How to Get More Google Reviews for Your Cleaning Company (Automated)

Google reviews are the single highest-ROI activity for a cleaning company. A business jumping from 12 reviews to 80 reviews can see lead volume increase by 40% or more — without spending an extra dollar on ads. Yet most cleaning company owners ask for reviews once, get rejected, and give up.

Here's the system that fixes that.

Why Reviews Matter More for Cleaning Than Almost Any Other Trade

When someone searches "house cleaning near me," they're trusting a stranger to be inside their home. Reviews are how they decide who's safe. Studies show that 79% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and cleaning companies with 50+ reviews convert search clicks to calls at more than twice the rate of companies with fewer than 10.

The problem isn't that your customers don't want to leave reviews. It's that you're asking at the wrong time, with the wrong message, using the wrong channel.

The 3-Step Timing Sequence

Timing is everything. Here's when to ask and what to say at each point.

Step 1: Text at job completion (within 30 minutes)

The highest-intent moment is right after the cleaner marks the job done. The customer just walked into a clean home. They're happy. Ask immediately.

The message should be short and specific:

"Hi [Name], your clean with [Company] just wrapped up! If Maria and the team did a great job today, we'd love a quick Google review — it helps us keep great cleaners on staff. Here's the link: [link]"

Step 2: Email follow-up at 24 hours

Most customers who see your text but don't click it aren't refusing — they're just busy. A 24-hour email reminder captures the second wave. Keep it light:

"Hey [Name], just following up on yesterday's clean. If you have 60 seconds, your Google review genuinely makes a difference for our small team. [Direct link to review form]"

Step 3: Final ask at 7 days

Send one final SMS. After 7 days, if a customer hasn't reviewed, the window is largely closed. Make this one a personal appeal:

"Hi [Name] — this is [Owner Name] from [Company]. If your recent clean met your expectations, a Google review would mean the world. Totally optional, but truly appreciated. [Link]"

What to Say (and What Not to Say)

Do say:

• "It only takes 60 seconds"
• "It helps us find and keep great cleaners"
• Include the direct review link every time

Do not say:

• "Can you leave us a 5-star review?" — this is against Google's guidelines
• "If you're happy..." — conditional language reduces click-through rates
• Anything longer than 3 sentences in the text

Automation Options

Doing this manually for every booking is not sustainable. The good news is that this sequence can be fully automated once it's set up.

The basic toolchain you need:

1. Booking system or CRM — triggers when a job is marked complete
2. SMS platform — sends the completion text (Twilio, OpenPhone, or Quo)
3. Email platform — sends the 24-hour follow-up (Resend, Mailgun, or Instantly)
4. Review link — your Google Business Profile direct review URL

If you have a CRM that supports automations (or work with a platform like Local Service Stack), this entire sequence runs without touching it. A job gets marked complete, and the system handles the rest.

Real Results: What the Numbers Look Like

A San Diego cleaning company running this system went from 14 to 63 reviews in 4 months. At month 1, they were getting 2-3 reviews per month. By month 3, they were averaging 8-10 per month because each new review boosted their ranking, which drove more bookings, which generated more review opportunities.

The compounding effect is real. Reviews create rankings, rankings create leads, leads create more jobs and more reviews.

Getting Your Google Business Profile Review Link

You need a direct URL that takes customers straight to the review form — not to your GBP page where they have to find the button themselves.

1. Go to your Google Business Profile dashboard
2. Click "Get more reviews"
3. Copy the short link

This link shortens to something like g.page/r/XXXX/review. Use this — not the long Google Maps URL — in every message.

The Most Common Mistake

Cleaning companies collect reviews in batches. A great week happens, the owner sends manual texts to 5 customers, gets 3 reviews, feels good — then does nothing for 6 weeks.

Google's algorithm favors recency and consistency. Ten reviews spread over 10 months beat 10 reviews in one week. Automation is the only way to maintain consistent velocity without it consuming your time.

Build the system once. Let it run in the background. Your review count will grow every single month.