Managing online reviews is one of the smartest ways to improve your local business’s reputation and Google rankings. For local service providers like tree service contractors, having a steady stream of positive reviews can make a big difference in attracting new customers. In this article, we’ll walk through a proven review management system that uses automation to help businesses collect, track, and respond to customer reviews with ease. This system is designed to keep reviews coming in consistently without overwhelming your customer list or your team.
Table of Contents
Getting Started with Review Management
When we first start working with a client on review management, the first step is to gather their customer contact list. For example, one of our tree service clients gave us their 2024 customer list, which had about 180 contacts. We cleaned up the list by removing duplicates and formatting the data to prepare it for the review campaign.
Instead of blasting the entire list all at once, we segment it carefully. This is important because you don’t want to use up your whole customer base in a short time. Keeping review requests paced out helps maintain a steady flow of new reviews over time. It also keeps customers engaged without feeling spammed.
For this client, we started with about 50 to 60 contacts in the initial campaign. This approach generated 59 new reviews in the first month, which is roughly a third of the contacts contacted. That’s a strong response rate that gave the client’s Google Business Profile an immediate boost.
Why Consistent Review Velocity Matters
Getting a flood of reviews all at once can improve your rankings quickly, but it’s not enough to stop there. If you don’t keep the momentum going, your rankings can drop again just as fast. That’s why pacing out review requests is so important. We set up an initial aggressive campaign for the first 10 days with 10 to 20 review requests per day via email and SMS. After that, the campaign slows down to a steady drip of about 3 requests per day on weekdays.
This steady approach keeps your online reputation growing over time. It also gives your team a manageable way to track which customers have responded and who might need a follow-up.
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How the Review Management System Works
We use a tool called HighLevel Smart Reviews integrated with the client’s CRM to automate the review request process. This system sends out review requests via email and SMS to customers on the scheduled drip campaign. The messages include links that customers can click to leave a review or reply to the message.
When a customer clicks the review link or responds positively, the system automatically moves their contact card to a “review completed” stage in the pipeline. This automation helps keep everything organized and reduces manual work.
If a customer does not respond, their contact remains in the active review request stage and will receive follow-up messages. After a certain period (typically 90 to 180 days), contacts who haven’t responded are cycled back into the review request campaign for another chance to leave feedback.
Manual Review Confirmation
Not every customer will click the confirmation link after leaving a review, so we have a simple manual check built into the process. For clients who have an assistant or virtual assistant, they can log into the system to check the client’s Google Business Profile and verify which customers actually left reviews. Once confirmed, they move the contact to the “review confirmed” stage, which triggers a thank-you message to be sent automatically.
The Review Request Workflow in Detail
The review request process starts when a client or their assistant submits a customer’s contact information through a simple landing page form. This form asks for the customer’s name, phone number, and email (at least one of the two is required). Once submitted, the contact is added to the review campaign automatically.
Here’s how the workflow unfolds:
- The system sends the first review request via SMS and email, asking the customer to take 30 seconds to leave a review.
- If the customer clicks the review link or replies positively, the system moves their contact to the next stage and sends a follow-up SMS after 7 minutes asking if they left the review.
- If the customer confirms by clicking the second link or replying “yes,” they are moved to the “review confirmed” stage, and a thank-you message is sent.
- If no confirmation is received, the assistant manually checks the review status and updates the system accordingly.
- Contacts who don’t respond after a set period are re-entered into the campaign for follow-up review requests.
Why We Use HighLevel Smart Reviews
HighLevel Smart Reviews is a paid script that integrates with the HighLevel agency account. We bought a lifetime license for about $1,000, which allows us to add as many clients as we want without additional costs per location. This makes it very scalable for agencies managing multiple local businesses.
Other review generation tools often charge per location or have limited automation features. This system lets us customize the workflow and messaging fully, so it fits each client’s needs without extra fees.
Custom Values and Automation
We use custom values (short codes) to personalize messages automatically with the client’s company name, owner’s name, and review links. This means we can easily deploy the same system for different clients without manually changing each message.
All the trigger links, unsubscribe options, and review confirmation steps are built into the automation using these custom values. This setup keeps the process smooth and professional for both clients and their customers.
What the Messages Look Like
The review requests are sent as both SMS and emails with friendly, clear language. For example, an SMS might say:
“Hi, this is Josh from Box Tree Care. Thanks for choosing us! Could you please take 30 seconds to leave us a review? It really helps us and other customers. Just click here: [review link]. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.”
The emails follow a similar tone and are spaced out over about 10 to 12 days, with a mix of timing to avoid overwhelming the customer. This multi-touch approach increases the chances of customers leaving reviews.
How to Keep the System Running Smoothly
Once the review campaign is set up and running, the client or their assistant only needs to do a few simple tasks daily:
- Submit new customer contacts to the review request landing page at the end of each day.
- Check the review pipeline to confirm which customers have left reviews but didn’t confirm through the system.
- Move contacts to the confirmed stage and let the system send thank-you messages.
This hands-off approach saves time and keeps the review flow consistent without needing constant manual management.
Scaling Review Management for Multiple Clients
Because the HighLevel Smart Reviews script is a one-time purchase and integrates with an agency account, it’s easy to scale the system across many clients. We can add as many local business sub-accounts as needed without extra costs, making it affordable and efficient to manage multiple review campaigns at once.
For agencies or consultants looking to offer review management services, this system provides a reliable way to deliver results and maintain ongoing client engagement.
Summary
Managing reviews effectively is about more than just sending out a few emails. It requires a well-planned system that balances automation with manual checks, pacing review requests to maintain steady growth, and using the right tools to track customer responses.
By using a segmented approach to your customer list, automated workflows with HighLevel Smart Reviews, and simple manual verification steps, you can build a scalable review management service that benefits both your clients and their customers.
Consistent review velocity helps keep Google rankings strong, while personalized messages encourage more customers to share their positive experiences. This system saves time, reduces manual work, and keeps your clients’ reputations growing steadily.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I send review requests to customers?
Start with an initial burst of requests to a segment of your customer list, then slow down to a steady drip of about 3 requests per day. Avoid blasting your entire list at once to keep a consistent flow of reviews over time.
What if a customer doesn’t respond to the review request?
If a customer doesn’t respond, they stay in the active campaign for follow-up messages. After 90 to 180 days without a response, they can be re-added to the campaign for another round of review requests.
Can I use this system for any type of local business?
Yes, although we initially tailored it for tree service contractors, the system can be customized for any local business that wants to generate and manage online reviews.
Do customers have to use both email and phone for review requests?
No, you only need one or the other. The system works with just an email or a phone number, but having both can improve your chances of reaching the customer.
Is this system expensive to set up?
There is a one-time cost to buy the HighLevel Smart Reviews script (around $1,000) and a monthly subscription to HighLevel (starting at $297). However, the system is scalable, so the cost per client decreases as you add more clients.
How much manual work is involved?
Most of the process is automated. The only manual part is confirming reviews that customers did not confirm themselves. This is usually done by an assistant and takes just a few minutes per day.
Can customers unsubscribe from review requests?
Yes, each message includes an unsubscribe option that removes the customer from future review request messages but does not block other important communications like job notifications.