Review Velocity

Review velocity refers to how frequently a business receives new Google reviews — not just its total review count, but how recently and consistently those reviews are coming in. Google's local ranking algorithm weighs review recency heavily, meaning a contractor with 20 reviews collected in the last 60 days will often outrank a competitor with 80 reviews from three years ago.

For home service contractors, review velocity is one of the most controllable ranking signals available. Unlike website authority (which takes years to build) or physical proximity to the customer (which you can't change), review velocity can be dramatically improved in 30-90 days by implementing a consistent post-job review request system.

The most effective approach: send a text message to every customer within 24 hours of job completion with a direct link to your Google review page. One follow-up text 3-5 days later for non-responders. A consistent review request process helps contractors collect more reviews over time and build a stronger recent-review history.

Review velocity matters beyond just ranking. Homeowners reading reviews pay attention to how recent they are — a contractor with 5 reviews from last month looks more actively in-business than one with 50 reviews from 2021. Fresh reviews signal that the contractor is still operating, still doing quality work, and still engaged with their customers.