Customer reviews for SMEs: Google Reviews, Kiyoh and reputation management (2026)
Comparing review platforms, collecting more reviews and handling negative ratings professionally for SME owners.
- Google reviews are the strongest local ranking signal for the Local Pack, the map block that appears above regular search results. More reviews and a higher average rating directly improve your visibility in Google Search and Maps.
- The fastest way to get more reviews: ask immediately after completing a project or delivery, send a direct link to your Google review page and reduce the friction to a single click.
- You cannot simply delete negative reviews: only demonstrably false or defamatory content can be flagged for removal. Responding publicly is always more effective than silence and convinces new customers more than a perfect average.
Customer reviews and local SEO: why reviews are the strongest growth lever for SMEs
Customer reviews are the most direct tool for SME owners both to convince new clients and to rank higher in local searches. Google uses the average star rating, total review count and recency of ratings as direct ranking signals for the Local Pack, the three-business map block that appears above regular search results. Research by BrightLocal (Local Consumer Review Survey) shows that 79% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. For service-based SMEs, web design studios, construction companies and accounting firms, reviews are therefore a direct revenue factor. This article explains which review platform suits your business, how to systematically collect more reviews, how to handle negative ratings professionally, and how to add star ratings to your website via structured data.
Google Reviews, Trustpilot, Kiyoh or Reviews.io: which platform suits SMEs?
The right platform depends on your target audience, sector and business objective. An overview of the four most relevant review platforms for SMEs in the Netherlands.
Google Reviews: the mandatory foundation for local visibility
Google Reviews are the only platform with direct influence on the Local Pack and Knowledge Panel in Google Search. They are free and available via Google Business Profile (GBP). The average star rating and review count are visible in search results, Maps and the GBP page. Google Reviews are not transferable: on a name change, reviews stay attached to the original listing. Removal is only possible via Google's own reporting procedure, when content violates platform guidelines. Always respond to reviews, positive and negative, from your GBP dashboard.
Trustpilot: international platform with brand recognition
Trustpilot is internationally recognised and seen by consumers as an independent quality mark. The free basic plan lets customers leave reviews themselves; invitation-based reviews and e-commerce integrations require a paid plan. Trustpilot processes reviews according to its own guidelines and publication policy. Check current plans and pricing at trustpilot.com. Trustpilot is strongest for B2C businesses with high transaction volumes and companies operating outside the Netherlands.
Kiyoh: popular in the Netherlands for webshops
Kiyoh is the most widely used review platform for Dutch webshops, focused on e-commerce integrations with WooCommerce, Shopify and Lightspeed. Kiyoh displays a quality mark badge on your website and supports Google Seller Ratings, making ratings visible alongside Google Shopping ads. Check current plans and pricing at kiyoh.nl. Kiyoh is less relevant for purely service-based businesses without a webshop component.
Reviews.io: strong for Google Seller Ratings
Reviews.io combines product reviews, service reviews and Google Seller Ratings in one platform. Particularly strong for businesses running Google Shopping ads: Seller Ratings display star ratings directly in Shopping ads. Reviews.io offers extensive API integration for custom implementations. Check current plans and pricing at reviews.io. Like Kiyoh, this platform is strongest for businesses with a webshop component.
Four steps to systematically collect more customer reviews
Reviews rarely come by themselves. A systematic approach pays off immediately: four steps that work for SMEs in both B2B and B2C.
Ask at the right moment
The best timing for a review request is immediately after completing a project, delivery or positive customer interaction. The closer to the positive experience, the higher the response rate. For B2B service businesses, a follow-up email after project delivery is most effective. For B2C, a WhatsApp or email message immediately after the transaction is ideal. Do not wait too long: after 48 hours the response rate drops significantly. Schedule review requests in your CRM or project management software as an automatic task after project status changes to 'completed'.
Reduce friction with a direct link
The main reason customers do not leave a review: they do not know how or it takes too much effort. Send a direct link to your Google review form. You can create a shortlink via your Google Business Profile dashboard under Customers and Reviews. Use the same link on your invoice, in your email signature, on thank-you notes and on your website. Fewer clicks means more reviews. For Trustpilot and Kiyoh, the platforms offer invitation emails with direct review links.
Display reviews prominently on your website
Reviews visible to website visitors at the moment they are hesitating increase conversion on quote forms and contact pages. Display your average rating and review count on the homepage, services page and contact form. Use AggregateRating structured data so Google can also show stars in search results next to your website name. This significantly increases click-through rate. More on this in the schema section below.
Respond to every review, positive and negative
Responding publicly to reviews shows potential customers that you are engaged and take feedback seriously. Respond to negative reviews within two working days where possible. A professional, empathetic response to a negative review is more convincing for new customers than a perfect average with no critical feedback at all. Thank customers for positive reviews with one personalised sentence. Always respond from your Google Business Profile dashboard or platform dashboard, never via private messages.
Handling negative reviews and GDPR art. 17
Negative reviews are unavoidable. What you can and cannot do with demonstrably unjustified reviews, and what GDPR says about the right to deletion of personal data in a review.
Respond publicly: empathetically or factually
The first step with a negative review is always a public response. Thank the customer for their feedback, acknowledge the problem if it is justified, or explain the situation factually and professionally if the review is inaccurate. Never respond emotionally and avoid legal language in the public response. A well-worded response shows new customers that you handle complaints professionally: that trust is more valuable than the absence of a negative review. If needed, take the discussion private after the public response.
When can you have a review removed?
Platforms such as Google, Trustpilot and Kiyoh each have their own removal guidelines. You can submit a removal request for demonstrably false content, such as a fake review from someone who was never a customer, for defamatory or discriminatory content that violates platform guidelines, or for a review that contains personal data of third parties. On Google, do this via 'Flag as inappropriate' in Google Maps or the GBP dashboard. Platforms assess the request themselves; removal is not guaranteed and can take several weeks.
GDPR article 17: right to erasure of personal data
Under art. 17 GDPR (Right to erasure, 'right to be forgotten'), a person can request erasure of their personal data. This also applies to reviews: if a customer wants to delete their own review, they can submit a request to the platform hosting the review. As the recipient of the review, you are not always able to delete the review yourself; that is the responsibility of the platform as the controller of the review data. The right to erasure is not absolute: a legitimate interest in retaining the review as evidence, or a lawful expression of opinion, may outweigh the request. Consult a legal adviser in complex situations.
AggregateRating schema: star ratings in Google search results
With AggregateRating structured data as a property of LocalBusiness or Organization in JSON-LD, Google can display the average rating and review count next to your website name in search results. This significantly increases click-through rate. Add the schema as JSON-LD in the page component of your homepage, with the fields ratingValue (e.g. 4.8), reviewCount (e.g. 47) and bestRating (e.g. 5). Keep the values synchronised with your review platform: outdated or inaccurate data can lead to a manual penalty by Google. For websites built with Next.js: generate the schema server-side and render it as one script type application/ld+json in the page component, not as a meta tag. Fetch the current average via your review platform's API, or update it manually when there is a significant change.
Frequently asked questions about customer reviews for SMEs
How many Google reviews do you need for the Local Pack?
Can you combine Google Reviews with Trustpilot or Kiyoh?
Are you allowed to ask customers for a positive review?
What do you do if a competitor posts fake negative reviews?
How do I add reviews to my website via structured data?
Handle online reputation and reviews professionally with the right website and structured data?
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