Review gap calculator

How to use it

1. 1Type your figures into the calculator. Nothing you type is uploaded or stored. The answer is worked out in your browser.
2. 2Read the result and its caption. The assumptions are shown on the screen beside the number.
3. 3Save your figures once in the back office. Then this screen, and every other one, answers for your shop instead of a generic one.

What it does

• We solve the average directly, twice: once for the rating Google would DISPLAY (the target minus 0.05, because a listing shows one decimal) and once for the target as a true average. The first is the headline; the second is printed beside it.
• The last part, 5 minus target, is why the climb gets steeper. Going from 4.2 to 4.8 takes five times as many reviews as going from 4.2 to 4.5.
• We assume every new review is 5 stars and none are removed. That is the best case, so treat the answer as the minimum.
• A target of 5.0 gets a message, not a number. Once one review below 5 exists, no number of 5-star reviews averages back to exactly 5.0.

Common questions

How many 5-star reviews do I need to raise my Google rating?

Multiply your review count by the gap between your target and your current rating. Divide by 5 minus the target. Round up. A shop at 4.2 stars with 100 reviews needs 60 five-star reviews to reach 4.5.

Why can I never reach a perfect 5.0 rating?

The formula divides by the distance between your target and 5. At 5.0 that distance is zero. Once one review below 5 exists, no number of 5-star reviews brings the average back to exactly 5.0. You can only get close.

Does Google round my star rating?

Google shows one decimal place, so 4.45 shows as 4.5. Your real target may be a little lower than the number you have in mind. Check this before you start asking for reviews.

How many Google reviews a week is normal?

Most local venues get fewer than one a week without asking. Happy customers walk out and forget. Asking at the right moment is the biggest change most businesses can make.

I have no Google reviews yet. What do I do?

The calculator will say there is no average to move yet. Your first review sets your rating on its own. Get the first ten reviews from real customers before you worry about a target.

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