An aggregate star score (1.0 to 5.0) summarizing customer ratings on Google Maps and search.
Review rating is the aggregate star score shown for a business. Google describes its review score as the average of ratings published on Google for that place or business, on a scale from one to five stars. The displayed score summarizes individual ratings rather than explaining every customer experience.
Read it together with the number and substance of reviews. The same average can arise from very different distributions and sample sizes. A few ratings can give a limited view, while a large collection may still include experiences from different periods or service types.
There is no universal ideal star range that should be engineered to improve conversions. Focus on real service quality and accurate, voluntary feedback. Do not buy reviews, reward particular ratings or discourage customers whose experience was negative.
Takeaway: Use the score as a summary that invites closer reading. Investigate recurring feedback instead of managing toward an unsupported target such as a supposedly optimal 4.8 stars.
Example
A business sees its average change after new feedback appears. Reading the reviews may reveal a repeated scheduling issue worth addressing. Trying to offset criticism with incentivized positive ratings would manipulate the score rather than fix the customer problem.
What to check
Keep the review count and observation date beside the rating in reports. Displayed updates may not be immediate. Respond constructively where a reply is useful, and do not assume a negative review should be removed simply because it lowers the average.
For more detail, see Understand review scores for local places and businesses.