Free tool
Review gap calculator
Compare your Google reviews with the business holding the top spot in your map pack, and see what it takes to close the gap.
What this does. It calculates the number of reviews needed to pass the top competitor in your area, how many months that takes at your current pace, and the average rating you would show if those reviews were all 5 stars.
What it does not do. It cannot predict your ranking. Google describes local ranking as a mix of relevance, distance and prominence, so review count is one input among several.
Your numbers
Find the top business in your map pack for your main service search, then fill this in. Nothing is stored or sent: the calculation runs in your browser.
Results
Fill in the fields above and submit to see the numbers.
How the numbers are calculated
- Reviews to pass: competitor count plus 1, minus your count. It is never less than 0.
- Months: reviews to pass divided by your monthly review pace, rounded up to a whole month.
- Average after: your current stars plus the new reviews at 5 stars each, divided by the new total. Real reviews are not all 5 stars, so treat it as the best case.
Assumptions and limits
- Review counts and ratings are the only inputs. Response time, proximity, service relevance and profile completeness are not modelled.
- Both businesses are assumed to be able to collect reviews at the pace you enter. Nothing models seasonal demand.
- The tool assumes review counts stay still on the competitor side. Active competitors keep collecting.
- Google states that local results are ranked on relevance, distance and prominence: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google. Review count is part of prominence, not a formula you can solve.
Where to use it
Use it before promising a client anything, when deciding whether to push reviews or service pages first, and when a competitor with hundreds of reviews looks unbeatable. If the count gap is large, the faster work is usually recency, service relevance and how well the phone is answered. The local search checklist covers that work in order.
Want the profile behind those reviews checked?
The free check covers your Google Business Profile, your map pack positions around the service area, your review routine and how calls are being counted.