How Many Reviews Do You Actually Need?

Is 50 reviews enough? Do you need 500? We break down the data on how many reviews it takes to dominate local search in your industry.

"How many reviews do I need?" It's one of the most common questions we get. The answer depends on your market, your industry, and your competition—but here's a framework to figure it out.

The Minimum Viable Review Count

Research shows that customers generally want to see at least 10-20 reviews before they trust a business. Below that threshold, you simply don't have enough social proof.

But 10-20 reviews is the bare minimum—it won't help you stand out or rank well. It's just enough to not look suspicious.

The Competitive Benchmark

Here's the real question: how many reviews do the top businesses in your market have?

Search for your service in your area. Look at the top 3 results in the Google Map Pack. Count their reviews. That's your competitive benchmark.

Quick Exercise:

Search "[your service] in [your city]" on Google
Note the review counts of the top 3 local results
Calculate the average
That's your target—at minimum

Industry Benchmarks

While every market is different, here are typical review counts for top-performing local service businesses:

HVAC: 200-500+ reviews
Plumbing: 150-400+ reviews
Lawn Care: 100-300+ reviews
Junk Removal: 200-600+ reviews
Pressure Washing: 100-250+ reviews
Carpet Cleaning: 150-350+ reviews

If you're below these numbers, you're likely losing business to competitors who have invested in review collection.

Quality vs. Quantity

Review count matters, but so does quality. Google and customers both look at:

Average rating: Aim for 4.5+ stars
Review recency: Recent reviews matter more than old ones
Review content: Detailed reviews carry more weight
Response rate: Businesses that respond to reviews rank better

The Magic Number: More Than Your Competitors

Here's the simple truth: you need more reviews than your competitors. Not 10 more, not 20 more—significantly more.

If the top business in your market has 200 reviews, your goal should be 300. If they have 500, aim for 700. The business with the most reviews (assuming similar ratings) typically wins the lion's share of clicks.

How to Get There

If the gap between where you are and where you need to be seems daunting, remember: it's a marathon, not a sprint. Focus on:

Asking every customer for a review
Running reactivation campaigns to past customers
Staying consistent—aim for 20-30+ new reviews per month
Automating the process so you never miss an ask

With the right system, you can close the review gap faster than you think. Review Monster helps businesses add hundreds of reviews within months—not years.