Why Google keeps asking for reviews – and how it matters

Have you ever searched for something on Google – maybe ‘good local mechanic’ or ‘best coffee shop near me’ – and noticed how some businesses appear right at the top, while others are buried a few scrolls down?

It’s easy to think those top spots are just the biggest or busiest places, but that’s not always the case. In fact, one of the biggest things that affects where a business shows up on Google is something you’ve probably come across before: reviews.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Another business asking for a Google review? What’s all the fuss?” But there’s actually clever tech behind it all. Once you understand how it works, it starts to make a lot more sense – and it might even change the way you use Google yourself.

First off, Google isn’t just a digital phone book. It’s more like a super-powered recommendation engine. When you type in a search, Google uses a complex formula (called an algorithm) to figure out what to show you. It tries to guess what you need, based on, for example, your location, what other people have searched for and what’s been most helpful in the past.

But one of the key ingredients in that formula is customer reviews. Reviews act like online word-of-mouth. If many people say a particular bakery makes great sourdough, Google takes that as a good sign.

Not only does it look at the star ratings, but it also checks how many reviews there are, how recent they are and even what kinds of words people use. If someone writes: “Friendly staff, quick service” that tells Google something different to “long wait, cold food”. All of this helps the system decide which businesses to suggest to the next person who searches. That’s why businesses, especially small local ones, often ask for reviews. They’re not fishing for compliments. They’re trying to stay visible in a very crowded digital space.

Without reviews, even the best little café in town might never show up on the first page of search results. And as we all know, most people don’t scroll much further than that.

But this isn’t just useful for business owners. It matters for all of us who use the internet to make decisions. Knowing how reviews influence what we see means we can be more thoughtful when we search and more helpful when we take the time to leave a review ourselves. It’s a small gesture, but it can go a long way, especially for independent businesses that rely on locals to spread the word. You don’t need to write an essay. Just a sentence or two and a star rating is enough to make a difference.

Greyology has a very rare ‘5-star’ average, whereas other similar businesses may only have a ‘4-star’ average. It doesn’t seem like a big difference, but in the world of reviews, it’s a huge gap.

 Edin Read is founder and chief technician at Greyology Tech Support for Seniors. Visit greyology.com.au