section.
- Don’t pressure people. Google’s policy says businesses must not require or pressure customers to leave reviews while they are on the premises.
Keep your request plain. Ask for an honest review. Don’t suggest a star rating or tell people what to write.
4. What NOT to do
Google’s Maps user-generated content policy lists prohibited and restricted content. Breaking it can get reviews removed. New Zealand consumer law also applies. These are the main traps.
No incentives
Don’t offer payment, discounts, free goods or free services in exchange for a review. That includes offering something for a customer to change or remove a negative review. Google treats this as fake engagement. A “10% off for a review” deal is not allowed.
No review gating
Review gating means asking only the customers you think are happy, or screening people first and sending only the positive ones to Google. Google’s policy says businesses must not selectively ask for positive reviews, and must not discourage or prohibit negative ones. Send the same request to every customer.
No fake or conflicted reviews
Don’t write reviews of your own business, and don’t ask staff, family or friends to do it. Google’s policy bans content based on a conflict of interest, including current or former employment. It also bans paid reviews and reviews posted from several accounts by, or at the request of, one person.
The NZ legal side
Fake reviews are not just a Google problem. The Fair Trading Act prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct and false representations. The Commerce Commission enforces it, and reviews are part of that.
In December 2025 the District Court found that Brand Developers Ltd, trading as The TV Shop, had misled consumers. According to the Commission, staff posted reviews without disclosing their link to the business, the company asked employees to get friends and family to leave reviews, and low ratings were filtered out of its own website. In August 2026 the court ordered a penalty of $1,104,000 for a range of conduct that included the review offending.
The lesson: reviews must be genuine, and you must not hide or filter out honest negative ones to make your rating look better.
5. Reply to every review
Replies show future customers you care. Once your profile is verified, open your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then the reply icon next to the review. The reviewer is notified when you reply. Google checks replies before they go live, which usually takes a few minutes. You can edit or delete a reply later.
Google’s own tips for replies:
- keep it polite, short and simple
- be specific rather than pasting the same “thanks” on every review
- address the reviewer by name and sign off with your name or initials
- reply promptly
- don’t use replies to promote deals.
Replying to a bad review
A calm reply to a bad review can win more trust than a page of five-star ratings. Google advises against sharing private information or making personal attacks. Be honest about what you can and can’t do, and apologise where it is fair.
Consumer Protection, part of MBIE, suggests replying publicly with thanks, an apology and a promise to look into it. Then take the conversation somewhere private to sort it out. If you need time, give the customer a timeframe. If you don’t accept the complaint, explain your reasons clearly and politely.
6. Handling unfair or fake reviews
Sometimes a review breaks the rules. It might be spam, abusive, written by a competitor, or about a business that isn’t yours. You can flag it to Google:
- Go to your Business Profile and select Read reviews.
- Next to the review, select the report icon.
- Choose a reason, such as spam or profanity, and send the report.
You can also use Google’s Reviews Management Tool to report reviews and check their status. Google says evaluation usually takes several days. If Google finds no policy breach, you can lodge one appeal per review through the same tool.
Google only removes reviews that break its policies. It does not remove a review because you disagree with it, and it doesn’t step into disputes between businesses and customers. For a review that is negative but genuine, your best tool is a fair public reply.
Don’t report honest reviews just to get rid of them. Consumer Protection advises only deleting complaints on your own channels that are abusive or offensive. Quietly removing fair criticism can mislead customers.
7. Reviews are one part of being found
Reviews work best alongside a clear website and consistent listings elsewhere. Listing on trusted directories such as NZ Webz gives people another way to find you, with a link straight to your site. Free listings are human-checked before they go live. You can submit your website in a few minutes, or read how NZ Webz works first.
Key points
- Create or claim your Google Business Profile and verify it. You need verification to reply to reviews.
- Get your review link and QR code from Read reviews then Get more reviews on a computer.
- Ask every customer, soon after the job, with a short and plain request.
- Never offer incentives, never gate reviews, and never post or buy fake ones.
- The Fair Trading Act applies to reviews, and the Commerce Commission has taken court action over them.
- Reply to all reviews politely. Flag only reviews that break Google’s policies.
Sources
Google Business Profile Help: Verify your business on Google, Tips to get more reviews, Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews, Manage customer reviews and Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile. Google Maps: Prohibited and restricted content. Commerce Commission: District Court finds The TV Shop staff wrote positive “customer” reviews and The TV Shop to pay $1.104m. Consumer Protection: Dealing with complaints and bad reviews.