The percentage of a defined set of reviews that receive a business response, with any timeliness requirement specified separately.
Review response rate measures the share of a defined review set that has received a business reply. A basic calculation divides reviews with a published reply by eligible reviews, then multiplies by 100. State which reviews and observation date are included.
If timeliness is part of the measure, define it separately. A business might set an internal service goal for a response within a chosen number of days. That is its own operational rule, not a universal Google ranking requirement. Allow the full response window before classifying a newly received review as late.
Count each review once even if its reply is edited. Track excluded or unavailable reviews transparently, and report the rate as undefined if there are no eligible reviews. A high percentage does not establish that the replies are helpful, accurate or respectful.
Takeaway: Use the measure to support accountable customer communication. Assess reply quality alongside coverage rather than posting generic responses solely to increase the percentage.
Example
A business reviews 20 eligible reviews received during a month and finds published replies on 15: a 75% response rate. If only 12 met its documented timing goal, timely response rate is 60% for the same mature cohort. The report should show both definitions.
What to check
Write concise, relevant replies and keep private customer information out of public responses. Set a realistic review process and escalation path. Do not promise a fixed ranking benefit from responding within a particular number of hours.
For more detail, see Tips to get more reviews.