Google Reviews for Tradies: How to Get Them on Every Job in Australia

Google reviews for tradies work differently from reviews for a cafe or a shop. There is no counter to put a sign on, so the ask has to happen on the job: when the hot water is back on, the switchboard is signed off or the deck is finished. This guide covers the setup, the timing and the Australian rules.

It is written for plumbers, sparkies, chippies, painters, tilers, landscapers and anyone else who drives to the customer. For the general wording of the ask, see how tradesmen should ask for reviews; this one is about the Australian specifics.

Because a tradie's Google Business Profile is the only shopfront most customers ever see. A homeowner searching "emergency plumber Penrith" or "electrician near me" gets a map and a short list of businesses, with the star rating and review count next to each name. A retailer has foot traffic, signage and a window display; a tradie's profile has to do all of that on its own.

The other reason is trust. Hiring a tradie means letting a stranger into your home and often paying thousands of dollars for work you cannot inspect yourself. CHOICE tells consumers to compare profiles and reviews, get several quotes and check the licence with the state authority before hiring. Reviews that describe real jobs in real suburbs are what get a profile through that check.

No. Google lets a business that visits customers run a service-area Business Profile with no public address. In fact Google's help page says that if you do not have premises where customers can visit, you must hide your address. Customers can still find you on Maps, call you and leave reviews in exactly the same way as for a business with a shop.

Both, but they do different jobs. Reviews on a lead marketplace sit on your profile inside that platform and are seen by people who are already posting a job there. Google reviews sit on Maps and in Search results, where people look first when they do not yet know who to call.

CHOICE describes the marketplaces as sites where a customer posts a task for free, tradies quote, and the tradie pays per quote or through a membership. That is fine for filling gaps in the diary, but every review earned there stays inside the platform. A Google review is attached to a profile you keep whether or not you are paying anyone for leads this month.

At the point the customer can see the result. For a tradie that is usually before you leave the property, not days later when the invoice arrives. The right moment changes with the type of job, so it helps to decide in advance.

Whatever the job, ask once, keep it short, and do not chase. One text the next day with the link is reasonable; three reminders are not, and Google's rules do not allow you to ask only the customers you think were happy.

Make it physical and make it instant. The customer has their phone in their hand or pocket; the only thing stopping a review is having to search for your business and find the right button. A tap or a scan removes that step, which is where a Google review keychain earns its place on the ute keys or tool bag. It carries an NFC chip and a printed QR code, pre-programmed with your Google review link: the customer taps it, or scans the code if their phone does not read NFC, and the review form opens. No app, no subscription, no charging, and it goes to every job because it is already on your keys.

Two sets of rules apply: the Australian Consumer Law, enforced by the ACCC, and Google's own content policy. Both allow you to ask every customer for an honest review. Both prohibit the shortcuts.

If you text or email review requests, the Spam Act 2003 is worth knowing too. The ACMA's rules for commercial electronic messages are consent, clear identification of the sender, and a working unsubscribe. A one-off message about the job you have just done is a long way from a marketing campaign, but keep it tied to that job, identify your business, and stop if asked. Asking in person with a card or keychain avoids the question entirely. Our guide to the ACCC online reviews rules covers the law in more depth.

In NSW and Queensland the law already requires it on advertising, and a Business Profile that promotes your trade is advertising. Putting the licence number in your profile description also gives a cautious homeowner the one thing CHOICE tells them to check before they hire.

Other states and territories have their own licensing bodies and advertising rules, so check yours. Two points apply everywhere: use the same licensed business name on your Google profile as on your licence and invoices, and put the licence number in the profile description rather than only on the ute. A consistent name also helps customers match the review they are about to leave with the business that did the job.

Reply to all of them, briefly. A thank-you that mentions the job and the suburb ("Thanks Sarah, glad the new switchboard in Hornsby is sorted") reads naturally to the next customer and tells them what you do and where. Google's own guidance is that replying to reviews, including negative ones, helps build trust.

For a negative review, remember that the people reading it are deciding whether to let you into their home. Acknowledge the issue, say what you did or offered to do, and take the detail offline. Do not argue about the invoice in public, and never offer anything to get a review changed or removed; Google prohibits that explicitly. If a review is plainly fake, report it through your profile. Our guide to responding to Google reviews has wording for the difficult ones.

More trade-by-trade guides, including cleaning companies, garages and estate agents, are collected in our industry playbooks hub.