Replying to every review is one of the highest-ROI moves in local SEO. Google reads owner replies as engagement. Customers reading reviews read your replies too — replies say more about your business than the reviews themselves.

This is the response template library. Five tiers, ready to copy. Personalise the bracketed sections. Post within 7 days.

5-star response templates

5-star reviews are easy to skip past. Don't. Respond to every one, ideally within 24 hours. Repeat keywords from the review naturally — it feeds Google's Relevance signal.

Enthusiastic + specific — "Thanks so much [First Name]! Really glad we got the [service mentioned] sorted for you. Hope to see you again."
Brief and warm — "Cheers [First Name] — really appreciate you taking the time to leave this."
Service-specific (echoes their language) — "Thank you [First Name]! Glad the [exact phrase they used — e.g. 'kitchen reno', 'new boiler', 'haircut'] came out the way you wanted."
Acknowledge a team member — "Thanks [First Name]! [Staff member] will be chuffed to hear that — I'll pass it on."
Repeat-customer thank-you — "Always great to see your name pop up, [First Name]. Thanks for being a regular."

4-star response templates

4-star reviews mean "good but not perfect". Acknowledge the positive, invite specifics about what wasn't perfect — don't ignore the missing star.

Acknowledge + invite feedback — "Thanks [First Name], really glad you were [positive thing they mentioned]. If there's anything we could have done better to make it 5 stars, please drop me a line — we'd love to know."
Specific gap closer — "Thanks [First Name]! Curious what would have made it perfect — happy to hear feedback if you've got a minute. Either way, appreciate the review."
Light and easy — "Cheers [First Name], glad it worked out. We'll keep working to hit 5 stars next time."

3-star response templates

3-star reviews are middle-ground. Customer wasn't unhappy, wasn't thrilled. Take it seriously — these are the reviews most likely to change with a thoughtful response.

Empathise + offer to chat — "Thanks [First Name], appreciate the honest feedback. Sounds like we got [thing they mentioned] partially right but missed on [other thing]. I'd love to chat about what we could have done differently — call me on [number] or email [email]."
Acknowledge + commit — "Thanks for the feedback [First Name]. Hearing you on [the issue they raised]. We're working on [specific change] — your feedback genuinely helps us improve."
Take offline — "Thanks [First Name]. I'd really like to understand more about what didn't quite land for you — would you mind dropping us an email at [email] so we can chat properly?"

2-star response templates

2-star reviews mean something specific went wrong. Acknowledge the problem, take it offline immediately, stay professional. Don't argue in public.

Acknowledge + apologise + take offline — "[First Name], I'm sorry we didn't meet the mark for you on this one. I'd really like the chance to understand what happened and make it right if I can. Please reach out to me directly at [email] or [phone]."
Specific accountability — "Thanks for the feedback, [First Name]. You're right — [specific thing they raised] shouldn't have happened. I'd like to talk it through and fix what I can. [contact]."
Calm and professional (if claim is unclear) — "Thanks for the review, [First Name]. I want to understand more about what happened — could you reach out to [email]? I'd like to get the full picture and respond properly."

1-star response templates

1-star reviews are the test of your professionalism. Future customers reading them care more about your reply than the original review. Stay calm. Stay factual. Don't defend, don't argue, don't accuse.

Genuine and calm — "[First Name], I'm really sorry to hear about this. That's not the experience we want anyone to have. I'd appreciate the chance to talk it through and put it right. Please email me at [email] or call [phone]."
Factual where the claim is wrong (no argument) — "Thanks for the review, [First Name]. Our records show [factual correction stated neutrally]. I'd like to understand more about what happened from your end — would you mind getting in touch at [email]?"
Show character when the review is unreasonable — "Thanks for the feedback, [First Name]. I'm sorry we didn't meet your expectations. I've reached out directly to discuss; happy to talk further if helpful. We take all feedback seriously and use it to improve."

Rules for every response

Reply within 7 days. Faster is better, but consistency matters more than speed.
Keep replies under 80 words. Long replies look defensive on 1-star reviews and gushy on 5-star ones.
Use the customer's first name. Always.
Echo a keyword from the review where natural. Feeds Google's Relevance signal.
Never argue in public. If the customer's wrong, take it offline.
Never include surnames, addresses, or details that identify the customer beyond what they shared.
Sign off with your first name on 3-star and below replies. Shows the customer they're talking to a person, not a brand.

Why this matters

Reply rate is one of the few Prominence signals you can move in a single afternoon. A profile where every review has an owner reply signals an active, engaged business. A profile with unanswered reviews signals absence. Google reads this directly.

The secondary benefit: customer-reading-review behaviour. Customers scrolling reviews read your replies as much as the original review. A polite, professional reply on a 1-star review converts more customers than a wall of 5-star reviews with no replies at all.

What to do next

Set a 30-minute slot every Friday. Go through every review since last Friday. Reply to every one. Use the templates above as a starting point — personalise, don't copy-paste verbatim.

For the framework behind the structure of these replies, read The 4-Part Review Response Framework.

Ready to automate this? Start your free 14-day trial of Little Nudge — no credit card required.

47 Google Review Response Templates