What Determines Average Google Reviews?
Understanding How Your Star Rating Is Calculated

Your average Google rating is often the first impression potential customers get when they search for your business. But how is that number actually calculated? And what influences it the most?

Let’s break it down.

How Google Calculates Your Average Review Rating

The average rating shown on your Google Business Profile is a straight mathematical average of all public star ratings (1 to 5 stars) left by users.

For example:

If you have:

• 3 five-star reviews

• 1 three-star review

• 1 one-star review

Your average would be:
(5 + 5 + 5 + 3 + 1) / 5 = 3.8 stars

It’s not weighted by time, length, or whether the review has text-though those things may impact how visible the review is to others.

What Else Impacts Your Rating?

While the calculation is straightforward, there are a few things that can indirectly affect your average:

1. Volume of Reviews

A business with 3 reviews can swing dramatically with a single low rating. A business with 500 reviews? Much more stable.

That’s why consistently earning reviews is the best protection against the occasional unfair 1-star hit.

2. Customer Experience Gaps

Bad reviews often come from:

• Poor communication

• Delays or no-shows

• Unmet expectations

• No follow-up after service

The challenge? These are often solvable operational problems-not quality issues. But the review score suffers all the same.

3. Time Gaps Between Reviews

If you only get a review every few months, each one carries more visible weight.

Google also surfaces more recent reviews more prominently, so a low rating from last week might feel like it’s defining your reputation-even if your average is technically solid.

Why Your Average Star Rating Matters

• Click-through rates (CTR) increase significantly when your score rises from 3.9 to 4.2+

• Local SEO favors businesses with higher average reviews and greater volume

• Trust builds fastest when the quantity and quality of reviews align

So while the math is simple, the business impact is huge.

The Bottom Line: Better Averages Come From More Reviews

You don’t need to game the system-you just need more happy customers to speak up. And that only happens when the review process is effortless.

That’s where Cheers comes in.

Cheers uses NFC-powered badges that prompt reviews in the moment-when the experience is fresh and positive. No emails. No chasing. Just a simple tap that converts at over 50%, compared to traditional review asks that convert around 2%.

If you want to improve your average Google rating, the best strategy isn’t begging for 5-stars-it’s removing the friction that keeps happy customers silent.