How Many 5-Star Reviews Do You Need to Raise Your Rating?
How many 5-star reviews do you need to raise your Google rating? Use this simple formula, see worked examples, and learn why the jump from 4.7 to 4.9 takes so many reviews.
Short answer: to find how many new 5-star reviews you need, multiply your current number of reviews by the gap between your target and current rating, then divide by the gap between 5 and your target. For example, a 4.3 rating with 48 reviews needs 64 new 5-star reviews to reach 4.7.
The formula
New 5-star reviews needed = current reviews × (target − current rating) ÷ (5 − target)
Round the answer up to the next whole review. It assumes every new review is 5 stars, which is the best case.
Worked examples
| Current rating | Current reviews | Target | New 5-star reviews needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8 | 30 | 4.2 | 15 |
| 4.0 | 20 | 4.5 | 20 |
| 4.3 | 48 | 4.7 | 64 |
| 4.5 | 200 | 4.7 | 134 |
| 4.6 | 100 | 4.8 | 100 |
Skip the math with our free Google review rating calculator. It also shows how many reviews per week you need to hit your target in 90 days.
Why the last few tenths are the hardest
Look at the bottom of the formula: 5 minus your target. Moving toward 4.8 or 4.9 makes that number tiny, so the reviews needed shoot up. A 5.0 is only possible if every review you have ever received is 5 stars. A 4.7 to 4.9 rating with plenty of recent reviews looks more believable to most customers anyway.
One bad review hits small profiles hardest
A business with a 4.8 rating and 10 reviews drops to about 4.45 after a single 1-star review. A business with 4.7 and 112 reviews drops only to about 4.67. More reviews make your rating steadier, which is a good reason to keep asking even when your rating already looks fine.
Keep in mind
- Google shows your rating rounded to one decimal, so your true average can be slightly higher or lower than what you see.
- Recent reviews matter to customers. Fifty reviews from three years ago are less convincing than twenty from the last few months.
- Review count and rating are only part of how Google ranks the map pack. Relevance and distance count too.
How to get more 5-star reviews the right way
- Ask every customer right after a good job, in person and with a text.
- Send a direct link that opens the review box. Create one with our review link generator.
- Make it part of the job: the tech asks before leaving, the office follows up the same day.
- Reply to every review so customers see you care.
Never buy reviews, offer rewards for reviews, or ask only the customers you think are happy. Google’s policies ban these practices, and the US Federal Trade Commission has rules against fake reviews. Getting caught can mean removed reviews or a suspended profile.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google round ratings up?
Google shows one decimal place. To be safe, aim slightly above the rating you want to display.
Can I remove a bad review?
Only if it breaks Google’s policies, for example spam, a fake customer or offensive content. You can flag it for removal. Otherwise, reply politely and focus on getting more good reviews.
How many reviews should a local business have?
Enough to match or beat the top three businesses in your map results. Check their counts and set your target just above them.
Want a review system that runs on its own?
Our Google Business Profile service includes review requests and replies. Ask for a free audit to see how your reviews compare with your competitors.
Written by Qasim Qureshi, founder of Synova Digital, who has six years of hands-on experience in local SEO and Google Business Profiles for service businesses.