How many new reviews it takes to raise your star rating

Owners usually ask this after a bad week. One 1-star review lands, the rating drops to a 4.2, and the question becomes how long it will take to climb back.

Why your rating moves slowly

Google's help page on review scores says the score is the average of all ratings published for your business. Every review counts the same, whether it came in last week or three years ago.

That is why a rating moves fast when you have 10 reviews and slowly when you have 200. One new 5-star review is a small share of a big pile.

How to work out your number in two minutes

You need two figures from your Google profile: your review count and your average rating. Then do this on your phone calculator.

1. 1Multiply your review count by your average rating. This gives your total stars so far.
2. 2Pick the rating you want to reach, such as 4.5.
3. 3Multiply your review count by that target rating.
4. 4Subtract your total stars from that result.
5. 5Subtract your target from 5.
6. 6Divide the first answer by the second and round up. That is how many new 5-star reviews you need.

Here are three worked examples, all assuming every new review is 5 stars:

1. 140 reviews averaging 4.2 is 168 stars. To reach 4.5 you need 24 new 5-star reviews, which gives 288 stars over 64 reviews.
2. 2100 reviews averaging 4.0 is 400 stars. To reach 4.5 you need 100 new 5-star reviews, which gives 900 stars over 200 reviews.
3. 340 reviews averaging 4.2 reaching 4.3 takes 6 new 5-star reviews, which gives 198 stars over 46 reviews.

Your profile shows one decimal place, so the real average can sit slightly above or below what you see. Use the numbers as a close estimate and add two or three reviews as a cushion.

How to ask for the reviews you need

The math only works if the reviews come in. The simplest way is to ask every customer, not only the ones you expect to be happy. Asking everyone keeps your average honest and gives you a larger pool of reviews.

Here is a text you can send after a finished job. Replace the brackets with your details.

If you have under 50 reviews, send the text after every single job for the next month. If you already have a few hundred, keep sending it at the same pace, since a steady flow of recent reviews matters more than one big push.

How to protect the rating you build

A reply to a bad review does not change the average. New real reviews do. Use these habits so the math stays on your side.

1. 1Reply to every review in a few sentences, good or bad, using the customer's name.
2. 2Call unhappy customers before they post, while the job is still fresh.
3. 3Send the review text the same day, while the job is on their mind.
4. 4Recheck your count and average once a month and rerun the math.

What this will not fix

These are the limits of the numbers above.

• ×It will not remove a bad review. Old low ratings stay in the average and the math has to outweigh them.
• ×It will not guarantee a higher spot on Google Maps or more calls.
• ×It will not work if the new reviews are not real. Only ask customers you actually served.
• ×It will not stay put. A new 3-star review pulls the average down again, so plan on asking every week.

Common questions

Root's free check looks at this on your own business.