Changes to the method
When the method changes, it changes for every category and location at once. Each page picks up a change at its next recheck, about every two to three months, so the month shown in a page's ranking history can be later than the date here.
This makes our rankings reproducible: given the same public inputs and the same version of the method, the system produces the same result. Each ranking is a dated snapshot of public data scored against a fixed model. Every change to that model is dated below.
Dated changes
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Review volume
On specialist pages, reviews are counted by what they describe
On pages for trades where another trade's businesses can appear under the same Google category, a business's reviews count towards review volume in proportion to how many of its recent written reviews mention the page's work. A business whose reviews are mostly about other work keeps a quarter of its reviews at most; a business with fewer than 15 written reviews is not judged and keeps them all. Specialists score exactly as before.
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Who is listed
The search behind every page reads 100 results, not 20
Each page is built from the businesses Google Maps returns for the trade in that area. Until now the check read the first 20 results; it now reads the first 100, so a business that Google places further down its own list is assessed too. The scoring is unchanged. Pages pick the wider search up as they are next rechecked.
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Who is listed
Newcomers with the wrong Google category are checked first
A business that would enter a page's top ten with a primary Google category that is not the trade's own is held off the page until a person confirms it does that work. Once approved it is listed as normal; if it does not do the work it is blocked.
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Who is listed
Dormant businesses leave the page
A business whose website address no longer works and that has had no Google review for six months is left off until either changes. A dead website on its own is not enough.
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Who is listed
A business stays listed when Google's search misses it
A business already on a page is reassessed at every check, even when the search leaves it out. It leaves only when its own record fails a rule, or Google reports the listing gone or permanently closed.
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Review velocity
New reviews count on the check that finds them
Reviews found by a check used to reach velocity one check later. A check and any later recalculation of the same data now give the same scores.
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Who is listed
Category pages list only businesses that do the work
A business is left off a category page when its Google profile does not list the category and none of its reviews describe that type of work. It returns as soon as either changes.
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Free identity verification
A trust bonus for verified businesses
Businesses that complete free identity verification receive a small fixed bonus. Verification costs nothing, so the bonus cannot be bought.
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Review velocity
Velocity measured per month over six months
Velocity became the reviews a business gained per month over the past six months, measured from the first and latest check in that window. How often a page happened to be checked no longer changes the result.
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Proportion of 1-star reviews
The 1-star penalty eases with time
The penalty now scales with how many 1-star reviews arrived in the past 12 months. A business with no new 1-star review in that time carries none of it. Where there is no earlier check to compare against, the full penalty applies.
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Who is listed
Minimum rating raised from 3.5 to 4.0
A business now needs a Google rating of at least 4.0 to be assessed at all.
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Star rating
Less weight on the star rating
The star rating's weight was reduced, so between businesses with similar ratings the one with many more reviews now tends to rank higher. Rating still carries the most weight of the six signals.
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Rating confidence
Ratings from a few reviews are treated with caution
A rating is pulled toward the category's typical rating until the business has enough reviews to support it, so a 5.0 from 3 reviews no longer outranks a 4.4 from 29.
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Review velocity
Review velocity added
Businesses that are steadily earning new reviews score a little higher than those whose reviews have stopped.
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Star rating Proportion of 1-star reviews
More weight on rating, and a 1-star penalty
The star rating was given more weight and review volume less. A penalty for a high share of 1-star reviews was added.
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First version
Rankings begin
Scores built from star rating and review volume.
Each change is labelled with the part of the score it affects, or with “Who is listed” when it changes which businesses can appear.
The words we look for on specialist pages
On pages for specialist trades, we count a business's reviews by how many of its recent written reviews mention that work, so a business mostly reviewed for other jobs does not win on volume alone.
The words we look for on each specialist page
- Appliance Repairs
- Words such as: washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, fridge, freezer, oven, stove, cooktop, microwave, rangehood, appliance, whiteware, coffee machine, Fisher & Paykel, element
- Architects
- Words such as: architect, architectural, draughtsman, drawings, floor plans, concept design, sketches, 3D, renders, resource consent
- Bathroom Renovators
- Words such as: bathroom, ensuite, shower, vanity, tiles, tiling, toilet, wet room, renovation, reno, remodel, waterproofing, bath, bathtub
- Builders
- Words such as: build, builder, extension, renovation, reno, deck, framing, carpentry, construction, fit out, cladding, reclad, alterations, new home
- Car Detailers
- Words such as: detailing, valet, car wash, hand wash, cut and polish, paint correction, ceramic coating, headlight restoration, interior, exterior, upholstery, leather, wax, polish, vacuum, in a review that also mentions a car or other vehicle
- Carpet Cleaners
- Words such as: carpet, upholstery, rug, couch, sofa, lounge suite, mattress, stain, spot, urine, odour, smell, steam clean
- Caterers
- Words such as: catering, caterer, wedding, event, function, party, guests, platters, buffet, canapés, grazing, food truck, spit roast, hangi, celebration
- Concrete & Driveway Contractors
- Words such as: concrete, driveway, slab, footings, foundations, exposed aggregate, polished concrete, grind and seal, pour, patio, path, kerb, house lift, re-pile
- Deck & Fence Builders
- Words such as: deck, decking, fence, fencing, pergola, balustrade, gate, kwila, merbau, boardwalk
- Electricians
- Words such as: electrician, electrical, sparky, wiring, rewire, switchboard, power points, lights, lighting, fuse, LED, heat pump, oven, hot water, smoke alarm
- Financial Advisors
- Words such as: KiwiSaver, investment, retirement, financial planning, financial advice, portfolio, wealth, superannuation, insurance, estate planning
- Garage Door Installers
- Words such as: garage door, garage, roller door, sectional door, tilt door, door opener, door motor, door remote, door springs, opener
- Graphic Designers
- Words such as: logo, branding, graphic design, posters, flyers, brochures, business cards, illustration, packaging, labels, artwork, visual identity, style guide, menus, rebrand
- Heat Pump Installers
- Words such as: heat pump, air conditioning, A/C, split system, ducted, HVAC, Daikin, Fujitsu, Mitsubishi, cooling
- House Cleaners
- Words such as: house cleaning, regular clean, weekly, fortnightly, end of tenancy, move-out, bond clean, spring clean, deep clean, Airbnb, vacuuming, dusting, kitchen, bathroom, oven
- House Painters
- Words such as: painting, painter, decorating, wallpaper, plastering, GIB, stopping, roof coating, staining, stain
- House Washing
- Words such as: wash, waterblast, pressure, soft wash, roof treatment, moss, mould, gutter, driveway, exterior
- Kitchen Renovators
- Words such as: kitchen, cabinets, cabinetry, benchtop, joinery, splashback, pantry, kitchen island, island bench, drawers, cupboards, renovation, reno, remodel
- Landscapers
- Words such as: landscaping, garden, lawn, paving, retaining wall, planting, hedge, turf, ready lawn, irrigation, section
- Mortgage Brokers
- Words such as: mortgage, home loan, loan, lender, refinancing, refix, pre-approval, first home, interest rate, bank, top-up, construction loan, bridging, deposit, borrowing
- Physiotherapists
- Words such as: physio, physiotherapy, rehab, ACC, hand therapy, pelvic health, vestibular, dry needling
- Plasterers
- Words such as: plaster, GIB, stopping, skim coat, cornice, fibrous, render
- Plumbers
- Words such as: plumbing, leak, tap, tapware, hot water, cylinder, drain, blocked, pipes, toilet, gas fitting, burst, mixer, shower, water pressure
- Pool Builders
- Words such as: new pool, fibreglass, concrete pool, pool design, built, construction, excavation, renovation, resurfacing, coping, tiling, landscaping, fencing, project management, handover, in a review that also mentions a pool or spa
- Property Managers
- Words such as: property management, tenants, tenancy, landlord, rental, rent, inspections, bond, lease, maintenance
- Real Estate Agents
- Words such as: sold, sale, selling, buyers, buying, purchase, auction, open home, listing, vendor, appraisal, settlement, marketing campaign, on the market, unconditional
- Recruitment Agencies
- Words such as: recruitment, recruiter, new job, new role, job offer, job search, placement, candidates, interview, CV, temp, vacancy, career, employment, labour hire
- Signwriters
- Words such as: signs, signage, signwriting, decals, lettering, vinyl, banners, billboards, shopfront, light box, neon, vehicle wrap, van graphics, window graphics, 3D letters
- Solar Installers
- Words such as: solar, PV, photovoltaic, off-grid, feed-in, Powerwall, home battery
- Tilers
- Words such as: tiles, tiling, tiler, grout, splashback, mosaic, porcelain, travertine, waterproofing, shower, bathroom, ensuite
- Tree Services
- Words such as: tree, arborist, pruning, stump, stump grinding, hedge, felling, chipping, mulch, branches, limbs, canopy, palm, pohutukawa, crown reduction
- Video Production
- Words such as: video, filming, footage, editing, drone, animation, motion graphics, documentary, live stream, YouTube, music video, promo, TV commercial, post-production
- Web Designers
- Words such as: website, web design, web developer, WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, online store, e-commerce, landing page, site, domain, SEO, online presence
- Wedding Photographers
- Words such as: wedding, bride, bridal, groom, elopement, engagement, ceremony, reception, married, marriage, our big day, vows, bridesmaids
- Wedding Venues
- Words such as: wedding, venue, ceremony, function, event, bride, groom, marquee, elopement, engagement party, birthday party, Christmas party, conference, wedding guests