How I Got Nearly 400 Google Reviews (And How It Led to More Sales)!

How I Got Nearly 400 Google Reviews (And How It Led to More Sales)!

I still remember the first time I really thought about Google Reviews. It wasn’t that we had none—it was that I had never made them a priority.

I knew reviews were gold. They build trust, boost SEO, and help customers choose you over the competition. But until then, I had focused on other areas of marketing, overlooking the power of glowing customer feedback as a sales driver.

That’s when I decided to be intentional about collecting reviews. I didn’t just hope for them—I created a system to get them consistently. And in just a few years, I built up nearly 400 Google Reviews, skyrocketing our visibility, boosting our SEO rankings, and directly leading to more foot traffic, more sales, and more repeat customers.

Here’s exactly how I did it—and how you can too.

The Strategy That Changed Everything: Our Anniversary Giveaway Week

Every year, we celebrated our business anniversary (or birthday, as we liked to call it) with a massive week-long event. And when I say massive, I mean it—we went all out.

🛍 Five full days of giveaways. 

🎁 Over $5,000 worth of prizes. 

🔥 A storewide sale to cap it all off.

People went crazy for this event. And trust me—this wasn’t just a fun way to celebrate another year in business. This was a carefully planned strategy that drove record-breaking sales, lines out the door before we even opened, and a flood of new customers. (👉 Want to know how I turned this giveaway into record-breaking sales and lines out the door? Let me know, and I’ll break it down in another post!)

But here’s where it ties into Google Reviews.

One of the ways people could enter our giveaway was by completing different tasks—each task was assigned a different number of points. And you know what earned a TON of points? Leaving a Google Review.

Here’s why this worked so well…

Why This Google Review Strategy Was So Effective

✅ It created an incentive – Customers love to share their thoughts, but sometimes they just need a little push. Giving them a reason to leave a review (a chance to win amazing prizes) made it fun and exciting.

✅ It got people to act fast – Because our giveaway was only running for five days, customers had a deadline. If they wanted those extra entries, they had to leave their review now, not “someday.”

✅ It encouraged authentic feedback – We didn’t script what people should say. We simply asked them to share their experience. And because our customer experience was top-notch, those reviews were genuine and glowing.

✅ It tapped into social proof – The more reviews we got, the more Google boosted our ranking in local search. That meant new customers searching for businesses like ours were seeing us first.

✅ It became a habit – Once we started consistently encouraging reviews (and people saw how much others were raving about us), it became second nature for customers to leave them.

How Google Reviews Boost SEO & Foot Traffic

Most business owners don’t realize this, but Google Reviews are a major factor in local SEO.

📍 More reviews = higher Google rankings. If someone searched for “[your type of business] near me,” Google prioritized businesses with lots of high-quality reviews.

📍 More trust = more foot traffic. People were more likely to choose us over competitors simply because of our overwhelming amount of positive feedback.

📍 Reviews drive sales on autopilot. We didn’t have to convince people to shop with us—our happy customers did it for us.

And the best part? These benefits kept growing long after our event ended.

Common Mistakes Businesses Make with Google Reviews

Before you dive in, let’s talk about some big mistakes I see businesses making when it comes to reviews. Avoid these, and you’ll see much better results:

🚫 Not asking for reviews – If you’re waiting for customers to leave reviews on their own, you’ll be waiting forever. You have to ask.

🚫 Making it too complicated – If customers have to search for your business, click through multiple pages, and jump through hoops to leave a review, they won’t bother. Make it seamless.

🚫 Only asking once – Most people forget to leave a review the first time you ask. A gentle follow-up (without being pushy) works wonders.

🚫 Ignoring negative reviews – No one likes getting a bad review, but pretending it doesn’t exist won’t help. Reply professionally, offer a solution, and show potential customers you care.

🚫 Not using reviews in your marketing – If you have great reviews, show them off! Feature them on your website, in your emails, and on social media.

How You Can Replicate This Strategy

If you want to start racking up Google Reviews (and boosting your SEO while you’re at it), here’s what I recommend:

1. Create an Event or Giveaway to Incentivize Reviews
You don’t have to run a massive $5,000 giveaway, but consider how you can make leaving a review fun for your customers. Even a simple “Leave us a review and enter to win a $100 gift card” can work wonders.

2. Make It Incredibly Easy
The #1 reason people don’t leave reviews? It’s a hassle. Eliminate friction. Create a direct link to your Google Reviews page, print a QR code for customers to scan, or send a follow-up email with a quick “Leave a Review” button.

3. Time It Right
People are most likely to leave a review when they’re feeling the most excited about your business—right after they make a purchase, experience great service, or score an amazing deal.

4. Keep the Momentum Going
Once you start getting more reviews, don’t stop! Feature them in your marketing, highlight them on social media, and respond to every single one (yes, even the bad ones). Engagement shows potential customers that you’re active and care about feedback.

5. Train Your Team to Mention It
Your employees should be just as excited about reviews as you are! Train them to naturally bring it up in conversation: “We’d love to hear your feedback—if you have a minute, leaving us a Google Review would mean the world!”

More Reviews = More Sales

If I could go back and change one thing about how I ran my business, I would have started focusing on Google Reviews sooner. They’re a free, powerful marketing tool that works 24/7 to bring in customers and build trust.

If you’re not making reviews a priority, you’re leaving money on the table!

This exact topic recently came up in a discussion inside my Craving Connection Facebook group. In fact, I shared at least a dozen other ideas for increasing traffic and sales there!

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