To get more Google reviews, ask every patient the same way, soon after the visit, with a direct link to your review form. Keep the request free of treatment details, offer nothing in return and never screen for happy patients first. A steady habit beats clever wording. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, and patients read them before they book.
Most practices have plenty of happy patients and few reviews, because nobody asks consistently. For practices on our managed marketing plans, we set up requests that go to every patient with practice-approved wording, then route each new review to a person who approves the reply. See how our reputation management for medical practices works.
Do More Reviews Move You Up in Google Maps?
They help, but they are not the whole story. Google ranks local results on three things: relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance (how far you are from the person searching) and prominence (how well known you are). Prominence includes how many reviews you have and your rating.
On October 28, 2026 we pulled the top 20 Google Maps results for two local searches:
| Search | Reviews of the top 3 | Median reviews, ranks 4 to 20 | Most reviews in the top 20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| "dentist" in Sacramento | 402, 461 and 71 | 158 | 787, ranked 7th |
| "med spa" in Roseville | 36, 7 and 44 | 49 | 583, ranked 11th |
A med spa with 7 reviews made Roseville's top three, while one with 583 ranked eleventh. Distance and relevance clearly did a lot of the work. Reviews still matter twice over: they feed prominence, and they are what a patient reads before choosing between the three practices Google shows. Our Google Maps ranking checklist covers the other factors.
Google's Rules for Asking
Google's review policy sets three limits every practice needs to know:
- No incentives. No payment, discounts, free services or gifts in exchange for a review.
- No review gating. Google does not allow you to "selectively solicit positive reviews from customers," or to discourage negative ones. Review gating means checking whether someone is happy before sending them the review link. Send the link to everyone.
- No reviews from staff. Reviews from current or former employees count as a conflict of interest.
The Federal Trade Commission adds its own rule: in 2024 it banned fake reviews and buying reviews, which makes this a legal matter as well as a Google one.
Keep the Request HIPAA-Safe
HIPAA is the federal law that protects patients' health information. Asking your own patients for feedback is a normal part of running a practice. The risk is in the details of the message:
- Name the practice, not the treatment. "Thanks for visiting [Practice]" is fine. "How did your Botox go?" puts a treatment in a text that anyone holding the phone can read.
- Message only patients who agreed to hear from you by text or email, and include an opt-out.
- Never post a review for a patient or type one in for them at the front desk.
- Reply without details. Thank reviewers without confirming they were patients. Here is how to respond to negative reviews without breaking HIPAA.
When and How to Ask
- Get your review link. In your Google Business Profile, Google lets you share a review request link or a QR code. Save the link where your whole team can find it.
- Ask in person at checkout. One sentence from the front desk or the provider: "If you have a minute, an honest Google review really helps us."
- Follow up the same day. Send the link by text or email while the visit is fresh.
- Send one reminder at most. More than that starts to feel like pressure.
- Ask everyone. Every patient gets the same request, so the reviews reflect your real practice.
- Track it monthly. Count requests sent and new reviews received. If reviews stall, check whether requests stopped going out.
Three Request Templates
At checkout: Thanks for coming in today. If you have a minute later, an honest Google review really helps other people find us. We'll text you the link.
Text message: Hi [first name], thanks for visiting [Practice]. If you have a minute, we'd be grateful for an honest Google review: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.
Email: Subject: A quick favor from [Practice]. Thank you for choosing us. Reviews help other people in [city] find a practice they can trust. If you have two minutes, please share your honest experience here: [link]. Thank you, the [Practice] team.
None of them mention a treatment, a provider or a rating to leave, and all three go to every patient.
Getting More Google Reviews at a Glance
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Ask every patient, the same way | Check who is happy before sending the link |
| Ask at checkout, then send the link the same day | Send more than one reminder |
| Name the practice in the message | Name the treatment or provider in a text |
| Message only patients who agreed to texts or email | Offer discounts, gifts or entries for reviews |
| Thank reviewers without confirming they were patients | Let staff, family or friends post reviews |
| Count requests and new reviews each month | Chase a magic number of reviews |
Common Questions About Getting More Google Reviews
Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google's review policy does not allow incentives of any kind in exchange for a review, including payment, discounts and free services. Ask without offering anything.
Can I ask only my happy patients for reviews?
No. Google's policy does not allow selectively asking for positive reviews or discouraging negative ones. Send the same request to every patient and let them choose what to write.
Is it HIPAA compliant to text patients a review link?
It can be, when the message names your practice but not the patient's treatment, and goes only to patients who agreed to receive texts from you. Have your compliance advisor review the wording and consent process before you start.
How many Google reviews does a practice need?
There is no set number. In our October 2026 check of Google Maps, a Roseville med spa with 7 reviews ranked in the top three while one with 583 ranked eleventh. Aim for a steady flow of new, honest reviews rather than a target count.
Can my staff leave reviews for the practice?
No. Google treats reviews from current or former employees as a conflict of interest, and they can be removed. Ask patients, not staff, family or friends.
What to Do This Week
Copy your review link from your Google Business Profile and send it to your front desk. Pick one person to text it to every patient seen that day, starting tomorrow. Write down today's review count, and check it again in 30 days.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Your compliance advisor has the final word on your messaging and consent process.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help. Tips to improve your local ranking on Google (relevance, distance and prominence; reviews and ratings), accessed October 2026.
- Google Business Profile Help. Manage customer reviews (review request links and QR codes), accessed October 2026.
- Google Maps user-contributed content policy. Prohibited and restricted content (incentives, selective solicitation and conflicts of interest), accessed October 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials, August 14, 2024.
- Brand Lift 360 (our own data): top 20 Google Maps results for "dentist" searched from Sacramento, California and "med spa" searched from Roseville, California, pulled through DataForSEO on October 28, 2026. Results vary by searcher location and change over time.