How to Make a Free, Personalized Google Review Flyer in 7 Steps

Reviews are a huge factor in both search engine rankings and customer purchasing decisions. For local businesses, Google reviews are especially important because they show up on Google searches and in Google Maps, two of the online platforms with the most traffic.

However, reviews rarely just flow in naturally- most businesses have to ask for them. In fact, one marketing statistic shows that as many as 70-80% of Google reviews are left after a request from the business (Spiegel Research Center).

As a result, businesses that don’t ask for reviews get lapped, and negative reviews have an outsize impact on their overall rating.

Even though it’s important, asking for reviews can be intimidating for many business owners. Sometimes it seems too pushy or like it would ruin customer relationships. However, most customers are actually much more amenable to leaving reviews than they get credit for.

For customers that you already have a very good relationship with, asking for reviews in person is a great way to get high-quality positive reviews. Most businesses, though, have too many customers and need too many reviews, so they can’t keep up by doing that alone.

The easiest way to ask for Google reviews is to post a review flyer with a QR code in your business or studio.

Here’s how to customize a downloadable & printable Google review handout/flyer for free:

1. Download your business logo

The first step is pretty simple: download your business’ primary logo for use in customizing your flyer later. The best file formats are .png (which supports a transparent background) and .jpg.

Contrast is also important. If you have a light-colored logo, try making a silhouette or reversed-out version that will be easier to see on a white background.

One other thing to keep in mind with your logo is consistency. Make sure that you’re using the same logo that appears on your products, Google My Business listing, and elsewhere on the internet. This helps customers know they’ve found the right business to leave a review for, and makes your review poster look professional when you place it in your brick-and-mortar storefront.

2. Find the Google review link for your business

The easiest way to get a Google review link for your business is to use a tool like this one from Whitespark. You just type in your business name as it appears in Google, and it will automatically find your listing and create the link.

If the tool’s not working, search for your business name on Google. When it comes up, navigate to your business profile (make sure you’re logged in to the correct Google account, or you won’t be able to access the back end of your Google listing). Click onto the “Home” tab- not the “Reviews” tab (which is where you do things like responding to reviews). On the right side, there will be a “Get more reviews” box. Click the button and copy your review link.

Source: screenshot

This is what it looks like on a desktop computer:

On a mobile device, it’s easiest to use the Google Business Listing app (formerly Google My Business). Once you find the review form button (which will look similar to the desktop version above), hold down on the button to copy the link.

3. Create a QR code for your review link

Any free QR code generator will work for this. If you’re using a template in Canva like the one below, it’s super easy to use Canva’s own QR code generator and add the code to the design. Whichever QR code tool you use, just paste the Google review link you copied in step 2 and create the image, then download it as a jpeg (use the default settings).

Some QR code generators include a way for you to put your logo in the middle of the QR code. While it provides minimal added value to your review flyer, feel free to use this option- it won’t affect the functionality of the QR code at all.

Once you’ve generated the QR code, it’s a good idea to test it a few times and make sure that it loads the right link.

4. Use an editable Google review flyer template

There are a few Google review handout templates out there. I normally use this one: 

Screenshot of Google review flyer templateScreenshot of Google review flyer template

Source: screenshot

Make sure that you pick a template that allows you to edit the design and download it for free. The above template is editable & downloadable free of charge in Canva, but you will have to provide an email address.

Canva is a great tool for small businesses to have in general, so I would recommend having at least a free account. It’s great for creating business graphics for everything from logos to social media posts to blog infographics, and is simple to use- you don’t have to be a graphic designer to make your images & graphics look professional.

5. Add your business logo as a header image

Once you open your template of choice, upload the business logo you downloaded in step 1 and place it in the designated location near the top of the page. If placing it in the frame distorts the image, delete the frame and add the logo in its place. The second page of the template linked above contains an example.

Here’s what it looks like to drag your logo into a template in the Canva interface:

Screenshot of logo being added to Google review flyer templateScreenshot of logo being added to Google review flyer template

Source: screenshot

If your logo is bigger than the provided space or more intricate, it’s ok to make it a littler larger, but be careful of making the QR code too much smaller. The larger the QR code is, the easier it is for smartphones to detect it, and the easier it is for customers to use your flyer to leave you a Google review.

6. Add your Google review QR code

Using the same process that you added your logo with in step 5, upload the QR code image that you saved in step 3. The QR code should be displayed in the middle of your flyer. Make sure that your QR code is black and white and that the image is square, which will help mobile cameras read it properly.

7. Download the flyer as a PDF

Download your completed flyer as any type of PDF (PDF Standard and PDF Print will both work). In Canva, this is what the interface will look like:

Screenshot of flyer being downloadedScreenshot of flyer being downloaded

Source: screenshot

After you’ve downloaded the flyer, you can print it or order it as a poster.

Getting Reviews for Other Sites, Like Facebook

Once you’ve made your Google review flyer, try using the template to make review posters for the other sites that you want customer reviews on! It’s important not to neglect other sources of reviews that customers use to make their decisions. Google understands, too, that your reviews will be spread out across multiple platforms, so it won’t hurt your search rankings to send a few customer reviews to different host sites.

The process is the exact same regardless of which platform you’re making the flyer for- find your review link, create a QR code from it, and customize the template. Make sure to delete the Google logo from the bottom of the template and replace it with an image of the logo that corresponds to the review site where the link will send your customers.

Some important review sites that you should consider creating flyers for are:

Facebook

It’s vital that your business has Facebook reviews in addition to all the reviews on your Google profile. Facebook has one of the largest user networks in the whole world, and a lot of customers use it in addition to Google to research businesses before visiting them.

You can find your Facebook review link by going to your business page and click on the “More” option along the top menu and then selecting the tab that says “Reviews”:

Screenshot of Facebook reviewsScreenshot of Facebook reviews

Source: screenshot

The reviews feature must be active on your business page for customers to leave your business ratings.

Yelp

While Yelp was previously most important in the restaurant and hospitality industries, it is now the review source for Apple Maps, making it a must have. If your business is located outside of the United States, Yelp may or may not be where Apple pulls reviews from- it depends on your business industry. Either way, Yelp is an important review aggregator where you should cultivate customer reviews for your business profile.

The main difference between Yelp and other review platforms is that Yelp has a software algorithm that hides reviews it suspects were solicited and characterizes them as “Not recommended”. As a result, there’s no direct review link for your business profile. However, you can still use the general link to your business’ listing for the QR code to make the review flyer- the “Write a review” button features prominently:

Screenshot of Yelp reviewsScreenshot of Yelp reviews

Source: screenshot

Where else do I need reviews?

The secondary business listing platforms that your business needs reviews on depends on your industry. Lawyers should have listings on websites like Avvo and Lawyers.com, while for car dealerships it’s important to get reviews on DealerRater and Cars.com. Search Google for “[your industry] reviews, and see what sites come up in the top 3 spots. For some industries, Google will even tell you at the bottom of the search results page the websites where customers look for businesses. Here’s an example:

Screenshot of Angi list reviewsScreenshot of Angi list reviews

Source: screenshot

You can rotate the flyers for different websites on different days, or just post all of them next to each other. Both strategies will facilitate a regular flow of reviews spread across the different places your business needs them.

About the Author

Valerie Robinson is the founder of RunLocal Marketing in Longmont, Colorado. She has a wealth of experience from 15 years of helping small businesses on the Front Range grow, including via website development and local marketing through Google.

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