How to Get a QR Code for Google My Business

A QR code can be a game-changer for your local business, turning happy in-person customers into powerful online reviews for your Google My Business profile. It's a simple, direct bridge between their physical experience with you and your digital reputation. This guide will walk you through exactly how to get a QR code for your Google My Business profile and put it to work.

Why Combine QR Codes With Your Google Business Profile?

Connecting a QR code directly to your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business, or GMB) is one of the most effective local marketing tactics available today. It capitalizes on a moment when a customer is most likely to act: right after a positive experience. Instead of hoping they'll remember to find you online later, you give them an immediate, frictionless way to support your business. Think of it as your secret weapon for local SEO.

Here's why this simple strategy is so powerful:

• It Supercharges Review Generation: The single biggest hurdle in getting reviews is friction. People are busy and forget. A QR code that links directly to the review submission page eliminates all the steps - no searching, no navigating, just scan and write. More reviews mean more trust and better visibility in local search results.
• It Boosts Local SEO Ranking: Google's local search algorithm places a heavy emphasis on the quantity, quality, and velocity of reviews. Consistently getting new, positive reviews signals to Google that your business is active, relevant, and valued by customers, which can significantly improve your ranking in the "Map Pack."
• It Drives Immediate Engagement: You don't just have to link to reviews. A QR code can direct customers to your latest special offers posted on GMB, your website, your booking page, or even driving directions. It turns passive interest into an active step.
• It Bridges the Offline-Online Gap: For brick-and-mortar businesses, your physical location is your biggest asset. A QR code on a menu, receipt, or window display lets you seamlessly move that real-world customer into your online ecosystem where you can remarket to them later.

First, Find the Right Google Link to Use

Before you can make a QR code, you need a destination link. This is the URL that the QR code will send people to when they scan it. Your Google Business Profile has several useful links, and choosing the right one depends on your goal.

The Most Important Link: Your Direct Review Link

For most businesses, the primary goal is to get more reviews. Google provides a special, pre-filled link that takes customers straight to the star rating and review box for your business. This is the link you should use 90% of the time, as it minimizes effort for the user.

Here's how to find it:

1. Log into your Google Business Profile Manager. If you search for your business name on Google while logged into the account that manages it, you'll see your business management dashboard directly in the search results.
2. In the dashboard, look for a button or card that says "Ask for reviews" or "Get more reviews." It's usually quite prominent.
3. A pop-up window will appear with a shareable link. It will look something like g.page/r/YourBusinessName/review.
4. Click the copy icon to copy this link to your clipboard. This is the golden ticket! It's the direct link you'll use to create your review-focused QR code.

Other Useful Links from Your Profile

While the review link is the most common choice, you might have other objectives. Here are a few other links you can grab:

• Your General Profile Link: To share your entire profile, including hours, photos, and posts. Find your business on Google Search or Maps, click the "Share" button, and copy the link. This is good for general branding on flyers or business cards where you want people to see everything at once.
• Your Website Link: If your primary goal is to drive web traffic, simply use your website's URL. You can highlight special landing pages, your online store, or your blog.
• Your Google Maps Link: Want to help people get directions to your physical location? Find your business on Google Maps, click "Share," and copy that direct link. This is perfect for event invitations or appointment confirmations.

Step-by-Step: How to Create Your Google My Business QR Code

With your chosen link in hand, you're ready to create the QR code. You have several options, ranging from super simple to more customized and strategic.

Method 1: Google Chrome's Built-in Generator (Quick & Easy)

If you just need a basic, functional QR code fast, you don't need any special tools. The Google Chrome browser can do it for you in seconds.

1. Open Google Chrome and paste your Google Review link (or another link) into the address bar. Press Enter to load the page.
2. Once the page loads, click the Share icon in the address bar. It looks like a square with an upward arrow.
3. From the dropdown menu, select "Create QR Code."
4. A QR code instantly appears with your link embedded. You can now click "Download" to save it as a high-quality PNG image.

Pros: Incredibly fast, free, requires no extra software.
Cons: No customization options. You get a standard black-and-white code with a Google-Chrome-dinosaur-icon in the middle.

Method 2: Using a Free QR Code Generator (For Better Branding)

If you want to create a QR code that matches your brand's colors or includes your logo, a dedicated QR code generator is the way to go. Plenty of free, reliable options are available online.

1. Choose a free QR code generator. Popular options include QR-Code Monkey and Canva's free generator.
2. Paste your copied Google Review link into the "URL" field on the website.
3. Look for the customization options. You should be able to:
   • Change the color of the code to match your branding.
   • Upload a logo icon to appear in the center of the code.
   • Slightly modify the shape of the code's "eyes" (the corner squares) or body.
4. Once you're happy with the design, select a high-quality format for download. Always choose a vector format like SVG or EPS if you plan on using the code in large-format print (like a poster or banner), as it can be scaled without losing quality. For day-to-day use (receipts, business cards), PNG is perfectly fine.
5. Always test your QR code! Before sending it to the printer, scan it with your own phone's camera (and on a friend's phone, if possible) to make sure it directs to the correct URL.

Pros: Free, allows for branding customization, better for professional materials.
Cons: You need to use a third-party website.

Method 3: The Advanced Strategy - Using a "Review Gate" Landing Page

For businesses looking for a more advanced approach, you create a QR code that links not directly to Google, but instead to a very simple landing page that you control. This page acts as a "review gate." It typically has a simple question like, "How was your experience?" followed by two buttons:

• "Great!" - Clicking this button directs them to your direct Google review link.
• "Could've Been Better" - Tapping on this button takes them to a private contact form that sends you an email instead.

This method gently encourages delighted customers to leave public feedback while funneling any negative feedback to you privately, giving you a chance to address issues before they become public reviews. Tools like Linktree, Carrd, or simple landing page builders make this easy to set up.

Pros: An opportunity to filter criticism and personally resolve customer-service issues privately gives you greater control.
Cons: More setup involved, and if not transparently presented, it can be viewed with some skepticism.

Smart Ways to Use Your QR Code to Generate Results

Once you've got your beautiful, branded Google Review QR code on your hard drive, it's time to put it out in the real world where customers will find you. Here's where to place it so people can scan it:

At the Point of Sale (POS)

The checkout counter is a perfect spot. Place a small sign with a QR code right at the point of sale. Customers can scan it while they wait for their transaction to complete or after they've received their receipt, capturing their positive experience immediately. For businesses using tablets for checkout, you can even incorporate a "Leave a Review" step into the payment flow.

On Business Cards and Stationery

Include a QR code on your business cards, letterheads, or any other professional correspondence. It's a simple way to remind clients to leave feedback after a project is completed or a meeting has concluded.

In Your Physical Location

Place your QR code in high-visibility areas. Use stickers on your front window, create table tents for cafes and restaurants, or include it on posters in your waiting area. This makes it easy for customers to scan while they are dining, waiting for an appointment, or browsing your shop.

On Invoices or Printed Receipts

Add the QR code directly onto your printed receipts and invoices. This is especially effective for service-based businesses, such as plumbers or landscapers, who provide a physical invoice after a job is completed at a client's home.

On Product Inserts and Packaging

For e-commerce and retail businesses, include the QR code on product packaging or on postcard inserts inside shipping boxes. You can even pair the request for a review with a small discount on a future purchase to incentivize customers to take action.

Final Thoughts

A QR code for your Google Business profile is much more powerful than it looks. It's an inexpensive, effective tool for bridging the all-important gap between personal experience offline and digital reviews online, directly influencing your business's local online SEO visibility. Make it a consistent habit in your workflow process and your staff's, and the impact on local ranking is likely a significant improvement.

As you implement these tactics and start getting more reviews and messages, managing all those new conversations can become a challenge. Many social media tools feel outdated. We built Postbase to solve this problem. It's a platform designed for today's social landscape, making it simple to manage all your online conversations in one place. Our goal is to make social media management more straightforward and accessible for teams of any size.