New to this? Start here: What Is a Google Business Profile?
Last month I looked at the Google Business Profile of a shop in Leslieville. The rating was 4.7 stars and the review count was 180. On paper that looks strong. However, the most recent review was written eleven months ago.
A few blocks away, a similar business had 45 reviews. The last one came in that week.
If you are a customer choosing between these two, the second one feels open, active, and safe to call. Google reads the situation in a similar way. I see this pattern in almost every profile I audit around The Beaches and Leslieville. Most owners do not have a review problem. They have a review recency problem.
1. Recent reviews matter more than your total count
Research this year shows that most people look for reviews written in the last three months. A smaller group only trusts reviews from the last two weeks. Additionally, more people now read reviews before almost every local decision, not just before big purchases.
This changes how you should think about your profile. A large pile of old reviews does not protect you. Sometimes it works against you, because a quiet year makes people wonder if the business changed owners or closed.
Reviews are also one of the strongest ranking signals you can actually control, right after the profile itself. A steady flow of new reviews tells Google that your business is still running.
A realistic target for a small shop or clinic is one or two new reviews per month. A busier place can aim for one per week. The exact number matters less than the pattern.
2. Most businesses do not get reviews because they never ask
This is the simplest fix and the most ignored one. Surveys show that when a business asks a customer for a review, most of those customers actually leave one.
However, asking at the counter while someone is paying almost never works. The customer is in a hurry and will forget before they reach the car.
These options work better:
- Send one short text or email a few hours after the visit, with a direct link to your review form.
- Print a small QR code card and hand it over with the receipt.
- Add the review link to your invoices, booking confirmations, and email signature.
Keep the message short. Two sentences is enough. Also, do not offer a discount in exchange for a review. That breaks Google's rules and the reviews can be removed later.
3. Replying is half the work
Answering reviews is now a basic expectation, not a bonus. Many customers expect a reply within a day. On top of that, people read your replies to see how you handle problems.
For a good review, two lines are enough. Thank the person and mention the service they came in for.
For a bad review, stay calm. Explain what happened if you can, offer to fix it, and give a way to reach you directly. Never argue in public. A polite reply to a one star review often helps you more than ten five star reviews, because it shows a real person is behind the business.
4. Collecting reviews in bulk backfires
Sometimes an owner decides to fix everything in one week. They ask fifty customers at once and thirty short reviews arrive in three days.
On the other hand, this looks unnatural to both customers and Google. Sudden spikes of short, generic reviews create doubt. Google also removes reviews it finds suspicious, so the work can disappear a month later. A slow and steady pace is safer and it holds its value much longer.
5. Your reviews now feed AI answers too
This part is new. Many customers no longer type "dentist near me" into Google. Instead, they ask an AI assistant for a recommendation, and that habit grew fast over the past year.
These tools read your review text to decide what to say about you. If your reviews mention "same day appointment" or "great with kids," those words can end up in the answer a customer sees. However, if your reviews are old and thin, you are usually left out of that answer completely.
So reviews are no longer only about your position on the map. They also decide whether you show up in places you cannot see.
Where to start this week
Pick one thing. Either set up a short review request message, or reply to every review you have not answered yet. Both take under an hour.
If you want a second opinion on your profile, our free SEO audit checks your reviews, categories, photos, and service details in about a minute. You can also book a 30 minute call and we can look at your profile together.
Baris Ozharputlu
BOP Marketing Hub