What is Review Velocity?
TL;DR
The rate at which your business accumulates new reviews. Google values fresh, consistent reviews over a sudden burst followed by silence. Building review velocity into your operations, asking every customer, using follow-up emails, training staff, keeps the reviews flowing steadily. Important for both Local SEO rankings and social proof.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Review Velocity
How many reviews per month is a good velocity?
Depends on your business volume and industry. A busy restaurant might get 20-50 reviews monthly. A B2B service might average 2-4. Compare to your competitors, if they're getting 10 per month and you're getting 1, you're falling behind. Consistency matters more than hitting a magic number.
Will getting a bunch of reviews at once hurt me?
A sudden spike can look suspicious to Google, but if they're legitimate reviews from real customers, you should be fine. The issue is when businesses buy fake reviews in bulk, that's what triggers penalties. Organic bursts from a promotion or event are natural.
Do old reviews still count?
Yes, but less than recent ones. Google weighs recency, so a 5-star review from last week matters more than one from 3 years ago. Old reviews contribute to your total count and historical reputation, but you need fresh reviews to stay competitive in search results.
How do I maintain review velocity consistently?
Build it into your process. Send an automated follow-up email or text after every service. Put review requests in your email signature. Train staff to ask at checkout. Create a simple landing page with links to your review profiles. Make asking for reviews as routine as sending invoices.
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