How to respond to Google reviews as a business: good, bad and fake
To respond to a Google review as a business, sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile, open the profile in Search or Maps, select Read reviews, select Reply next to the review, write your reply and select Reply. Only a verified profile can reply, the reply is posted publicly under the review in the business’s name, and Google notifies the reviewer. This guide covers the steps, what to say to good, bad and fake reviews, who should reply, and profiles with no address.
How do you respond to a Google review as a business owner?
You reply from inside your Business Profile, not from the public review page. As at 17/09/2026, Google’s help documentation gives the path as: go to your Business Profile, select Read reviews, select Reply next to the review you want to answer, enter your reply in the box, then select Reply.
To get to your profile, search your business name in Google while signed in to the managing account, or open Google Maps on your phone and open your business. If you have several locations, pick the right one first.
Four things Google’s documentation makes clear about replies:
- You must be verified. Google says “Before you can reply to reviews, you must verify your business.” An unverified or suspended profile cannot reply.
- Replies are public and anonymous. Once approved, the reply “will be publicly posted under the customer’s review”, it shows as the business, and your personal name is not displayed.
- The reviewer is told. Google states “The person who wrote the review is notified when you reply”, so the reviewer will read it.
- You can change it later. Select Edit on a reply to update it, or Delete to remove it.
If you cannot see a Reply option, your account is not an owner or manager of the profile, or the profile is not verified.
Should businesses respond to Google reviews?
Yes, to every review you can. Google’s own guidance is that “Helpful and positive replies to reviews can show that you’re responsive to your customers.” The reply is not really for the reviewer. It is read by every future customer who checks your profile before calling, and it is the only part of your review page you control.
A reply to a five-star review is a second piece of marketing copy sitting under a customer’s endorsement. A reply to a one-star review is your chance to show how you handle problems. Silence on either reads as a business that is not paying attention.
Reviews also matter for local SEO in Perth. Google shows ratings and review counts in the map pack, and a profile that gathers recent reviews and answers them looks active to Google and to customers.
How to respond to a good review on Google
Reply within a day or two, use the reviewer’s first name, repeat the specific thing they praised, and add one useful detail for the next reader. Keep it to three or four sentences. The mistake most businesses make with positive reviews is a copy-paste “Thanks for your review!” under every one, which prospects notice.
Three templates. Swap the bracketed parts every time.
Positive review, specific praise Hi [name], thanks for taking the time to leave this. Glad the [thing they praised, such as same-day turnaround on the hot water system] worked out for you. That is the standard we aim for on every [service] job in [suburb or area], and we look forward to helping again.
Positive review, no detail Thanks [name], we appreciate it. If you ever need [related service] down the track, you know where we are. Enjoy the [product or result].
Positive review that mentions a staff member Hi [name], thank you. [Staff first name] will be pleased to read this, and we have passed it on. Reviews like yours help other [customer type, such as families in the northern suburbs] find us, so it means a lot.
Track what people praise. If ten reviews mention the same thing, it belongs on your website.
How to respond to a bad Google business review
Wait an hour, reply within 48 hours, own what is true, ask for detail where the review is vague, and move the conversation offline. Never argue in public. The reply is being read by prospective customers who want to know how you behave when something goes wrong, and a defensive reply does more damage than the review itself.
Four rules:
- Own the mistake if it is yours. Most people accept that businesses get things wrong. They judge the recovery.
- Ask for specifics when the review gives none. “Terrible service” tells nobody anything. A polite request for detail either surfaces a real problem or shows other readers that the reviewer had nothing to add.
- Take it offline. Give a name, a phone number and an email. A public thread that runs to five replies looks bad for everyone.
- Never post private details. Do not reveal the customer’s full name, address, invoice or medical or financial details, even to correct the record.
Three templates.
Fair complaint, your fault Hi [name], you are right that [what happened, such as we ran 40 minutes late to the Tuesday appointment], and that is not the standard we set. We have [what you changed, such as adjusted the scheduling on that run]. I would like to make this right. Please call me on [phone] or email [email] and ask for [your name].
Vague complaint, no detail Hi [name], sorry to hear you were not happy with your experience. We cannot find a record that matches this, so could you contact us on [phone] or [email] with the date and the job? We want to understand what went wrong and fix it.
Complaint you believe is unfair Hi [name], thanks for the feedback. Our records show [neutral fact, such as the quote was provided in writing on 12/08/2026 and the work matched it], but we are always willing to talk it through. Please contact [your name] on [phone] and we will go over it with you.
How to respond to a fake Google review
Reply once, calmly and briefly, then report the review through your profile and let Google assess it. Do not accuse the reviewer of being fake in your reply, because if the review stays up, an angry reply stays up with it.
A fake review is one that breaks Google’s content policy, not one you disagree with. As at 17/09/2026 the policy prohibits fake engagement (“Content that is not based on a real experience”), reviews that have been paid for, content posted from multiple accounts at one person’s request, reviews based on a conflict of interest such as current or former employment, and posting on a competitor’s profile “to undermine that business’ or product’s reputation”.
Google is also clear on what it will not do: “Do not report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it. Google doesn’t get involved in conflict between businesses and customers.” A real customer with an unfair opinion is a bad review, not a fake one, and the templates above apply.
To report: open your Business Profile, select Read reviews, select the Report icon next to the review, and choose the reason. Google says “Review evaluation typically takes several days” and you can watch the status in its Reviews Management Tool, which shows whether a decision is pending, whether no violation was found, or whether the report was escalated. If Google finds no violation you can submit a one-time appeal through the same tool. Businesses cannot delete reviews themselves.
Suspected fake review, public reply Hi [name], we have no record of a customer or job matching this review and we take that seriously. If you have dealt with us, please contact [your name] on [phone] so we can look into it. If this was left in error, we would appreciate you removing it.
How to respond to a Google review response
A customer cannot reply to the owner’s response. Google’s review tools let a reviewer edit their review, change the rating or delete it, and the business owner can reply to the review, but there is no reply-to-a-reply thread. If you are a customer who wants to respond to an owner’s answer, edit your original review to add the update.
For business owners, if a reviewer edits their review after your reply, check it and use Edit to update your reply. If a customer asks how to respond to your reply, tell them to edit their review.
How do you review a business on Google?
A customer reviews a business by searching for it in Google or Maps, opening the listing, selecting Write a review, choosing a star rating and, optionally, writing text. They need to be signed in to a Google account. Once posted, they can edit the review, change the rating or delete it from their contributions.
Businesses can and should ask for reviews. Google provides a short review link inside your Business Profile that you can send by SMS or email or print on invoices. What you cannot do under Google’s policy is offer incentives “such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services” for a review, ask staff or family to review, or post reviews on customers’ behalf. Ask at the moment the job finishes well, send the link the same day, and keep it to a request, not a bribe.
Can you respond to reviews if your profile has no address?
Yes. Reviews attach to the Business Profile, not to a street address, so a service-area business that hides its address gets reviews and replies to them through the same Read reviews path as a shopfront.
The address setting changes nothing about reviews, but it does change verification, and you cannot reply until you are verified. If you run a mobile business, our guide to setting up a Google Business Profile without an address covers service areas, video verification and what to do when verification fails.
Who should respond to Google reviews?
One named person should own review replies, with a second person as backup, and both should have access to the profile as an owner or manager rather than through a shared login. In most Perth small businesses that is the owner or the office manager. In larger businesses it is whoever runs the customer-facing side, with a rule that complaints involving money, safety or a legal threat go to the owner before a reply is posted.
Replies show as the business, not the person, so write down three rules: how fast you reply, what you never say in public, and who signs off on a reply to a complaint. Then anyone covering leave can follow them.
An agency can draft or manage replies for you. PWD’s Google Business Profile optimisation service includes responding to reviews professionally and a strategy for getting more of them, with the profile staying in your name and you approving anything sensitive.
Review reply mistakes that cost you customers
- The same reply under every review. Prospects scroll. Ten identical thank-yous look automated.
- Arguing. Even when you are right. Nobody hiring a tradie wants to watch that tradie fight online.
- Replying months late. A reply dated a year after the review tells people the profile is not watched.
- Giving away private information. Names, addresses, health or financial details, or what someone paid, do not belong in a public reply.
- Asking for the review to be changed. Ask the customer to contact you. Fix the problem. Many will update the review on their own.
When to hand this to an agency
Hand review management to an agency when reviews arrive faster than you can answer them, when you have more than one location, when a run of negative or suspicious reviews needs reporting and follow-up, or when nobody in the business has owned the replies for months. The other trigger is a profile that is not verified, is suspended, or is missing basic information, because reply quality does not matter if the profile itself is not working.
A good agency sets up the profile properly, writes reply guidelines in your voice, drafts replies for approval, reports fake reviews and tracks the outcome, and builds a repeatable way to ask happy customers for reviews. It should never post reviews for you or pay anyone to.
Get help with your Google Business Profile reviews
PWD manages Google Business Profiles for Perth businesses from our West Leederville office, including profile setup and verification, review responses and a review strategy that stays inside Google’s rules. The profile stays yours, and you see every reply.
Talk to PWD about Google Business Profile optimisation, or call 08 6146 0195 to start with a free check of your profile.
