Star Rating Calculator

The average star rating is calculated by summing all star values and dividing by the total number of reviews. For example, if you have 10 five-star reviews and 2 one-star reviews, your total stars = (10×5) + (2×1) = 52, divided by 12 reviews = 4.33 average.

The more reviews you have, the harder it is to move your average. This is because each new review has less impact on the overall average. A business with 100 reviews needs many more 5-star reviews to move 0.1 points than a business with 10 reviews. It's called 'regression to the mean.'

Most consumers consider 4.0+ stars acceptable, with 4.5+ being excellent. Studies show that going from 3.5 to 4.0 stars can increase revenue by 5-9%. However, a perfect 5.0 can seem suspicious - 4.7-4.9 is often perceived as more authentic.

Google only removes reviews that violate their policies (spam, fake reviews, off-topic content, conflicts of interest). Legitimate negative reviews, even unfair ones, typically cannot be removed. The best strategy is to respond professionally and generate more positive reviews.

Google typically updates your displayed rating within a few hours to a few days after new reviews are posted. However, during high-volume periods or for new businesses, it may take longer. The rating shown is Google's calculated average, not a real-time figure.

You can ask customers to leave reviews, but you cannot: (1) offer incentives for reviews, (2) selectively ask only satisfied customers (review gating), or (3) tell them what rating to give. Simply asking 'Please leave us a review' after a positive interaction is acceptable.