[ Review Quality Audit ]
Your 4.8★ rating is hiding the real reason you’re losing the local pack
Google’s local algorithm doesn’t just count stars. It weights review depth, recency, owner responses, and reviewer authority. Two businesses with identical 4.8★ ratings rank dramatically differently because of these signals. We score your last 30 reviews on the 5 factors that matter, identify the gaps dragging you down, and hand you a punch list to fix. $250 one-time, 2-day delivery.
[ The hidden problem ]
Stars + count is what prospects see. Quality is what Google ranks.
On every dashboard you’ve seen, your review profile shows two numbers: average rating and total reviews. Both feel healthy. Meanwhile your local pack ranking is dropping, and you can’t figure out why. The real story lives in the data underneath those two numbers — and that data is exactly what Google is reading.
5
ranking factors Google’s local algorithm weights beyond stars + count
30
most-recent reviews scored on every factor — covering ~12 months of activity for most businesses
100
point composite Review Quality Score (RQS) — your single number for review profile health
[ The scoring rubric ]
5 factors. 100 points. 1 score that explains why you’re ranking where you are.
Each review is scored 0-100 on every factor. Weights below sum to 100%. The aggregate RQS is your weighted average across all reviews.
Length
Long detailed reviews carry more weight than 'great service'. We score every review on character count using a 6-band curve. Average review length is one of the strongest correlates of local pack ranking velocity.
Specificity
Reviews that name actual services ('AC repair on a 2018 Trane unit') outperform generic praise ('they were nice'). We check for category-specific keywords, Google's auto-extracted review highlights, and multi-sentence structure.
Recency
Google's local algorithm weights recent reviews heavily. A 4.9★ profile with no reviews in 18 months ranks below a 4.5★ profile getting 2 fresh reviews per month. We score using a freshness curve: <30d, <90d, <365d, etc.
Owner response
Personalized owner responses (mentioning the reviewer's name AND specific service) beat templated 'Thanks for your review!' replies. Industry benchmark: 80%+ owner response rate, with 40%+ personalized.
Reviewer authority
Reviews from Local Guides and high-volume reviewers carry more weight than one-time reviewers. We track the percentage of your reviews that come from authoritative profiles vs. drive-by accounts.
[ Process ]
Two business days from order to call
Day 0 — Order intake
You send us your business name + Google Maps URL (or place_id). If you’re running specific service campaigns, send the keywords you want us to validate against — we’ll use them in specificity scoring.
Day 1 — Pull + score
We pull your most recent 30 reviews via the Google Business Data API, run each through our scoring rubric, and aggregate. We also identify the 'gaps' — specific patterns dragging the RQS down (low specificity, weak owner responses, stale review velocity).
Day 2 — Walkthrough call
Live interactive dashboard delivered + 30-minute Zoom call. We show you exactly which reviews scored well and which scored poorly, why, and the prioritized punch list of fixes that would move the RQS most.
Optional add-ons
Competitor audit (+$200): we audit your top 3 competitors and produce a head-to-head comparison. Ongoing monitoring (+$50/mo): weekly RQS recalculation as new reviews land, alerts when scores shift meaningfully.
[ Pricing ]
One-time + optional add-ons
[ Audit ]
$250
/ one-time
- 30 most-recent reviews scored
- Composite RQS 0-100
- 5-factor breakdown
- Best vs. weakest review samples
- Prioritized gap punch list
- 30-min walkthrough call
- 2 business day delivery
[ Competitor add-on ]
+$200
/ one-time
- Top 3 competitors audited with same rubric
- Side-by-side RQS comparison
- Specific tactical gaps to close
Most useful when stuck at #4-#8 and you need to understand why the top 3 are winning.
[ Monitoring ]
+$50
/ month
- Weekly RQS recalculation
- New review alerts
- Trend dashboard
Bundles into Tier 1 plans at no extra charge.
[ Where this fits ]
After the audit
The Review Quality Audit reveals what’s dragging your local ranking. The fixes typically ship via the Local Visibility Audit (to map where the rank issues are geographically), or our ongoing Living Pillar Maintenance engagement which includes review velocity programs, owner response personalization, and review-prompt copy that actually generates specific, on-topic reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Industries that need the Review Quality Audit
Each industry hub shows the specific visibility tactics, automation patterns, and content angles that move the needle for that vertical.
Roofing
Storm chase, hail map, insurance work, free-inspection calls.
Plumbing
Emergency calls at 2am, drain cleaning, water heater installs.
HVAC
Seasonal demand, maintenance plans, install vs repair pricing.
Electricians
Panel upgrades, EV chargers, lighting, generator installs.
Pest Control
Recurring quarterly plans, termite warranties, mosquito programs.
Property Restoration
Water, fire, mold — insurance-driven emergency work.
Cleaning Services
Residential, commercial, move-out, and recurring contracts.
Auto Repair
Independent shops, diagnostic work, fleet maintenance, EV.
Dentists
New-patient offers, cosmetic, Invisalign, insurance-driven booking.
Orthodontists
Free consults, financing, clear-aligner and braces conversion.
Optometrists
Exams, insurance-accepted lists, dry-eye and pediatric specialties.
Chiropractors
New-patient specials, sports injury, prenatal, decompression.
Med Spas
Botox, laser, body contouring — high-AOV consult bookings.
Veterinarians
Wellness plans, exotic specialties, after-hours emergency triage.
Catering
Wedding, corporate, drop-off — booking calendar + tasting flow.
Find out where you're losing calls
Enter your website and we'll score your Google Maps visibility, AI search presence, and review strength against your top competitors. Free. Takes 30 seconds.
No contract. No credit card. No sales pitch unless you want one.