If you run a small business in Des Moines, Google reviews are not a vanity metric — they are one of the most direct levers you have on both search rankings and conversion rate. A well-reviewed business gets found more, clicked more, and trusted faster.
Why Google Reviews Move the Needle
- Rankings — review count, recency, and star rating are ranking signals in the local map pack.
- Click-through rate — a 4.8-star listing outperforms a 3.9-star listing on the same result page.
- Trust — 90% of consumers read reviews before contacting a local business.
- Conversion — customers who read positive reviews are far more likely to fill out a contact form or call.
How to Get More Google Reviews (Ethically)
You don't need to gimmick your way to a strong review profile. You need a simple, repeatable ask. Here's the process we recommend to every client:
- Create a short review link from your Google Business Profile.
- Ask right after a successful project, delivery, or appointment — not weeks later.
- Send the link by text or email, with one sentence of context.
- Add the link to invoices, receipts, and email signatures.
- Train your team to ask in person when the moment is right.
What to Do About Negative Reviews
One or two less-than-perfect reviews actually help credibility — nobody trusts a wall of 5-stars. When a negative review shows up, respond publicly, calmly, and briefly. Acknowledge the concern, invite the customer offline, and never argue in the thread.
Displaying Reviews on Your Website
Reviews shouldn't just live on Google. Highlighting them on your website — with proper schema markup — increases trust for new visitors and reinforces the same signals Google is already reading. Every Fisher Built Websites project includes structured data for reviews and ratings by default.
Want your reviews working harder on your website? We can help you display them properly.
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