Google doesn't publish an exact formula for how reviews affect local ranking, but years of observed patterns across local businesses point to a consistent set of factors that matter. Here's what's known to influence your local pack and Maps visibility.
Review count
More reviews generally signal a more established, trustworthy business, and businesses with a healthy review count tend to rank better than comparable ones with very few. There's no fixed threshold — it's relative to your local competitors.
Average star rating
Rating matters, but less on its own than most business owners assume — a 4.2 with steady review flow often outperforms a 4.8 with almost no recent activity. Rating works alongside the other factors here, not in isolation.
Review recency
Fresh reviews signal an active, currently operating business. A large historical review count with nothing posted in months can actually hurt relative ranking compared to a business with fewer total reviews but consistent recent activity.
Review velocity
The pace at which new reviews come in matters — steady, ongoing collection tends to outperform sporadic bursts. This is part of why a one-time review campaign has limited lasting SEO value compared to an ongoing collection process.
Keyword relevance within review text
Reviews that naturally mention services, products, or location-relevant terms ("best pizza in [neighborhood]", "great teeth whitening service") can reinforce relevance signals for those searches — not because you can control what customers write, but because encouraging detailed, specific reviews naturally produces this effect.
Response rate
Businesses that reply to reviews are generally treated as more actively managed, which correlates with better visibility. Responses also occasionally surface additional relevant keywords tied to your services.
Photo and Q&A activity
While not strictly reviews, businesses that also see regular photo uploads and Q&A activity on their profile tend to show broader engagement signals that complement a strong review profile.
What this means practically
Chasing a single high star rating misses most of what actually matters. A steady, ongoing flow of specific, recent reviews — collected consistently rather than in one push, and responded to when they come in — is what tends to move local ranking over time.