How salons get more Google reviews, within the rules
Ways an Australian salon can ask for more Google reviews without breaking Google's policy or ACCC guidance, plus the extra rules for clinics.
More Google reviews come from one habit: asking every client, every time, in a way that takes ten seconds to act on. Most new clients check a salon's reviews before they book a brow lamination or a first laser session, and a profile with twelve reviews from three years ago is noticed. The catch is that Google and the ACCC both have firm rules about how you ask, and breaking them risks removed reviews or worse. This guide sets out what is allowed, what isn't, and a simple routine an Australian salon can run through its booking tool, plus the extra limits for skin and laser clinics where some treatments count as regulated health services.
Why Google reviews matter to a salon
Reviews do two jobs. They help clients decide, and they feed into how Google ranks local businesses. Google says local results are based on relevance, distance and prominence 3 , and that more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking 3 . Distance is outside your control. Prominence is partly built from reviews, which is why a steady flow of recent ones is worth more than a burst of them once a year.
Replies count too. Google says replying to reviews shows that you value their feedback 3 , and that helpful replies can make a business stand out. For a client comparing two nail bars in the same suburb, a thoughtful reply to a three-star review can say more about you than ten five-star reviews with no response.
None of this guarantees a place in the map results. It does mean reviews are one of the few ranking signals a small salon can build week by week, without paying for ads. If you haven't set up your profile properly yet, start with our guide to Google Business Profile for beauty salons.
What Google allows, and what it bans
Google's rules for reviews sit in its Maps user generated content policy. The short version: you may ask for genuine reviews 4 . You can ask, remind and make it easy. What you can't do is shape the result.
Google's policy spells out three things salons are most likely to get wrong:
- Incentives. The policy says Google's Maps content policy says merchants must not offer incentives such as payment, discounts or free goods or services in exchange for posting any review 4 . That rules out "10% off your next infill for a review" and free add-ons, even when you'd accept a negative review.
- Selective asking. Google says Google's Maps content policy says merchants must not discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers 4 . A survey that sends happy clients to Google and unhappy ones to a private form is this kind of gating.
- Pressure on the premises. The policy says Google's Maps content policy says merchants should not require or pressure people to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises, or ask for specific content 4 . Handing a client a tablet at the front desk and waiting while they type is the example to avoid.
Show the data as a table
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Ask every client for an honest review | Discounts or freebies for reviews |
| Send a review link after the appointment | Asking only happy clients, or filtering unhappy ones away |
| Reply to every review, good or bad | Pressure to review while the client is in the salon |
| Report reviews that break Google's policy | Fake reviews, or undisclosed reviews from staff and family |
What the ACCC adds
Google's policy decides what stays on Google. Australian Consumer Law applies on top of it, wherever the review appears. The ACCC says it is against the law 5 for a business to create fake or misleading reviews, or to arrange for someone else to write them. That includes buying review packages online.
Two other points catch salons out. First, the ACCC treats undisclosed family, staff or paid reviews 5 as misleading. A technician's sister leaving five stars counts, even if she really does love her gel manicure. Second, the ACCC warns that businesses that suppress or edit negative reviews risk misleading consumers 5 .
The ACCC's position on incentives is slightly different from Google's. It says an incentive must be disclosed, and the same for good or bad reviews 5 . Google goes further and bans incentives for reviews on its platform outright. Because most salon reviews live on Google, the practical rule is simple: no incentives at all.
Ways to ask that stay inside the rules
The best system is the one that runs without anyone remembering to do it. Most salons already have the tool they need, because booking systems such as Timely, Fresha, Phorest or Kitomba can send a message after an appointment. Check your own system's settings to see what it offers.
Send one follow-up to every client
Send the same short message to every client, a few hours after they leave or the next day. Thank them, give the direct link to your Google review form, and say that honest feedback helps. Don't filter the list by who seemed happy. The moment you choose who gets the link, you are gating.
Make the link easy to find
Put the review link on your website, in your email signature and on the confirmation page of your booking tool. A small printed card with a QR code that clients take home is fine. What isn't fine is asking them to scan it and write the review while they are still in the chair.
Ask in person, lightly
A line at checkout such as "If you have a minute later, we'd love an honest review on Google" works. It doesn't pressure, it doesn't steer the rating and it applies to everyone. Train every staff member to say it the same way.
Keep a steady rhythm
Avoid review drives where the whole team chases friends and regulars in one week. A routine that asks every client produces a steady flow that matches how busy your book really is, and each review describes a real visit.
Replying to reviews without oversharing
Reply to every review, including the short ones. Thank the client by first name only if they used it, and keep it brief. For negative reviews, acknowledge the experience, avoid arguing about details and invite the person to call or email so you can sort it out privately.
Be careful with treatment details. A reply that says "sorry your skin reacted to the peel" confirms that a named person had a treatment and a reaction. The OAIC says health information is sensitive information that gets a higher level of protection 6 than other personal details. A safer reply says you are sorry the visit didn't meet expectations and asks them to get in touch. That approach suits every salon, not just clinics.
Extra care for skin and laser clinics
If your business advertises a regulated health service, for example treatments performed by a registered nurse or doctor, stricter advertising rules apply. Ahpra says the advertising rules in the National Law apply to anyone who advertises a regulated health service 2 , not just to registered practitioners. Its advertising guidelines say Ahpra's guidelines for advertising a regulated health service say a person must not advertise a regulated health service in a way that uses testimonials or purported testimonials 7 .
For higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures, Ahpra's advertising guidelines set strict rules: no edited or enhanced images, no testimonials, and a clear statement that individual results vary 1 . That affects how a clinic can use reviews in its own marketing. Reposting a glowing Google review about a cosmetic injectable treatment on your website or Instagram could count as using a testimonial in advertising.
Rules like these depend on who performs the treatment and what it is, so we can't tell you which apply to your clinic. Check with Ahpra's advertising hub or a qualified adviser. Our page on websites for skin clinics and laser clinics explains how we lay out treatment pages with these limits in mind.
Reviews on your own website
For services that aren't regulated health services, such as nails, lash extensions or brow tints, genuine reviews can appear on your site. Keep them honest. Show a fair spread rather than only the best lines, don't edit the wording, and link to your Google profile so visitors can read the rest.
If you quote a client by name or use their photo, ask first. The OAIC notes that photographs can be personal information 6 , so a photo of a client's lashes with their face in it is their information as well as your marketing. Get written consent and keep a record of it.
On a managed site, a reviews section can link out to your live Google reviews instead of copying them. That keeps the page current without extra edits. See what's included in the plan for how we handle review links, booking buttons and galleries. Salons with a mix of services should read our notes for beauty salons and day spas.
A review routine you can set up this week
- Copy your direct Google review link from your Business Profile.
- Set up one follow-up message in your booking tool that goes to every client after every appointment.
- Remove any offer that trades a discount or free service for a review.
- Brief staff on one light, consistent line to use at checkout, and ask them not to write reviews themselves.
- Reply to every review within a few days, keeping treatment details out of public replies.
- If you run a clinic, check the Ahpra and TGA advertising rules before reposting any review anywhere.
- Add the review link to your website, email signature and booking confirmation.
In short: ask everyone, reward no one, reply to all
More Google reviews come from asking every client, simply and without strings. Skip the discounts, don't pick who gets asked, and never write or buy reviews. Reply to everything, keep treatment details private, and take extra care with testimonials if you offer regulated treatments. If you'd like a website that links to your reviews and booking tool and is kept up to date for you, see our pricing or read about online booking and no-shows.
Questions salon owners ask
Can I offer a discount on the next visit for leaving a Google review?
No. Google's Maps content policy says merchants must not offer incentives such as discounts or free services in exchange for posting any review, even if you don't ask for a positive one. Thank clients for their feedback instead, and keep your loyalty offers separate from reviews.
Can I ask only my regular clients for a review?
Asking only the clients you expect to be happy is selective solicitation, which Google's policy does not allow. The safest habit is to send the same request to every client after every appointment, whether it went perfectly or not.
Should I report a bad review?
Only if it breaks Google's content policy, for example if it is spam, off topic or written by someone who was never a client. A genuine negative review should stay up. Reply calmly, offer to talk offline and don't discuss the client's treatment in public.
Can my staff leave reviews for the salon?
No. The ACCC lists reviews written by employees or family without disclosing the connection as misleading. Staff can help by reminding clients where to leave a review, not by writing one.
This article is general information for salon owners, not legal or regulatory advice. Rules differ by state and by who performs a treatment, so check the ones that apply to your business with the regulator or a qualified adviser.