How do you respond to Google reviews?

How do you reply to a Google review?

You reply from your Google Business Profile, and only once the profile is verified. Google’s current steps:

1. Sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile.
2. Open your profile. Search “my business” on Google, or in the Google Maps app tap Business at the bottom right.
3. Select Read reviews.
4. Next to the review, select Reply.
5. Type your reply and select Reply to post it.

What happens next, according to Google: your reply is checked against Google’s content policies, which usually takes up to 10 minutes but can take up to 30 days. Once approved, it appears publicly under the review as the business, without your personal name. The reviewer is notified, and they can still change their review after reading your reply. You can edit or delete a reply at any time from the same Read reviews screen.

How fast should you reply?

Google asks businesses to respond “in a timely manner” but sets no deadline. This is the rule of thumb we work to:

These timings are our recommendation, not a Google rule. Google’s own guidance is to reply promptly, keep it short and stay professional.

What makes a good review reply?

• Short. Google’s own tip: if a reply is too long, people stop reading before they reach the point. Two to four sentences is plenty.
• Specific. Use their first name and mention what they mentioned. A generic “Thanks for your business!” pasted under 40 reviews reads like nobody is home.
• Conversational, not promotional. Google advises against using replies to push deals or promotions. The reviewer is already a customer.
• Signed. Google recommends a personal sign-off with your name or initials. It turns a faceless business into a person who can be held to their word.
• Written for the next reader. The reviewer reads your reply once. Every future customer who scrolls your profile reads it too.

Google review reply templates

Swap in the bracketed details. The details are what make these work, so don’t skip them.

5-star review

Mixed review (3–4 stars)

1-star review with a real complaint

1-star review you can’t match to a customer

Google’s guidelines allow you to post your own business phone number, email or social handles in a review reply, so offering a direct line is fine. If a review looks fake or breaks Google’s rules, reply calmly anyway and report it separately. Here’s what Google will and won’t remove.

What not to say in a review reply

• Anything private about the customer. Google’s tip is blunt: never share a reviewer’s private information or make personal attacks. That includes what they bought, their address, their balance, or details of the job.
• Anything about a patient, if you’re a medical, dental or therapy practice. HIPAA applies to review replies. In 2023 the federal Office for Civil Rights settled with Manasa Health Center, a New Jersey psychiatric practice, for $30,000 after it disclosed patients’ health information in responses to negative Google reviews. The safe reply confirms nothing: not that the person is a patient, not a visit date, not a treatment. Thank them and invite them to call the office.
• Arguments or accusations. Rebutting a review point by point rarely convinces the reviewer and never impresses the reader. Accusing a reviewer of lying can also carry legal risk: the FTC’s consumer review rule bars businesses from using false public accusations or groundless legal threats to get a negative review taken down.
• Offers in exchange for a change. Google prohibits offering money, discounts or free services for revising or removing a negative review. Fix the problem because it’s the right thing to do, and let the customer decide whether to update their review.
• Keyword stuffing. Cramming “best roofer in Southampton” into every reply reads as spam to customers and adds nothing Google needs.

This is general information, not legal advice. If you run a healthcare practice, have your compliance contact review your reply policy.

Do review replies help you rank?

Google lists responding to reviews in its own tips for improving local ranking, and says that more reviews and positive ratings can help a business’s local ranking. Replies are one signal among many; categories, completeness, distance and prominence matter more. If your profile isn’t appearing at all, start with why a business doesn’t show up on Google Maps. For realistic timelines, see how long local SEO takes.

Where East End Web helps

Replying well is mostly a habit: check reviews a few times a week and answer each one. If you’d rather hand it off, our Google Business Profile management includes review monitoring and replies written in your voice. Ongoing profile management typically runs $400–$700 a month in the market; we quote after a free audit.