How to get more Google reviews for your clinic (without breaking the rules)

When someone searches for "dentist near me" or "physiotherapist in [their town]", the first thing they compare is the stars and the number of Google reviews. And many good clinics have a lower rating than they deserve for a simple reason: happy patients almost never leave a review unless someone asks them. Unhappy ones do.

This guide explains how to ask for reviews in a way that works, without breaking Google's rules.

Why satisfied patients don't leave reviews

It's not that they don't want to: they forget, don't know where to do it or can't be bothered to look up the clinic's listing. Every extra step loses reviews:

• Finding the clinic on Google Maps.
• Finding the "Write a review" button.
• Thinking about what to write.

Your job is to remove those steps.

Ask at the right moment

The best moment is shortly after the visit, while the experience is fresh: a few hours later, or the next day for long treatments. A week later is too late.

The request works best when it's short:

1. A one-click question: "How was your visit? Rate it from 1 to 5".
2. If the rating is good, the direct link to write the review on Google. In your Google Business Profile you can get a link that opens the review window directly.
3. A thank-you. Nothing more.

What Google forbids (and why it matters)

Google's review policies are clear on two points that directly affect clinics:

• You can't filter who you ask for a review ("review gating"). Asking only satisfied patients, or hiding the link from unhappy ones, is prohibited. Google can remove reviews and penalise the listing.
• You can't offer incentives in exchange for a review: discounts, gifts or prize draws.

You also can't publish fake reviews or ask staff or relatives to write them. In the EU, consumer protection rules also prohibit fake or manipulated reviews.

So what do I do about unhappy patients?

Here's the useful part: ask everyone for a rating in the same way, and to anyone who had a bad experience also offer a direct channel to the clinic:

• If someone rates 1, 2 or 3, show them a short form: "Tell us what happened. The clinic team reads this directly".
• Next to the form, keep the Google link too. It's their right, and it's what Google requires.
• When a negative comment comes in, call the patient that same day. Fixing a problem in time often turns a bad experience into a loyal patient, and frequently avoids the negative review because the patient already feels heard.

The difference from "gating" matters: you don't hide anything; you just offer a quick way to solve the problem.

Reply to every review

Replying is part of the strategy:

• Positive reviews: a short, personal reply ("Thank you, Laura! We're glad the cleaning went well").
• Negative reviews: thank them for the feedback, don't argue in public, invite them to talk privately and never share details of the patient or their treatment. Professional confidentiality applies to replies too.

People reading reviews pay close attention to how the clinic responds to criticism.

Automate it so it always happens

Asking for reviews only works if it's done with every patient, every time. If it depends on reception remembering, it'll happen on quiet days and be forgotten on busy ones.

Automating it is simple: when the appointment ends, the patient gets the message with the 1-to-5 rating. Good ratings get the Google link; poor ones get the form and the link, and the clinic gets an alert. We cover it together with reminders in how to reduce patient no-shows.

How we do it at Onlitions

We set up the rating request after every visit, connected to the clinic's diary and following Google's rules, with alerts for low ratings and a dashboard where you can see the trend. If you'd like to try it, on a 30-minute video call you experience it just like your patients: see how it works.