This week I searched for a garden service in a small coastal town, the way a local customer would, and looked at the three businesses in the map results. The business in third place had 4 reviews. The two above it had 16 and 47.
That is one search in one town, so it proves nothing on its own. But it matches what Google says about how local results are ordered, and it is the part of a Google profile most small businesses can change fastest.
What Google says
Google says local results are ranked on relevance, distance and prominence. Prominence covers how well known a business is, and Google lists review count and review score as part of it. A business with more good reviews is easier for Google to be confident about.
Reviews are not the whole story
Nobody outside Google knows the full formula, and I will not pretend a handful of reviews guarantees a higher spot. Distance changes by the person searching, and how complete and accurate your profile is also counts. What I can say is that two businesses with similar profiles are not equal if one has 47 reviews and the other has 4.
How to ask without it feeling awkward
- Ask real customers, soon after the job. The best time is when they have just said how pleased they are.
- Send the direct link. Every extra step loses people. A link that opens the review box straight away gets more reviews than "find us on Google".
- Make it easy to be specific. Two questions help someone write something useful: what was built or done, and what the problem was before. Specific reviews help the next customer too.
- Never buy or swap reviews. It breaks Google's rules and it is easy to spot.
- Reply to every review. A short, human reply shows the profile is looked after.
What to check this week
- Search for your own trade and town and see who is in the top three on the map.
- Count the reviews on your profile and on theirs.
- Check you own the profile. If someone else controls it, you cannot reply or update anything. I wrote about that in who owns your Google Business Profile.
The short version
Reviews will not replace a good website, and a good website will not replace reviews. They do different jobs. The website convinces someone who has found you, and the reviews help them find you first. If you want to know whether your site is even showing up, start with is your website even on Google.