When someone searches ‘plumber near me’ or ‘best Sunday roast in Leeds’, Google shows three businesses in a map pack above everything else. Getting into that pack is worth more than any other position on the page, and reviews play a real part in who gets there.
The three things Google says it looks at
Google describes local ranking in terms of relevance, distance and prominence. You can’t change how far a searcher is from you, but reviews feed directly into prominence, and the words in them help with relevance.
- Relevance: how well your profile matches the search
- Distance: how close you are to the searcher
- Prominence: how well known and well rated your business is
Count, rating and recency
A business with 150 reviews at 4.7 stars looks more established than one with 12 reviews at 5.0. Recency matters too: a profile whose newest review is from last year looks quieter than one with reviews from this week.
What reviewers write matters
Reviews that mention your services, your town or your staff give Google more context about what you do. You can’t tell customers what to write, but asking ‘what did you have done today?’ in your request often leads to more detailed reviews.
Replies count as activity
Replying to reviews shows Google, and future customers, that the business is active. Thank people for positive reviews and respond calmly to negative ones. Our free review response generator can help you write replies quickly.