Why reviews decide everything
Reviews influence Map Pack prominence and are the last thing a patient checks before calling. A practice with 400 reviews at 4.8 stars beats a practice with 60 at 5.0 in almost every market.
The compliant workflow
Ask every patient — not just the happy ones. Gating requests based on predicted sentiment violates Google policy and risks review removal. Never offer discounts, credits or entries into drawings.
Timing
Send the request within two hours of the visit, while the experience is fresh. SMS outperforms email roughly three to one in healthcare.
Wording
Keep it short, name the provider, and link directly to the Google review form. Two sentences convert better than a paragraph.
Responding well
Respond to every review within 48 hours. For negative reviews, never confirm someone was a patient — that is a HIPAA violation. Use a neutral acknowledgment and invite the conversation offline.
What good looks like
A steady ten to twenty new reviews per month, above 4.7 stars, with 100% response coverage. Velocity matters more than a perfect score.