Can You Incentivize Google Reviews? NO. Here’s What to Do Instead
You’ve probably heard the myth: “Just offer a discount or gift card, and customers will flood you with 5-star Google reviews.”
It sounds tempting, right? After all, who wouldn’t want a quick way to boost their online reputation?
But here’s the catch—Google has strict rules about reviews, and breaking them can cost you more than just a few bucks in gift cards.
Many businesses have learned the hard way that incentives can lead to deleted reviews, legal trouble, and even a damaged reputation.
Before you take that risk, let’s break down whether incentivizing reviews is allowed, what actually happens if you try it, and smarter, ethical ways to get the kind of feedback that builds lasting trust.
Can You Offer Incentives for Google Reviews?
No, you can’t—and Google makes that very clear.
According to Google’s review policy, businesses are prohibited from offering any form of incentive in exchange for a review.
This includes discounts, freebies, gift cards, contest entries, or any kind of perk that could influence what someone writes.
If you're wondering why... the reasoning is simple: Google wants reviews to be authentic, unbiased, and reflective of a customer’s real experience.
When people are paid or rewarded for their feedback, even if you don’t ask for a positive review specifically, it undermines trust in the platform.
Reviews exist to help future customers make informed decisions, not to serve as manipulated marketing copy.
What Happens If You Still Try to Incentivize Clients for a Google Review?
Trying to “game the system” by offering rewards for Google reviews can backfire badly.
While it may seem like an easy way to boost your star rating, the risks far outweigh any short-term benefits.
Here’s what can happen:
1. Account Suspension or Profile Penalties
Your Google Business Profile is the lifeline for local visibility.
Most customers check Maps and search results before they ever call you. If Google flags your reviews as incentivized, they can suspend or even remove your profile.
Losing that visibility can mean fewer calls, fewer leads, and a direct hit to your revenue.
2. Review Removal
Even if you avoid suspension, Google can delete every review they suspect is tied to incentives.
Imagine waking up to see all your hard-earned stars vanish. Not only does this kill your SEO rankings, but it also raises red flags for potential customers who notice the sudden drop.
3. FTC and Legal Issues
In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires businesses to disclose any material connection—like an incentive—between themselves and reviewers.
If you fail to disclose or mislead customers, you risk legal penalties, fines, and public backlash.
Other countries, like the UK and EU members, have similar regulations around fake or incentivized reviews.
4. Reputation Damage and Loss of Trust
If word gets out that you’ve been “buying” reviews, it can seriously harm your credibility.
Customers trust authentic experiences; discovering your reviews were influenced by perks or rewards undermines that trust and can drive potential clients elsewhere.
Example
Here’s what real-world cases show:
Nineteen firms were fined a total of US $350,000 for orchestrating fake reviews.
More recently, in 2024, the FTC finalized a sweeping ban on buying or selling fake online reviews.
Violators can be fined up to $51,744 per violation.
5. Long-Term Business Impact
Beyond penalties, incentivizing reviews sets a poor foundation for sustainable growth.
You end up with skewed feedback rather than genuine insights that help improve your service and reputation.
Instead of risking these outcomes, it’s better to focus on legitimate ways to encourage happy customers to leave reviews voluntarily.
What Are Ethical and Effective Alternatives to Incentivizing Google Reviews?
You don’t need to risk penalties or damage your reputation to increase your Google reviews. Instead, focus on strategies that encourage honest, voluntary feedback.
Here are some proven, ethical ways to earn more reviews:
1. Ask at the Right Time
Timing matters. The best moment to request a review is when a customer’s positive experience is fresh—right after they thank you for great service or finish a successful transaction.
If you’re in industries like dental or law, the timing can look a bit different.
For example, many dental offices see success by asking patients during follow-ups or hygiene visits when they’re most receptive, while law firms often wait until a case closes on a positive note.
2. Make It Easy With Direct Links or QR Codes
Eliminate friction by providing a direct link to your Google Business Profile review page.
Add it to follow-up emails, text messages, receipts, or even a QR code on packaging or signage. The easier you make it, the more likely customers will take action.
For more ideas, check out guides like how to get more Google reviews and local business review strategies that break down best practices for different customer touchpoints.
3. Provide Outstanding Service Consistently
The foundation of any review strategy is exceptional customer experience. When customers feel genuinely valued, they’re far more likely to recommend you. Focus on delivering excellent service first—reviews naturally follow.
4. Respond to All Reviews, Good or Bad
Acknowledging customer feedback shows that you care.
Thank customers for positive reviews and address any negative ones professionally.
Engaging with reviews encourages more people to share their experiences because they see you’re attentive and responsive.
Not sure where to start?
Learn how to respond to negative reviews and why responding helps SEO. There are also step-by-step tips for tricky situations like fake 1-star reviews or reviews without comments.
5. Train Your Team to Ask Naturally
Equip your staff with polite, non-intrusive ways to request reviews.
For example: “We’re so glad you had a good experience. If you wouldn’t mind sharing it on Google, it helps other people find us too.”
Simple, genuine requests go a long way.
Check out these guides because there are specific guides for asking real estate clients, law firms, and dental practices.
6. Leverage Automated Review Requests (Compliantly)
If manually tracking every happy customer feels overwhelming, there are tools that help automate outreach without crossing ethical lines.
Our reviews platform lets you send polite, non-incentivized requests at scale, integrated with your CRM.
It also helps you stay far away from pitfalls that land businesses in trouble, like the ones discussed in their piece on incentivized reviews.
Automation done right doesn’t replace authenticity—it supports it.
Conclusion
We know building a strong online reputation takes time, and every business has its own challenges. Whatever your next step looks like, we want to wish you the best.
If you ever need a little extra guidance, we update our blog regularly with fresh ideas.
Some of our recent posts cover how many testimonials to feature on your website and practical tips on getting Google dental reviews—alongside other reputation marketing strategies to help you grow authentically.
Beyond content, we’ve built tools like Reviews, Referrals, Insights, and Repeat to make collecting and acting on feedback easier.
We’ve worked with businesses of all kinds—from law firms and dental offices to medical practices, med spas, plumbing companies, and landscaping services—so we understand the nuances of reputation management across different industries.
And if you ever want to talk through your strategy or ask questions directly, you can always reach us at info@thesurgepoint.com or explore more resources at our site.
Good luck with whatever you tackle next. We’re rooting for you and are here to help if you need us.
