Reviews have always mattered to local businesses, but the numbers for 2026 show customers are getting pickier. They want higher ratings, more recent reviews, and faster replies, and more of them are asking AI tools for recommendations.
We've gathered the key statistics on how people read, trust, and act on reviews, and checked each one against its original source. Most of the consumer data comes from BrightLocal's 2026 survey of 1,002 US consumers, so treat the exact figures as a guide if you're elsewhere.
Quick answer: 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, and 68% will only use a business with 4 or more stars. 47% won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews, 74% look for reviews from the last three months, and 89% expect owners to reply. Google is still the most-used review site, but 45% of consumers now use AI tools for local recommendations.
Key Google review statistics at a glance
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Consumers who read reviews for local businesses | 97% | BrightLocal, 2026 |
| Consumers who use Google for reviews | 71% | BrightLocal, 2026 |
| Consumers who use AI tools for local recommendations | 45% | BrightLocal, 2026 |
| Only use businesses with 4 or more stars | 68% | BrightLocal, 2026 |
| Won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews | 47% | BrightLocal, 2026 |
| Look for reviews from the last three months | 74% | BrightLocal, 2026 |
| Expect business owners to reply to reviews | 89% | BrightLocal, 2026 |
| Visit a business website after reading positive reviews | 54% | BrightLocal, 2026 |
| Star rating where purchase likelihood peaks | 4.0 to 4.7 | Spiegel Research Center |
| Policy-violating reviews Google blocked or removed in 2025 | 292 million+ |
How many people read reviews
From BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Survey 2026:
- 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses.
- 41% "always" read reviews when browsing for businesses, up from 29% a year earlier.
- 49% trust reviews from strangers about as much as personal recommendations.
- The average consumer uses six different review sites.
Where people read and write reviews
- Google: 71% of consumers use Google for reviews, still the most of any site, but down from 83% in 2025.
- AI tools: 45% use tools like ChatGPT for local recommendations, up from 6% a year earlier.
- Apple Maps: 27% use Apple Maps for reviews, up from 14%.
- Writing reviews: 45% of consumers write reviews on Google, ahead of Facebook (34%) and Yelp (24%).
Google is still where most reviews are written and read, but customers increasingly see your reviews summarised somewhere else, like an AI answer.
Star ratings customers expect
- 92% of consumers care about star ratings.
- 68% will only use a business with 4 or more stars, up from 55% in 2025.
- 31% will only use a business with 4.5 stars or more, up from 17%.
- 10% will only use a business with a perfect 5 stars.
A perfect score isn't always best, though. Northwestern University's Spiegel Research Center found that purchase likelihood typically peaks at 4.0 to 4.7 stars, and falls as ratings get close to 5.0, because a perfect score can look too good to be true.
How many reviews a business needs
- 47% of consumers won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews.
- 9% are happy to use a business with five reviews or fewer.
- The Spiegel Research Center found that a product with five reviews was 270% more likely to be bought than one with none, and that the first five reviews have the biggest effect.
How recent reviews need to be
- 74% of consumers look for reviews written in the last three months.
- 44% say a review from the last month is an important factor.
- 32% look for reviews from the last two weeks, up from 20%.
- 18% are only swayed by reviews from the last week.
A steady flow of new reviews matters as much as the total. See how to get more Google reviews without breaking the rules, and make asking easy with your Google review link and QR code.
What customers expect from replies
- 89% of consumers expect business owners to respond to reviews.
- 80% are likely to use a business that responds to all of its reviews.
- 42% are unlikely to use a business that never replies.
- 50% are unlikely to choose a business that uses templated or generic replies.
- 81% expect a reply within a week, and 32% by the next day.
For ready-to-use replies, see our Google review reply examples.
How reviews affect what customers do
- 85% of consumers are more likely to use a business after reading positive reviews, and 77% are less likely after negative ones.
- 54% visit the business's website after reading positive reviews.
- 93% have made a purchase after reading reviews.
- A one-star increase in Yelp rating led to a 5% to 9% increase in revenue for independent Seattle restaurants, according to a Harvard Business School study reported by Harvard Magazine.
That 54% is worth noting. Customers who like your reviews often go to your website next, so showing your Google reviews there keeps them convinced. See how to embed Google reviews on your website.
AI and reviews
- 82% of consumers read AI-generated review summaries.
- 23% would rely only on the AI summary, without reading individual reviews.
- 42% trust AI recommendations as much as traditional reviews.
AI tools build their answers from what customers say about you, so a healthy, recent set of reviews matters even when people never open your Google profile.
Fake reviews
- 292 million: Google blocked or removed more than 292 million policy-violating reviews in 2025, and removed more than 13 million fake Business Profiles, according to Search Engine Roundtable, reporting on Google's announcement.
- 97% of consumers think businesses should be punished for fake reviews, and 57% want them banned from review platforms.
If a fake review targets your business, here's how to report a Google review.
What this means for your business
- Ask every customer: more reviews, and more recent ones, help you clear the 20-review mark and stay current.
- Reply to every review: quickly, and in your own words.
- Show your reviews on your website: that's where many customers go after reading them.
How RepU helps
RepU's Google review widget is free forever, with no view limits, and displays your latest 30 reviews on your website, so new reviews appear automatically. RepU Pro adds email review requests, AI replies in your voice, and lead capture forms, for AUD $19 a month per location.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of people read Google reviews?
97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, and 71% use Google for reviews, according to BrightLocal's 2026 survey of US consumers.
What star rating do customers expect?
68% of consumers will only use a business with 4 or more stars, and 31% want 4.5 or more. Research from the Spiegel Research Center suggests ratings between 4.0 and 4.7 convert best.
How many Google reviews does a business need?
47% of consumers won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews, and 74% look for reviews from the last three months, so both the number and how recent they are matter.
How quickly should I reply to reviews?
81% of consumers expect a reply within a week, and 32% expect one by the next day.
How many fake reviews does Google remove?
Google blocked or removed more than 292 million policy-violating reviews in 2025.
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