Reviews do two jobs at once
They convince the person reading your listing, and they tell Google you are the prominent choice in your area. Both effects compound, which is why review management belongs in your weekly routine rather than in a panic when the calendar empties.
Ask every time, immediately
The best moment to ask is when the job is finished and the customer is happy. Not next week. A short text with a direct link converts far better than a verbal "if you get a chance".
Collect photos with the review
When you ask for a review, ask for a photo of the finished work. Customer photos raise your trust with search engines, with AI platforms like ChatGPT that summarise local businesses, and with the next prospect reading your profile. They are also the hardest thing for a competitor to fake.
Reply to all of them
Short, specific, no template. Name the service and the area. Replies are indexed and they show prospects how you handle people.
Handle the bad ones properly
A measured reply to a one-star review often wins more business than the review costs you. Never argue. Acknowledge, state what you did, invite them to contact you.
Audit for policy violations
Some negative reviews break Google's rules: reviews from people who were never customers, conflicts of interest, personal attacks, spam, off-topic rants. Those can be removed. Auditing your profile regularly to identify feedback that violates Google's terms protects both your star rating and your ranking.
Make it a scale, not a scramble
A business getting five new reviews a month with photos will pull ahead of a competitor sitting on 200 old ones. Consistency is the whole strategy.