A study of 5,624 business-oriented keywords has revealed that an average number of reviews significantly impact the performance of a listing on Google Maps.
The study found that when it comes to local SEO on Google Maps, the number one listing had more reviews than the next two. Similarly, the first listing had a higher median number of reviews. The average ratings for the top three listings were all over 4.1.
While ratings are beneficial for listing performance on Google Maps, they are not decisive of the ranking. For Local Pack rankings on desktop, the top listing had the highest median number of reviews. Of all reviews on the local pack, 60% of them were neutral tone, while only 2% were negative.
The top listing on the local pack for mobile also garnered the highest median number of reviews. When it comes to distance, 72% of the listings on Google Maps were within a two-mile radius. 70% of results on Local Pack desktop and mobile were also ranked within a two-mile radius.
[7 minute read]
