A few months ago, I had a local HVAC company swing by to inspect our aging system.
As the technician was walking out the door, he handed me a business card with a QR code on it. I scanned it, curious—and what I discovered was brilliant.
They were running an incentive program: every time a tech got mentioned by name in a 5-star Google review, they earned $50.
Naturally, I asked him how it was going.
“It’s working,” he said. “But tracking it is a nightmare.”
They had:
- Techs with no sales training trying to remember to ask for reviews the right way
- A team manually scanning Google reviews to find employee names
- One chaotic spreadsheet shared by five people to track it all
It was clunky. But it worked.
And that’s what inspired us to build a better solution.
What if you could automate the process of tracking which team member earned a Google review—without needing spreadsheets, manual scanning, or added effort?
In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to:
- Track which employee earned each Google review
- Include SEO-rich keywords that boost your local rankings
- Run employee incentive programs with zero tech hassle
Let’s dive in.
Why Reviews Matter for Google
From a local SEO perspective, Google reviews are more than just social proof—they’re a ranking signal.
Google scans the text of each review to understand what your business does, where it’s located, and what services you’re known for. If customers frequently mention things like “emergency plumbing in Tampa,” your business becomes more likely to rank when someone searches for exactly that.
This is why keyword-rich reviews matter so much.
Here’s the problem: most customers don’t know this. So they write:
“Great job!”
Nice? Yes. Helpful? Not really.
Instead, imagine if that review said:
“Affordable same-day emergency plumbing in Tampa. Huge thanks to Mike for the fast response!”
Now you’ve got a review that actually helps you rank.
Why Reviews Matter for You (The Business Owner)
Let’s zoom out for a second.
It’s easy to understand why reviews like “Great job!” are the norm. Your customers are busy. Celebrating your business isn’t at the top of their to-do list. Honestly, getting them to leave any review is already a small miracle.
But here’s the kicker: you can make this process easier—and more effective—by guiding them.
With the right tools (like the review generator included in Paige), you can:
- Prompt them with simple questions (e.g., “What did you like the most?”)
- Automatically generate a highly personalized review
- Include SEO keywords and the employee’s name
- Make it copy-and-paste ready to Google in one click
✅ Efficient for your customer
✅ Effective for your SEO
✅ Motivational for your staff
This turns casual reviews into local SEO assets—without asking customers to do any extra work.
Step-By-Step: Track Reviews by Employee Using a Simple Link Hack
Here’s how to set this up using Merchynt’s Review Link Tool (available standalone or included in our local SEO software, Paige).
Step 1: Start With a Review Generator Link
Let’s say you're a plumbing business. You give your customer a link like: yourbusiness.com/review
When a customer clicks the link, they’re prompted with an easy review flow that:
- Asks what they liked most
- Generates a keyword-rich Google review suggestion
- Makes it simple to post it on your Google Business Profile
But by default, that review won’t include the employee’s name. So here’s the trick.
Step 2: Add a URL Parameter to Track the Employee
Let’s say your tech Mike handled the job.
You simply give Mike this link instead: yourbusiness.com/review?rep=Mike
Now, when a customer uses this link, the review suggestion will say something like:
“I really appreciated the fast and affordable plumbing service. Special thanks to Mike for his professionalism.”
Boom—you’ve just tracked the review source and included a keyword-rich review.
Repeat this for every employee:
- Sally = ?rep=Sally
- Jordan = ?rep=Jordan
- …and so on.
You can now see which team members are getting the most reviews—without needing extra software or complex tracking tools.
Step 3: Make It Even Easier with QR Codes
Want to take this a step further? Create employee-specific QR codes linked to their review URLs.
This way:
- Each tech or team member has their own QR code
- Customers scan it on-site or after a service
- The review includes their name and SEO-friendly language
- You track who earned the review
Use free tools like QR Code Monkey to turn each rep’s review link into a scannable code. Print it on business cards, receipts, invoices—anywhere it’s easy for a customer to scan and review.
Automate Everything With Paige by Merchynt
Our local SEO software, Paige, includes this tool and much more:
- 💬 Automatically generates keyword-rich reviews
- 📲 Lets you track reviews by rep using URLs or QR codes
- 🧠 Suggests replies that match your brand tone
- 📈 Optimizes your Google Business Profile daily
Whether you’re a business owner or run a digital marketing agency, Paige makes Google My Business optimization and reputation management effortless.
Want the review tool on its own? You can get it à la carte. Want it bundled with GBP posting, image optimization, and YouTube video generation? That’s all in Paige too.
Try it for just $1 → merchynt.com/paige
TL;DR – Here’s How to Track Who Gets Google Reviews:
- Use a review tool like the one from Merchynt
- Add ?rep=Employee's Name to the end of the review URL
- Turn that URL into a QR code
- Let your team use their links when asking for reviews
- Watch your local SEO and employee engagement skyrocket
Final Thoughts
Google reviews aren’t just about getting stars—they’re about sending signals to Google. The right reviews (with the right keywords) can massively improve your visibility in local search.
And when you track who’s bringing in those reviews, you empower your team to help grow the business and get rewarded for it.
If you want to make this process simple, scalable, and SEO-optimized, start using the review tracking tool from Merchynt or unlock everything inside Paige.
See you in the next one!
