Can You Get a 5-Star Average on Google with Negative Reviews?

[KevinJr]

We have been relentlessly working on our Google reviews for several years. I noticed that 2 of our 4.9 Star ratings improved to 5 after we reached 50 reviews. We have a GMB listing at 48 reviews, I hope to get to 50 soon. Has anyone else seen this improvement?

 

[djbaxter]

How do you mean the reviews improved? The customer returned and edited the review?

 

[KevinJr]

The review count improved from 4.9 to 5.0

 

[Yan Gilbert]

Not sure if the review calculation is still a bayesian average, but that might account for the adjustment.

 

[Cherie Dickey]

Not sure if the review calculation is still a bayesian average, but that might account for the adjustment.

I'm not sure either, but it makes sense to me that they might be. Mike B wrote a good article a few years back. It's from 2014, but I'd wager it's still relevant since I haven't heard anything different. You can Google the article if you'd like to read it, @KevinJr . It's called Why does Google show a 4.8 rating when I have all 5-star reviews? and is on the LocalU website.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

If you mean your overall average it just eventually rounded up I'm guessing.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Google no longer uses the bayesian average. I checked my guide and this happened in February 2017 (before then, they did use it).

It's now based on solely on averages and rounds to the nearest half-star so it's possible to get a 5.0 with negative reviews.

 

[DenisOxon]

I thought I read somewhere that Google was leaving old reviews out of the average calculation - I don't know if this is correct or what age they are left off

 

[razorclicks]

Google no longer uses the bayesian average. I checked my guide and this happened in February 2017 (before then, they did use it).

It's now based on solely on averages and rounds to the nearest half-star so it's possible to get a 5.0 with negative reviews.

What do you mean they round to the nearest half star? Don't we see 4.8 and 4.9 all the time?

 

[JoyHawkins]

That was worded poorly. I meant rounded on a 0.1 decimal level. Not sure how to word that lol but you could be a 4.96 and it would be rounded to 5.0.