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How Many Google Reviews Do I Need?
See how more positive reviews could change your overall star rating. Use your own numbers. No email required.
Your result
Enter your figures to see your result straight away. Nothing is sent anywhere.
BuzzBrain Reviews makes asking every customer for an honest review part of finishing the job. A$27 + GST/month.
See BuzzBrain Reviews →How it's worked out
The calculator works out how many extra 5-star reviews would lift your average to the target you chose.
- Current rating pointsCurrent rating × current reviews
- Extra 5-star reviews (exact)(Target × current reviews − current rating × current reviews) ÷ (5 − target)
- Reviews neededRound up to the next whole review
- Check(Rating points + 5 × reviews needed) ÷ (current reviews + reviews needed) ≥ target
We round up because part of a review isn't possible. An average of exactly 5.0 can never be reached while any existing review is below 5 stars.
Worked example
A physiotherapy clinic in Geelong has a 4.3 rating from 48 reviews and wants to see what an average of 4.6 would take.
| Current rating | 4.3 |
|---|---|
| Current reviews | 48 |
| Target average | 4.6 |
| Extra 5-star reviews | about 36 |
|---|---|
| Total reviews | 84 |
| Projected average | 4.600 |
| Average one review earlier | 4.595 |
Because 4.3 is itself rounded, the clinic's real number could be a little different.
Assumptions
- Every future review in the calculation is 5 stars. No lower-star reviews are included.
- The rating you enter is treated as exact, even though Google's displayed rating is rounded.
- Reviews being removed, edited or filtered are not modelled.
- The result is arithmetic only. It doesn't predict Google's displayed rating, ranking, visibility, enquiries or sales.
- Reviews should come from genuine customers, in line with Google's policies.
This calculator shows the arithmetic of review averages based only on the figures you enter. It doesn't predict Google's displayed rating, rankings, visibility, enquiries or sales.
FAQ
Google Reviews questions. Answered.
How many 5-star reviews do I need to go from 4.3 to 4.6?
With 48 existing reviews, the maths needs about 36 extra 5-star reviews. The number grows with your current review count.
Why can't I reach a perfect 5.0?
If any existing review is below 5 stars, adding 5-star reviews moves the average closer to 5.0 but never all the way. That's why the calculator only accepts targets below 5.0.
Why might Google show a different rating after that many reviews?
Google rounds the rating it displays, so your starting point may not be exact. New reviews may also not all be 5 stars, and reviews can be removed or edited.
Will more reviews improve my Google ranking?
This calculator doesn't predict rankings, visibility or enquiries. It only shows the arithmetic of averages.
Can I only ask happy customers for a review?
No. Selectively asking only customers you expect to leave positive reviews is known as review gating and goes against Google's policies. Ask customers consistently and let them give honest feedback.
Why round up the number of reviews?
Part of a review isn't possible. Rounding up gives the smallest whole number of 5-star reviews that reaches the target in the maths.
Your next step
BuzzBrain Reviews
BuzzBrain Reviews makes asking every customer for an honest review part of finishing the job. A$27 + GST/month.
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