Each 0.1 star moves more revenue than you think.

Google says local results are mainly based on three things: relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance (how far you are from the searcher), and prominence (how well known the business is). Google lists links to your business and how many reviews you have as prominence signals, and says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking. Google does not publish how much each factor weighs, and there's no way to pay for a better local ranking.

Because shoppers filter by thresholds. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 68% of consumers said they'll only use a business with four or more stars, and 31% will only use one rated 4.5 or higher, up from 17% the year before. Only 10% said they'll only use businesses with a perfect five stars. So the model's multiplier climbs faster above 4.5 and drops off below 4.0. The exact curve is our modeling assumption, not a published figure.

Three common mistakes. First, asking long after the visit, when the details have faded. Second, asking in a channel the customer doesn't check. Third, sending people to your website instead of straight to the review form. Google lets you share a direct review link or QR code, so use it. Ask soon after the visit, by text if the customer agreed to receive texts, and keep it to one tap. Asking works: in BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 78% of consumers had been asked to leave feedback in the past year, and 28% said they'll always write a review if asked.

Less than you think, if you respond. A profile with 150 reviews averaging 4.7 drops to about 4.68 after one 1-star review. What matters more is your public response. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 80% of consumers said they're likely to use a business that responds to all of its reviews, and only 10% will only use businesses with a perfect five stars. Reply calmly and specifically, and skip the template: 50% said generic responses make them unlikely to choose a business.

Treat it as an assumption. We could not find a public study that measures click-through rate by star rating for local profiles, so the multipliers are Nirvani's modeling assumptions, shaped by the consumer thresholds in BrightLocal's 2026 survey (68% only use businesses with four or more stars, 31% only 4.5 or more). A 4.5 is set at 1.05x, a 4.8 at 1.30x, a 4.9 at 1.40x, and a 5.0 at 1.45x. Below 4.0 the model drops the multiplier sharply. If your Business Profile performance data says otherwise, trust your data.

Five pages: (1) Your numbers and target-rating revenue table. (2) The model defaults for your industry, side by side with yours. (3) The exact SMS request copy we deploy (industry-specific, A2P 10DLC-compliant). (4) A review-response template library for 5-star, 3-star, and 1-star scenarios. (5) Implementation roadmap, week 1 through day 90. No marketing fluff. We'll email it after you submit. Delivery time can vary.