How many Google reviews do I need?
Published Last updated
Founder, ProveWorth
There is no number. Google publishes no review count you need, and says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. The number worth finding is local: what the businesses you compete with show on their listings.
Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking, with no threshold attached. So check the top three listings for your service and town. Write down each rating, review count and the date of the newest review.
The catch: don't turn that count into a quota. Google bars asking staff to solicit a certain number of reviews, and bars pressuring customers to review while on the premises.
Is there a magic number of Google reviews?
No. Google's local ranking page says results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity, and it shows no count or score you have to hit.
The people reading your listing matter more than a threshold. In BrightLocal's survey of 1,002 US adults, 97% said they read online reviews and 41% said they always do. That is a vendor-run, self-reported survey, but it points the right way.
How do I check my competitors?
Do it the way a customer would. Five minutes is plenty.
- Search your service and your town on Google Maps.
- Open the top three listings.
- Write down each rating and review count.
- Write down the date of each newest review.
- Skim the recent reviews for what customers keep mentioning.
That gives you a picture to work from. If a competitor has far more reviews, you also learn whether they're recent. A big number with a gap of months is a different story than one with reviews this week.
Can I set a monthly review target for my crew?
Set a target for how consistently you ask, and leave the review count alone.
Google bars merchants from asking staff to solicit a certain number of reviews, and from requiring or pressuring customers to review on the premises. It also bars discouraging negative reviews or selectively soliciting positive ones. So give every customer the same neutral invitation. The easiest way is your Google review link and QR code.
How long before a new review shows in my rating?
Google says it may take up to 2 weeks to get an updated review score after someone leaves a new review. Your displayed score is the average of published ratings.
The review text can show up sooner or later than the score, so track the two separately. If one is missing, see why a Google review is not showing.
On ProveWorth, each review publishes on your own page, whatever Google's count says. You can get your free page, or see how the review requests work.
Sources
Key takeaways
- 1Google publishes no review count you need, and says local ranking can't be requested or bought.
- 2Open the top three competitor listings and write down each rating, review count and newest review date.
- 3Use that count as context and never as a quota.
- 4Google bars asking staff to solicit a set number of reviews and bars pressuring customers on the premises.
- 5A new review can take up to 2 weeks to move your displayed score.
Related questions
Is there a magic number of Google reviews?
No. Google publishes no required count, and says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
How do I find out how many reviews my competitors have?
Search your service and town on Google Maps, open the top three listings, and write down each rating, review count and newest review date.
Can I set a monthly review target for my crew?
No. Google bars asking staff to solicit a certain number of reviews, and bars pressuring customers to review while on the premises.
How long before a new review changes my rating?
Google says it may take up to 2 weeks to get an updated review score after someone leaves a new review.