If you're reading this, you probably already know that your Google Business Profile reviews are one of the most important ranking factors for Google.
Both the number of reviews and their average rating are ranking signals that Google heavily factors into its local search rankings, but what about review recency?
Review recency, or review freshness, is another important signal that can impact your business's performance in local search results.
What Is Review Recency?
Review recency in Google Reviews refers to how recently customers have left feedback on a business's Google Business Profile. It's an important factor in local SEO and consumer trust, influencing both search rankings and potential customers' decisions.
Why Google Review Recency Matters:
- Boosts Local Rankings: Google's algorithm favors businesses with fresh reviews, as they signal ongoing customer engagement and relevance in local search results.
- Builds Credibility & Trust: Customers are more likely to trust a business with recent, positive reviews than one with outdated feedback.
- Increases Click-Through Rates: A steady flow of new reviews makes a business look active and relevant, encouraging more clicks and inquiries.
Does Review Recency Impact Ranking?
Review recency absolutely impacts local search rankings on Google. A case study by Joy Hawkins of Sterling Sky found a direct correlation between more recent reviews and higher rankings.
What happened was that a client of theirs had stopped incentivizing their employees to get customers to leave reviews, leading to their reviews flatlining. In order to test whether or not review recency could improve rankings, Hawkins asked the client to start the incentivization program again.
As reviews began to flow in again over the next few months, there were some pretty striking results. At the beginning of the test, the client's rank tracking geo-grid was all red and orange, but after a few months of new reviews steadily flowing in again almost all the grid points turned to green.
We've also seen firsthand how review recency impacts local search rankings, which is why Local Falcon's Reviews Analysis Reports include a "Review Freshness" score that gets factored into your overall Review Quality Score.
How Much Does Review Recency Impact Ranking?
Like with most things, Google doesn't tell us exactly how much review recency impacts rankings in local search results. It likely depends heavily on how many nearby competitors you have and what their review freshness looks like.
For example, if your business is in a rural area with only one or two other competitors nearby, and both of those competitors only have a handful of reviews with maybe a new review every month, review recency might not have a huge impact on rankings.
However, if we're talking about a business in an urban area with dozens of competitors nearby who are all getting several new reviews a week, review freshness is likely going to be playing a bigger role in helping Google determine rankings.
This is why it's so important to analyze your competitors' reviews in addition to your own. The insights you can gain from competitor review analysis are invaluable for determining how to improve your own rankings through review management!
How Can You Measure Review Recency?
As we touched on earlier, Local Falcon's Reviews Analysis tool can help you check your review recency with the Review Freshness score. This score is a number out of 100, with more weight given to reviews based on exactly how recent they are. In other words, reviews posted in the last week impact your score more than reviews posted more than a month ago.
A high Review Freshness score means you have more recent reviews and helps improve your overall Review Quality Score, which tells how strong your overall review performance is. On the other hand, a low Review Freshness score indicates that you should work on getting more new reviews to improve your overall review performance and boost your rankings.
It's also a good idea to look at the Review Freshness scores for your top competitors in the report, which gives you an idea of how much you may need to improve your own score to outrank them in local search results.
How Can You Improve Review Recency?
Here's how you can improve review recency for your Google Business Profile:
1. Ask for Reviews Regularly
Don't wait for customers to leave reviews on their own; proactively request them. Train your staff to ask for reviews at the right moment, such as after a successful transaction or a positive interaction.
2. Use Automated Follow-Ups
Set up automated email or SMS follow-ups that politely ask customers to leave a review after their visit or purchase. Providing a direct Google review link can make this process seamless.
3. Incentivize Without Violating Google's Policies
While you can't offer rewards to customers for reviews, you can encourage participation by highlighting how much customer feedback helps your business. Running a general customer appreciation campaign can also increase review activity.
Additionally, there's no rule against incentivizing your employees to try and get reviews. For example, you could offer some kind of bonus or prize for employees who get mentioned by name in a review. Not only will this encourage them to ask customers for reviews, it will also promote great service!
4. Respond to Reviews Promptly
Engaging with reviews shows customers (and Google) that you value feedback and are active on your GBP listing. Thanking reviewers and addressing concerns can encourage more people to leave fresh reviews.
5. Leverage Your Existing Customer Base
If you have a loyal customer base, don't hesitate to reach out periodically to remind them how valuable their feedback is. A well-timed email or in-person request can lead to an influx of recent reviews.
6. Monitor and Adjust Based on Competitor Activity
Use Local Falcon's Reviews Analysis Reports to track how often competitors receive reviews. If they're getting more frequent reviews, consider adjusting your strategy to keep pace and maintain ranking strength.
Wrapping Up
So, does review recency impact ranking? Absolutely. While Google doesn't disclose exactly how much review recency impacts ranking, the evidence shows that businesses with a steady flow of fresh reviews tend to perform better in local search.
Keeping your reviews up to date not only improves your credibility with potential customers but also strengthens your position in Google's local rankings. So make sure to proactively manage your review strategy, including by requesting reviews, responding to them, and monitoring competitor activity, to ensure that review recency works in your favor!
