There is no magic number, but in most local Yorkshire markets, having 20 to 50 genuine reviews with a rating above 4.3 puts you in a competitive position. The more competitive your industry and location, the more reviews you will need to stand out.
Why Do Reviews Affect Local Rankings?
Google treats reviews as a signal of trust and relevance. A business with many positive, recent reviews appears more credible to the algorithm than one with few or no reviews — even if the underlying quality of the business is similar. Reviews also influence click-through rates: when people see two similar businesses in the map results, they overwhelmingly click on the one with more and better reviews. Higher click-through rate further reinforces your position in search.
Is the Number of Reviews or the Rating More Important?
Both matter, but volume tends to have a stronger impact on rankings. A business with 80 reviews at 4.2 stars will generally outrank one with 15 reviews at 4.9 stars. The ideal is high volume and high rating. Consistency also matters — Google values recent reviews, so a steady drip of new feedback is better than a burst of reviews that then stops. Aim to gather at least four or five new reviews every month.
How Do You Get More Reviews Without Asking Awkwardly?
The simplest method is to make it easy. Create a direct link to your Google review page (Google provides this in your Business Profile dashboard) and send it to every satisfied customer after you have completed their job. A brief follow-up message — "Thank you for your business — if you have a moment, we would really appreciate a Google review" — with the link attached removes all friction. Most people who had a good experience are happy to leave a review when asked directly.
What About Negative Reviews?
A handful of three or four-star reviews is not the end of the world — in fact, a perfect 5.0 score can look suspicious to potential customers. The important thing is how you respond to negative reviews. A professional, calm response that acknowledges the issue and offers to resolve it actually builds trust with people reading the reviews. Ignoring negative reviews, on the other hand, looks bad.