The Eye Doctor's Guide to Getting More Google Reviews

Before patients call your office, they read your reviews. This isn’t speculation—study after study confirms that the majority of patients check online reviews before choosing a healthcare provider.

For eye care practices, reviews carry extra weight. Patients are trusting you with their vision. They want reassurance from people who’ve already made that leap.

But generating reviews consistently is harder than it sounds. Most satisfied patients won’t leave a review unless you ask. And asking feels awkward. This guide breaks down exactly how to build a review generation system that works—without being pushy and without running afoul of HIPAA or Google’s guidelines.

Why Google Reviews Matter More Than Other Platforms

You might have profiles on Healthgrades, Zocdoc, Yelp, and Facebook. All of those matter to some degree. But Google reviews deserve your primary focus for three reasons:

Visibility: Google reviews appear prominently in search results. When someone searches “eye doctor near me,” your star rating and review count are among the first things they see.

Volume: Google has the largest review ecosystem. Patients are more likely to already have a Google account, making it easy to leave reviews.

SEO impact: Google’s local ranking algorithm considers review signals—quantity, quality, and recency. More positive reviews can literally improve your search rankings.

This doesn’t mean you should ignore other platforms, but Google is where you should focus your energy.

The Psychology of Review Requests: Why Patients Don’t Review (And How to Change That)

Understanding why satisfied patients don’t leave reviews helps you design better systems:

They forget. The exam went great. They drove home. Life happened. By the time they think about it, the moment has passed.

It feels like effort. Even a one-minute review feels like a task. Most people avoid tasks without compelling motivation.

They don’t think of it. Leaving reviews isn’t top-of-mind for most people. Without a prompt, it simply doesn’t occur to them.

They don’t know how. Some patients, especially older ones, aren’t sure how to leave a Google review.

Your review generation system needs to address all four barriers: timing, ease, prompting, and instruction.

When to Ask: Timing Is Everything

The best time to ask for a review is immediately after a positive experience, when the good feelings are fresh.

For eye care practices, optimal moments include:

After the exam, before they leave. If the exam went well and rapport is strong, this is your best window. The patient is still engaged and positive.

At optical pickup. When a patient is excited about their new glasses and everything looks great, they’re in a positive frame of mind.

After LASIK or other successful procedures. The gratitude patients feel after a successful vision correction procedure is powerful. That’s prime review-request territory.

After resolving a problem well. Counter-intuitively, patients whose issues were handled exceptionally may become your most enthusiastic reviewers. They’ve seen how you respond when things aren’t perfect.

When they compliment you. If a patient says “Thank you so much, this was great”—that’s your cue. They’ve literally just expressed satisfaction.

Timing to avoid:

When the patient is rushed or stressed
During billing discussions
When there’s any unresolved issue
With patients who seem unhappy (address their concerns first)

How to Ask: Scripts That Work

The actual ask doesn’t need to be complicated. Here are approaches that work:

The direct ask (best for strong rapport):

“I’m so glad we could help you today. If you have a moment, we’d really appreciate a Google review—it helps other patients find us. I can send you a link that makes it easy.”

The team mention (good for deflecting awkwardness):

“Our team works really hard to provide great care. If you had a good experience, a Google review would mean a lot to them.”

The specific request (after procedures):

“Congratulations on your new vision! If you’re happy with your results, we’d love for you to share your experience on Google. It really helps other patients who are considering LASIK feel confident about their decision.”

The light touch (for patients you sense might be receptive):

“Do you ever leave Google reviews? We’re trying to grow our online presence, and reviews from patients like you make a big difference.”

Notice what’s NOT in these scripts:

No pressure or guilt
No promises of anything in return
No specific request for a 5-star review (more on this below)

Making It Easy: Reduce Friction to Zero

Every obstacle between the patient and the review reduces completion rates. Remove as many as possible:

Use direct links. Don’t tell patients to “search for us on Google and find the review section.” Create a direct link that opens your review form.

To create your direct Google review link:

Search for your business on Google
Click “Write a review” on your profile
Copy the URL from your browser
Use a URL shortener to create a memorable link

Create QR codes. Print QR codes that open directly to your review page. Display them at checkout, in exam rooms, or on cards you hand patients.

Send follow-up texts or emails. For patients who agreed to review but might forget, a same-day text with the direct link catches them while the experience is fresh.

Provide brief instructions. For less tech-savvy patients, a simple card explaining how to leave a Google review removes uncertainty.

Staff Training: Making Review Requests Natural

Your front desk and optical staff make or break your review generation efforts. Train them on:

When to ask. Help them recognize the positive moments where a request is appropriate.

How to ask naturally. Role-play until the request feels conversational, not scripted.

How to handle “yes.” When a patient agrees, immediately send them the link or hand them a card. Don’t let the commitment fade.

How to handle hesitation. If someone seems unsure, a graceful “No worries at all!” preserves the relationship.

Accountability without pressure. Track review requests made (not just reviews received) to ensure the system is being followed.

Building a Consistent System

One-off review pushes don’t work. You need a sustainable system:

Weekly goals. Set a target for review requests made (not reviews received—you can’t control that). Maybe it’s asking 20 patients per week.

Track the pipeline. Know how many requests you’re making, how many result in reviews, and your conversion rate. If you’re asking 50 patients and getting 3 reviews, something’s wrong.

Assign ownership. Someone should be responsible for review generation. If it’s everyone’s job, it’s no one’s job.

Celebrate wins. When new reviews come in, share them with the team. Recognition reinforces the behavior.

Review your reviews. Look at what patients mention. Common themes in reviews can inform training and marketing.

Responding to Reviews: The HIPAA Minefield

Responding to reviews builds engagement and shows prospective patients you care. But in healthcare, responses carry HIPAA risk.

The cardinal rule: Never confirm that someone is a patient. Even if they’ve clearly identified themselves and shared details of their visit, you cannot confirm or add to that information.

Responding to positive reviews:

DO: “Thank you so much for the kind words! We’re glad you had a positive experience. We look forward to seeing you again.”

DON’T: “Thank you! We’re so glad your LASIK procedure went well and you’re seeing 20/20!”

The second response confirms protected health information (that they had LASIK, their outcome) even though the patient mentioned it themselves.

Responding to negative reviews:

DO: “We’re sorry to hear about your experience. We take all feedback seriously and would like to learn more. Please call our office at [number] so we can discuss this directly.”

DON’T: “We’re sorry your visit on March 15th wasn’t up to your expectations. I checked your file and…”

Keep negative review responses brief, professional, and focused on taking the conversation offline.

Learn more about reputation management for eye care practices

Handling Negative Reviews

Negative reviews happen. How you respond matters more than the review itself.

Don’t panic. One negative review among many positive ones won’t destroy you. In fact, a profile with only 5-star reviews can look suspicious.

Don’t get defensive. Even if the criticism is unfair, arguing publicly makes you look bad.

Respond promptly. A timely response shows you’re engaged. Aim for within 24-48 hours.

Take it offline. Offer to discuss the issue privately. Some patients will update their review after a good resolution.

Learn from patterns. If multiple reviews mention the same issue (wait times, billing confusion, rude staff), that’s actionable feedback.

Never fake reviews. Don’t create fake positive reviews to counteract negative ones. Google can detect this, and the consequences (profile suspension, loss of all reviews) are severe.

What NOT to Do

Some review generation tactics backfire:

Don’t offer incentives. Discounts, gifts, or contest entries in exchange for reviews violate Google’s terms and FTC guidelines. You can thank patients who review, but you can’t promise anything in exchange for a review.

Don’t ask only happy patients. It’s tempting to cherry-pick who you ask. But if Google detects that your reviews are suspiciously positive, they may filter them. Ask consistently.

Don’t request 5-star reviews. Ask for an “honest review” or “feedback.” Asking specifically for 5 stars crosses ethical lines and can backfire.

Don’t review-gate. Some software sends unhappy patients to a private feedback form and happy patients to Google. This is against Google’s terms.

Don’t buy reviews. Purchased reviews are fake reviews. Don’t.

Measuring Success

Track these metrics monthly:

Review volume: Total reviews on Google. Compare month-over-month.

Review velocity: New reviews per month. Consistent velocity matters more than one-time spikes.

Average rating: Track trends. Is your rating stable, improving, or declining?

Response rate: Are you responding to all reviews? 100% response rate is the goal.

Competitive comparison: How do your reviews compare to competitors in your area?

Getting Started: Your Action Items

Create your direct Google review link. Make it easy for patients to find your review page.
Print QR code cards. Have something physical to hand patients.
Train your team. Role-play the ask until it feels natural.
Set a weekly goal. Decide how many review requests you’ll make.
Respond to existing reviews. Go back and respond to any reviews you haven’t addressed.
Track your metrics. Start monitoring review volume and rating.

Need Help Building Your Online Reputation?

Review generation is just one part of a comprehensive reputation management strategy. At MedTech Consulting, we help eye care practices build and protect their online reputation through systematic review generation, monitoring, and response.

Related reading: Eye Care SEO | Eye Care Marketing Services