The evidence

What reviews actually do for a local business

Four findings that shape how Savorias works, with sources.

Google considers reviews when ranking local results

Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence. Reviews feed prominence. Google puts it plainly in its own guidance for business owners: more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking.

Google Business Profile Help, "Tips to improve your local ranking on Google" · Google’s own guidance for business owners

What Savorias does about it

Every review is picked up and analyzed daily, so you see what is building before it settles into your rating.

People read the reviews before they ever reach you

97%
read reviews before choosing a local business
31%
will only use a business rated 4.5 stars or higher

Most people check reviews before choosing a local business. A growing share now filters for 4.5 stars and up, so a small drop in rating can remove a business from consideration.

BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 · 1,002 US adults, February 2026

What Savorias does about it

You get the top praise and the most common complaint from your own reviews, with the words customers used, so you know what is moving the number.

Older reviews carry less weight with customers

74%
look for reviews written in the last three months

Most people look for reviews written in the last three months. A great rating built three years ago does not answer the question a customer is asking today, which is what you are like right now.

BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 · 1,002 US adults, February 2026

What Savorias does about it

Insights are weighted to recent activity, and the trend view compares the last 30 days against the 30 before it.

Replying changes the reviews you get next

+12%
more reviews after a business starts replying
+0.12
stars, the average rating gain after replying starts

Researchers tracked hotels that started replying to reviews on TripAdvisor and found that both their review volume and ratings went up afterward. Replying is more than damage control. It can influence what people write next.

Proserpio & Zervas, "Online Reputation Management", Marketing Science 36(5), 2017 · Hotels on TripAdvisor

What Savorias does about it

A draft reply for every review, in the language the customer wrote in, so replying stops being the thing you never get to.

5–9%

more revenue from a one-star rating increase

Luca, "Reviews, Reputation, and Revenue: The Case of Yelp.com", Harvard Business School · Independent restaurants on Yelp

How to read these numbers

Each study measured a specific group, and we have said which one next to every figure. The consumer survey is US adults. The response study is hotels on TripAdvisor. The revenue study is independent restaurants on Yelp. They point the same way, but none of them is a promise about your business.

Sources

  1. Google Business Profile Help, "Tips to improve your local ranking on Google" · Google’s own guidance for business owners
  2. BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 · 1,002 US adults, February 2026
  3. Proserpio & Zervas, "Online Reputation Management", Marketing Science 36(5), 2017 · Hotels on TripAdvisor
  4. Luca, "Reviews, Reputation, and Revenue: The Case of Yelp.com", Harvard Business School · Independent restaurants on Yelp

Use cases

If people can review it on Google, Savorias can read it

The same analysis, tuned to the words your customers actually use. Choose the one that fits your business.

Food & drink

Stays & tourism

Health & personal care

Local services & retail

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