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Google reviews for a photographer: asking, replying, looking after your listing

A photographer sells a way of seeing and time spent, for moments that can’t be replayed. Reviews are about the relationship, lead times and how close the result is to what was expected. Here is how to reply with tact.

Situations that come up

  • The delivery time

    Sorting and retouching take time. Apologise if the announced time was exceeded, without detailing how many sessions you had.

  • The style that doesn’t match the expectation

    A customer who expected something else says so. Acknowledge the gap, offer to talk, and don’t criticise their taste in public.

  • The atmosphere during the session

    A session where the model felt uncomfortable leaves a mark. Say thank you for the remark and take it seriously without justifying yourself.

  • The moved review after a wedding or a birth

    Say thank you simply. Don’t publish photos in a reply without the explicit agreement of the people.

Three reply templates to adapt

Fill in the fields (optional)

An empty field stays in square brackets in the text: fill it in before publishing. Read it over and change a few words, a reply that looks written for this person beats a copy-paste.

  • Delivery time

    The customer waited for their photos.

    Hello [first name], thank you for your feedback. We are sorry for the wait, [problem], compared with the announced time. We are reviewing how we communicate delivery dates. You can write to us at [contact]. [business name].

  • Style different from expectation

    The result does not match what the customer hoped for.

    Hello [first name], thank you for taking the time to write. We regret that the result is not what you expected, in particular [problem]. We would be happy to talk about it with you: [contact]. [business name].

  • Thank-you

    Positive review.

    Thank you [first name] for your message! Knowing that [specific point] moved you makes us very happy. The whole [business name] team thanks you for your trust.

Other cases (fake, unfair, no comment reviews): the twelve general templates.

Where to put your review QR code

  • In the email delivering the gallery, with the direct link to your listing.
  • On the card slipped into the print, the album or the USB stick handed to the customer.
  • On your business card, left at the end of a session or an event.

The direct link, the QR code and an A4 poster with your name are made here: Google review link and QR code (free, no account). The same QR code for all your customers, with no sorting.

To check on your Google listing

  • The kinds of session: wedding, portrait, family, business, product, event.
  • Your travel area and the way to get in touch.
  • Photos of your work, with the agreement of the people in them.

To go through the rest: the 17-point listing check-up. A complete listing doesn't guarantee a better ranking, it mostly keeps you from losing a customer over wrong info.

To avoid

  • Publishing a photo of a customer in a reply without written agreement.
  • Criticising the customer’s taste in a public reply.
  • Offering prints in exchange for a review: Google forbids it.

Google's rules change: read its official help from time to time. More details: getting more Google reviews, honestly. These tips are practical, they don't replace legal advice.

A review to deal with now?

With a free SwimUp account, you paste the review and get a tailored reply draft (3 per day). Always read it over before publishing. No bank card. SwimUp also offers paid services around Google reviews, shown on the home page.

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