How to get more reviews when you sell through contractors.

This is the most common pattern in metals supply: you manufacture or distribute the materials, a general contractor installs them, and the end owner never knows you exist. The reviews go to the GC. The reputation goes to the GC. You stay invisible.

For most metals owners we talk to, this dynamic is the single biggest reason their Google rankings stay low and their inbound quote requests stay flat. The competitor across town has 240 reviews. You have 11. You both do equivalent work — they just figured out how to capture credit for it.

Here is the actual playbook for getting more reviews when you sell through contractors.

Why this matters more than you think

Google's local search algorithm weighs review count and review recency heavily. A business with 80+ reviews ranks higher than a business with 11, even if the work is identical. Buyers also self-select on review counts: a steel fabricator with 20 reviews looks "scrappy and small" next to one with 200, regardless of revenue.

Reviews are not just trust signals — they are ranking signals. Every review you do not capture is a ranking position you do not earn.

Tactic 1: Ask the GC directly

The simplest move: when you finish a job, send a one-line email to the GC asking for a review. Most GCs are happy to leave one — they have worked with you, they have an opinion, and the ask is low-effort.

The trick is timing. Ask within 48 hours of the project being completed (or the materials being delivered, depending on your model). Wait two weeks and the moment is gone.

What to send:

"Hey [name] — thanks for choosing us on the [project name] job. Quick favor: would you mind leaving a quick Google review? It helps other contractors find us. Here's the direct link: [link]. Takes about 90 seconds."

That's it. No long pitch, no template. Direct, specific, with the link inline so they don't have to search for your profile.

Tactic 2: On-site QR codes

Print a small sticker or placard with a QR code that links directly to your Google review form. Apply it to the most visible piece of installed material — the underside of a panel, the back of a trim piece, an exposed seam plate. Anywhere a building owner or facility manager will see it once they actually move into the space.

Then on the QR code, add a one-line message: "Like the work? We made these. Leave a review." Some percentage of end owners will scan it and follow through. Even 1-2% conversion on a project that has dozens of building occupants becomes meaningful over a year.

This works especially well for:

• Pre-fab building components (sheds, agricultural buildings, modular construction)
• Architectural metal panels and facades
• Custom railings and stairs
• Anything where the end owner will physically interact with your product

Tactic 3: Post-install email sequence

If you collect customer information at the time of sale (even just for warranty registration), build a simple post-install email sequence. One email at 30 days asking how the install went. One at 90 days asking for a review. One at 365 days as a touchpoint.

The 90-day email is the one that drives reviews. Most owners are happy with their building/install at the 90-day mark, before any normal wear or maintenance issues come up. Send them a one-line ask with the review link.

Tactic 4: Contractor partnership programs

The most leveraged version of this: build a formal partnership program with the contractors who install your products. Offer them something they want (priority lead time, marketing support, co-branded materials, a reciprocal referral) in exchange for them making the review-ask part of their close-out process.

If you have 10 active contractor partners and each one closes 2 projects per month and asks the end owner for a review, you are generating ~20 review opportunities per month from the contractor channel alone. Even at a 25% close rate on the ask, that's 5 new reviews per month. In a year, that's 60 new reviews. That's the difference between 11 reviews and 71 reviews.

What to measure

You should be tracking:

• Total reviews per month: Are you adding 5-10 new reviews per month? Less than 2 means the system is broken.
• Average rating: Anything below 4.5 stars hurts more than helps. If you are below 4.5, fix the underlying issues before you increase volume.
• Response rate: Are you responding to every review within 24 hours? Google ranks responsive businesses higher.
• Source mix: Are reviews coming from a balanced mix of GCs, end owners, and direct customers? Or is it lopsided?

The honest truth about reviews

You cannot fake this. Buying reviews violates Google's terms and gets your profile suspended. Asking your employees to leave reviews from personal accounts is detectable and gets penalized. The only path that works is the patient one: build a system that asks every customer (and every GC who handles your product), follow up consistently, and let the volume compound.

Most metals companies do not have a system at all. They wait for reviews to happen organically, and reviews almost never happen organically. Even a basic system — a checklist for the project closeout that includes "send review ask to GC" — will double your monthly review count within 90 days.

Reviews are leverage. Every one you do not capture is one your competitor does.