You and a competitor do the same work in the same suburb. They show up on the map for “plumber near me” and you don’t. The clearest difference you can see is that they have 140 reviews and you have 12.
It makes you wonder if the effort to get Google reviews would move you up. For local results, the answer is yes. Google confirms that review count and review score both factor into local ranking. They’re one factor among several, though, so reviews help most when the rest of your profile is in order.
At BuyReviews we get asked this by nearly every new client. Here’s what Google has said, what it hasn’t, and what we’d do with that.
Do Google reviews affect your search ranking?
Yes. Google’s own help page on local ranking says review count and review score factor into local search ranking. It adds that more reviews and positive ratings can improve your position.
That’s about as direct as Google gets on ranking. It keeps most details of its algorithm confidential, so a plain statement like this one is worth taking seriously.
How does Google decide local ranking?
Google says local results are based mainly on three things: relevance, distance and prominence.
Relevance is how well your Business Profile matches what the person searched for. Distance is how far you are from the searcher or the place they named. Prominence is how well known your business is, and this is where reviews come in.
Google says prominence draws on information from across the web, such as links, articles and directories, as well as your reviews. A famous landmark hotel is prominent without trying. A local electrician builds prominence mostly through reviews.
Which parts of your reviews count?
Google names two: how many reviews you have, and your score. Those are confirmed.
Plenty of other claims float around. You’ll read that recent reviews count more, that keywords inside reviews help, or that replying lifts your ranking. Google hasn’t confirmed any of them. They may be true, but we treat them as unknown and don’t build a plan on them.
Our view is simple. Collect honest reviews steadily and reply to all of them. That covers the confirmed factors, and it’s good for customers whatever the algorithm does.
Do reviews help your website rank in normal search results?
Google’s statement is about local results, meaning the map and the business listings around it. It hasn’t said that Google reviews lift your website in the ordinary list of links.
There’s an indirect benefit worth having. Your star rating shows in local results, and a stronger rating earns more clicks and calls. For most local businesses, the map results are where the customers are anyway.
Will more reviews guarantee a higher position?
No. Distance and relevance still apply, and you can’t change where a customer is standing when they search.
A dentist in Fremantle with 300 reviews won’t outrank a closer one for someone searching in Joondalup. Reviews help you win the searches you’re already in range for. In our experience, that’s where most of a local business’s work comes from.
Can bought reviews lift your ranking?
Google says there’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Fake reviews are an attempt to do that by the back door.
They can be removed at any time, and the count drops with them. Worse, Google can unpublish all of a profile’s reviews for a set period as a penalty, which leaves you competing with none showing. In Australia, the ACCC says creating fake reviews or arranging for others to is against the law.
What else should you fix alongside reviews?
Reviews work best on a complete profile. Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show in local results. Run through this checklist.
- Your business is verified with Google.
- Your name, address and phone number are correct.
- Your opening hours are current, including public holidays.
- Your business category matches your main service.
- Your services and service areas are filled in.
- You’ve added recent photos.
Verification matters most. Google says verifying tells it you’re authorised to represent the business, which makes the profile more likely to appear.
How do you get more Google reviews to support your ranking?
Build your count with real customers at a steady pace. This is how to get more Google reviews the way Google intends.
- On a computer, sign in to the Google account that manages your Business Profile and search your business name.
- Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, then Copy. Google supplies this link, so you won’t need a Google review link generator from anyone else.
- Ask every customer in person on the day the job is done.
- Text the link within the hour, or email it using a short review request email template.
- Send one reminder a week later.
- Reply to every review within a day or two.
Keep your score honest as well. When you respond to negative Google reviews and fix the problem, Google says the customer can update their review. If a review is fake, select the three dots and Report review. That’s the correct way to remove fake Google reviews that are dragging your score down.
BuyReviews can run this for you. You share your customer list, we send the requests and reminders, and customers write their own reviews. It’s how we help clients get Google reviews and improve Google reviews steadily. We think of it as the working part of online reputation management in Australia: real reviews, added every month.
Frequently asked questions
Do Google reviews help SEO?
Yes, for local search. Google confirms that review count and review score factor into local ranking, as part of what it calls prominence. They sit alongside relevance and distance, so reviews aren’t the whole answer. Google hasn’t said the same about ordinary website rankings, so we’d treat the benefit there as indirect.
How many reviews do I need to rank in the map results?
Google doesn’t publish a number, and it wouldn’t be the same for every area. Your position depends on how you compare with nearby businesses for that search, plus distance and relevance. Look at the review counts of the three businesses on the map for your main search and aim to match them.
Do replies to reviews improve ranking?
Google hasn’t confirmed that replies are a ranking factor. What it does say is that customers notice when a business replies and that replying builds trust. We’d reply to every review anyway. It costs a minute, it helps win the customer reading it, and it shows the profile is actively managed.
Do keywords in reviews help ranking?
Google hasn’t confirmed it, and it keeps the details of its algorithm confidential. Whatever the answer, don’t ask customers to include particular words. A review has to be their own opinion in their own words. Customers who are asked on the day tend to mention the job naturally, which is all you need.
How long before new reviews affect ranking?
Google doesn’t give a time frame. A new review shows on your profile once it passes Google’s checks, but any ranking effect isn’t something Google reports. Think in months. We’d judge progress by a steady rise in reviews and enquiries over a quarter, not by checking your position every day.
What should you do next?
Go through the profile checklist above and fix anything that’s missing. Then copy your review link and ask this week’s customers.
If you’d like the asking done for you, send BuyReviews your customer list and we’ll help you Buy Google reviews Australia that support your local ranking.
