⚡️🧟‍♂️ It's aliiiiive!! Local Ranking Grids is here. Check it out!
⚡️🧟‍♂️ It's aliiiiive!! Local Ranking Grids is here. Check it out!
Earning any positive review of your local business is a win, but that win can become a major marketing victory when it contains certain valuable elements. Today, I’d like to offer you just a few really good email and SMS templates for maximizing what reviews can do for your brand.
Darren Shaw and I were both impressed by a LinkedIn post from Amy Toman in which she praised Home Depot for sending her a review request containing suggested elements to include in her review of a product she’d purchased. Amy asked if multiple industries could benefit from this review acquisition approach, and we definitely think so. Let’s see how!
At a basic level, review volume and recency are strongly believed to impact rankings in Google’s local search engine results and Maps, so they have an intrinsic benefit regardless of what reviewers actually include in them. But power reviews can do so much for you. For example:
Reviews that include images (like the above) appear to stay at the top of your Google Business Profile reviews section longer than those without this content, according to studies like this one from Sterling Sky. Studies (like one I’ll link to in a moment) show that reviews that contain images and videos are more trusted by consumers, so it’s great to have those highly featured near the top of your review set.
In Google Local Packs and Maps, reviews that include specific language about products, services, amenities, and features of the business can be excerpted in Google local packs as “local justifications”. See the above examples of customers mentioning pies in their reviews. Despite the fact that none of the businesses in this set has the word “pies” in their business name, these justifications confirm to potential customers that these bakeries offer this menu item.Â
In Google Business Profiles, reviews that include specific language can be highlighted in the Review Summary section of the listing. The above screenshot shows the results I experienced when searching for “bathroom remodel San Francisco”.Â
And, if enough customers review a specific aspect of the business, it will become a “place topic”, meaning that searchers can filter to see reviews referring to “bathroom remodel” or another key feature of the business. These features could help your brand receive more qualified leads from potential customers who are looking for a very specific service, product, or amenity.
Reviews that contain detailed descriptions of the customer’s experience earn a 33% increase in consumer trust that the review is legitimate, according to this large survey of 1,200+ US consumers I worked on with GatherUp. Given the serious problem of review fraud, reviews that appear authentic will become an increasingly valuable asset if predictions hold true that platforms like Google Business Profile are about to be overrun with AI-generated review content. Note, too, the positive impacts of images and videos on consumer trust seen in the above slide.
Reviews that contain structured attribute validation based on questions Google asks reviewers. Hat tip to Claudia Tomina for capturing an apparent expansion of Google’s quest to get more information about specific aspects of local businesses by having them select from large sets of pre-populated attributes when leaving a review. Lots of questions need to be answered about where Google is getting the wording of these labels from and how they might impact your ability to rank for tons of terms that might not even be on your website. Stay tuned, because Whitespark has a major study forthcoming on this fascinating topic!
🤔 So how can your business earn these extra review benefits and their ability to impact trust and conversions?
Write more helpful review requests. Do some of the work for your customers to inspire them about what to write and to influence the usefulness of the reviews your business receives. We’ve got templates for you!
Use Whitespark’s email and SMS templates for a variety of common scenarios.
| Email Template |
| Hi [customer name], I’m [your name and job title] from [company name], and I’m writing to check in with you on your purchase of [product]. It’s my job to be sure you’re satisfied, and I wondered if you would be willing to provide your feedback in a review at [Google review link generator link to GBP]? I’m enclosing a photo of [product] for your use in your review if you don’t have your own photo, and I’d be so grateful if you could review your experience with: – The features of this product that stand out most to you – What you like or dislike about it – How you’ve been using the product since you purchased it   If there’s anything we could have done better for you, please feel free to contact us directly at [phone number or feedback form link]. I want to be sure you’re fully satisfied and we’re so grateful for your business. Thank you very much if you can take the time to tell us about your personal experience in your review. [review us here link or button] Sincerely, [name, job title, business] |
| SMS Template |
| [Customer name] we’d love to hear what you like/dislike about your new [product] at [Google review link generator link to GBP] Here’s a nice photo you can use in your review. Thanks! |
| Email Template |
| Hello [customer name], This is [your name and job title] from [company name], and we were so happy to [service provided] It’s my job to be sure you’re satisfied, and I wondered if you would be willing to provide your feedback in a review at [Google review link generator link to GBP]? I’m enclosing a photo of [the service that was provided] for your use in your review if you don’t have your own photo, and I’d be so grateful if you could review your experience with: – Whether the service met your expectations – What you like/dislike about the service – How we did with our customer service If there’s anything we could have done better for you, please feel free to contact us directly at [phone number or feedback form link]. I want to be sure you’re fully satisfied, and we’re so grateful for your business. Thank you very much if you can take the time to tell us about your personal experience in your review. [review us here link or button] Sincerely, [name, job title, business] |
| SMS Template |
| [Customer name] did our service meet your expectations today? Here’s the photo we took for your use + a [Google review link generator link to GBP] link to review us. Thanks! |
| Email template |
| Hello [customer name], Thank you for being our customer. I’m [your name and job title] from [company name], It’s my job to be sure you’re satisfied, and I wondered if you would be willing to provide your feedback in a review at [Google review link generator link to GBP]? I’m enclosing a photo of [the business premises] for your use in your review if you don’t have your own photo, and I’d love it if you could review: – Whether you found our customer service helpful – What you like/dislike about our store – Why you chose our store If there’s anything we could have done better for you, please feel free to contact us directly at [phone number or feedback form link]. I want to be sure you’re fully satisfied and we’re so grateful for your business. Thank you very much if you can take the time to tell us about your personal experience in your review. [review us here link or button] Sincerely, [name, job title, business] |
| SMS Template |
| We’d love to hear why you chose [name, job title, business]. Here’s a photo we took for your use + a [Google review link generator link to GBP] link to review us. Thanks for being our customer!! |
You know that relationship trope about one partner expecting the other to know what they want without being told? Parlay that into the review scenario. Don’t imagine that customers know how much you’d value a really detailed review from them unless you’re specifically stating that. Apart from sending review requests:
The Transparency Company report linked to earlier in this post predicts that, as soon as the end of 2026, we could be seeing more AI-generated reviews than human-written content on platforms like GBP.
If this proves true then what’s in jeopardy is the most influential form of content your local business currently has going for it. Enough really hasn’t been written about what’s at stake, and it deserves full coverage of its own, but in brief:
So, while you’re focusing on earning as many detailed reviews as possible to enjoy the extra benefits they currently provide, I’d advise you to also be thinking about:
And, of course, you should also be paying attention to the review sources being picked up by AI and earning reviews in those places.
Reviews are one of the most important trust and conversion factors your local business can earn, but they’re also only one aspect of local search marketing. Wondering how to boost your local rank? Read How to Outrank 99% of Local Competitors – Google Business Profile Tier List by our own Darren Shaw!Â
Miriam Ellis is a local SEO columnist and consultant. She has been cited as one of the top five most prolific women writers in the SEO industry. Miriam is also an award-winning fine artist and her work can be seen at MiriamEllis.com.
