Review measurement
How to measure review requests without confusing clicks with reviews
Track invitations, form opens, responses and Google handoff clicks separately. A worked example and a simple weekly review routine for small businesses.
You shared your review link this week. Did anyone use it? The answer needs more than a total review count: someone can open the form, submit feedback and leave without publishing anything on Google.
A small weekly record can show where to look next. Start by separating the actions you can observe, then compare them carefully. You do not need a complicated reporting setup to spot a broken link or a difficult form.
Keep four actions separate
Define each column before recording a number. If one colleague counts messages sent and another counts people contacted, their totals will not mean the same thing. Record the time period and channel alongside the counts.
| Measure | Meaning and limit |
|---|---|
| Invitations sent | Requests sent through the channels you record. Delivery is a separate question. |
| Form opens | Recorded openings of the feedback page. Repeat visits may count again. |
| Feedback responses | Submissions received in your feedback inbox. They are not automatically Google reviews. |
| Google handoff clicks | Clicks to continue to Google. They do not confirm publication there. |
A worked example, with deliberately fictional numbers
Imagine a business records 80 invitations, 32 form opens, 12 feedback responses and 5 clicks to Google in one week. These numbers are invented to demonstrate the arithmetic; they are not Sayso customer results or industry benchmarks.
Form opens divided by invitations gives 32 ÷ 80 = 40%. Responses divided by opens gives 12 ÷ 32 = 37.5%. Google clicks divided by responses gives 5 ÷ 12 ≈ 41.7%. Label these as ratios of recorded events in that period.
They are not verified conversion rates for 80 distinct people. One customer may open the page twice, an older invitation may get a response this week, and a QR visitor may never have received a message. If the numerator and denominator cover different groups, a neat percentage can still mislead.
Example to adapt
Week: [start–end] Invitations sent: 80 Recorded form opens: 32 Feedback responses: 12 Google handoff clicks: 5 New Google reviews observed separately: [count] Context: [channels used, repeat visits, changes made]
If few people open the form, test the invitation
Check the destination first. Open the exact link in the message, scan the printed QR and confirm that the intended business appears. A screenshot of a QR on your own screen is not a substitute for testing the printed card.
Then review the sender, wording and timing. Does the customer know who is asking? Have they used the service yet? Is the link easy to spot? Change one part and keep a note of it so next week's numbers have context.
If people open but do not respond, try the form yourself
Use a phone and complete the journey as a customer would. Look for unclear instructions, required information you did not expect and errors after pressing submit. Check the experience with an ordinary connection as well as your office Wi-Fi.
Keep the request proportionate. Someone who expected to leave a quick comment may not want to record a video. Explain what you are asking and keep the available text option easy to understand.
Do not read silence as satisfaction or dissatisfaction. It tells you a response was not recorded, not why.
Count published Google reviews separately
Check new reviews in your Google Business Profile over the same period and record that observation separately. A person may publish directly on Google without ever using your feedback form. Another may click through and decide not to publish.
Google requires customers to sign in to a Google Account to leave a review. Check that step when testing the journey, but leave the publication decision with the customer.
A Sayso response is feedback received by your business. The Google continuation available in Growth and Scale is a handoff, not automatic publication or confirmation that a review appeared.
Use the numbers to choose one next action
Keep a simple sheet with a row per week and a note of what changed. Use Sayso's Stats view for recorded form activity and your own sending records for invitations shared elsewhere. Form opens attributed to email describe visits from that channel; they are not proof that an email itself was opened.
Review totals alongside the comments. Low volume calls for patience: one extra response can swing a percentage sharply. Choose one practical improvement, such as correcting a link or shortening the invitation, and give it a consistent period before judging it.
The record is doing its job when it helps you decide what to check next. A bigger number without a clear definition is less useful than a small number you understand.
Put it into practice
Create one weekly row with invitations, form opens, responses and Google clicks in separate columns. Record published Google reviews separately, add context and make one change at a time.
Sources and further reading
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