● The short answer
There is no official number, but shoppers set their own bar. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 47% of consumers said they would not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews. A practical target is to beat the top three competitors in your local results on count and recency, while keeping a rating of 4 stars or higher.
Key takeaways
- Google publishes no magic number; it says only that more reviews and positive ratings can help.
- In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 47% of consumers would not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews.
- Set your target by benchmarking the businesses already in your local map results.
What the data says
Google does not publish a review count that guarantees better rankings. It says only that more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking. The clearer guidance comes from buyers. BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey of US adults found:
- 47% will not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews, and only 9% would use one with five or fewer.
- 68% require a rating of four stars or higher, up from 55% the year before.
- 31% will only use a business rated 4.5 stars or more.
- 74% look for reviews from the last three months, and 32% want reviews from the last two weeks.
Read together, that means count, rating and recency all matter. A business with 300 reviews but nothing new in six months can lose to one with 60 reviews, half of them from this season.
One caution on surveys: they measure what people say they do, not exactly what they do. Treat these numbers as direction, not law. The pattern is still consistent year over year: shoppers want enough reviews to trust the average, a rating above four, and evidence the business is active right now. If a profile clears those three bars, most people move on to comparing photos, hours, price and what reviewers actually said.
The how is where we come in.
What we walk through with you, for your business:
- How to set your own target
- How the target changes by business type
- Our take
Every business is different, so the plan is too. Tell us where you want to show up and we will show you what it takes.
Talk to usMore questions
Is 100 reviews enough?
It depends on your competitors. In a category where rivals have 40 reviews, 100 puts you well ahead. Among restaurants with thousands, it is modest. Benchmark the top businesses in your local results and aim to match or beat them on count and recency, while keeping your rating at four stars or above.
Do old reviews still count?
They still appear and still contribute to your total, but shoppers increasingly discount them. BrightLocal found 74% of consumers look for reviews from the last three months. A large but stale profile can look like a business that has slowed down or closed, so keep new reviews coming.
Sources
- BrightLocal: Local Consumer Review Survey 2026
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google
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