Short answer: there's no magic number. It depends on your trade and city. In our September 2026 check of five trades, the top three businesses on Google Maps had a median of 122 reviews (painters, Queens) to 3,384 reviews (HVAC, Atlanta). Your real target is the top three in your own trade and town, and a steady flow of recent reviews matters as much as the total.
What we checked
On September 24, 2026 we searched Google Maps the way a customer would, for one common service in five US cities, and recorded each business's position, review count, rating and categories.
| Search | City | #1 reviews | #2 reviews | #3 reviews | Top-3 median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| house painter | Queens, NY | 219 | 79 | 122 | 122 |
| roofing contractor | Dallas, TX | 699 | 124 | 271 | 271 |
| plumber | Phoenix, AZ | 35,047 | 1,088 | 1,178 | 1,178 |
| hvac contractor | Atlanta, GA | 5,099 | 3,384 | 393 | 3,384 |
| electrician | Charlotte, NC | 2,918 | 2,463 | 461 | 2,463 |
Every top-three business had a rating between 4.7 and 5.0 stars. This is a snapshot of one search per city, and results change with the searcher's location, so treat the numbers as a benchmark rather than a rule.
What the numbers show
1. The benchmark varies enormously by trade and city
A painter in Queens made the top three with 79 reviews. In Atlanta HVAC, the top two had over 3,000 each. Comparing yourself to a national average is meaningless; compare yourself to the top three where you actually work.
2. You don't need to beat the leader's total
Ranking isn't a straight review-count contest. In Dallas, the #2 roofer had 124 reviews and #3 had 271. In Phoenix, #2 had 1,088 and #3 had 1,178. In Atlanta, the #3 HVAC company made the cut with 393 reviews against 5,099 and 3,384 above it. Google weighs reviews alongside your category, how close you are to the searcher, and how complete and active your profile is.
3. High ratings are the price of entry
No top-three business was below 4.7 stars. That matches what customers told BrightLocal in its 2026 survey: 68% of consumers now require at least 4 stars before they'll use a business, and 31% require 4.5 or more.
4. Recent reviews matter more than old ones
Whitespark's 2026 survey of local SEO experts ranks both review recency and a sustained influx of reviews over time among the top 15 map ranking factors. Customers agree: in BrightLocal's survey, 74% said they only pay attention to reviews from the last three months.
So how many should you aim for?
- Find your local benchmark. Search your main service from inside your area and note the review counts of the top three. That's your real target, not a national average.
- Aim for a steady pace, not a spike. Two to four new reviews every month beats 40 in one week and then nothing. Sudden spikes can also look suspicious.
- Keep your rating above 4.7 by asking every customer, not just the happiest ones, and fixing problems before they become reviews.
- Reply to every review. 80% of consumers told BrightLocal they're likely to use a business that responds to all its reviews.
Our guide to getting more Google reviews without breaking the rules has the exact text messages to send.
Frequently asked questions
Do Google reviews help SEO?
Yes, for Google Maps rankings especially. Rating, review count, recency and a steady flow of reviews are all among the top map ranking factors in Whitespark's 2026 survey. Reviews with text count more than star-only ratings.
Do reviews on Yelp or Angi help my Google ranking?
They help less with Google Maps directly, but they matter for customers and increasingly for AI assistants. Whitespark's 2026 survey found third-party reviews are among the top factors for appearing in AI search results.
Can I buy Google reviews?
No. It breaks Google's policies and can get your profile suspended, and the FTC's rule on fake reviews, in effect since October 2024, allows fines for buying or selling fake reviews.