The rate and cadence at which a business consistently receives reviews over time.
Review velocity describes the rate at which reviews appear over a specified period. A simple report might count new published reviews per week or month. State the platform, profile and period, because an unlabeled rate is difficult to interpret or compare.
Distinguish new reviews from the net change in a displayed total. If reviews are removed while others arrive, subtracting the earlier total from the later one may not measure the actual number received. Changes in customer activity and business seasonality also affect the observed pattern.
A particular cadence is not a guaranteed ranking formula. Do not assume that three reviews every week is universally superior or that a sudden increase proves fraud. Assess genuine experience and policy compliance rather than trying to manufacture a smooth pattern.
Takeaway: Use review timing to understand the feedback process, not to set a required customer rating quota. Invite honest feedback consistently without filtering for expected positive responses.
Example
A seasonal tour operator receives more reviews during its busy month than during the off-season. That pattern may reflect real customer activity. It should not create artificial reviews during quiet weeks merely to make a chart look steady.
What to check
Define whether the metric counts new published reviews or net total change. Keep staff requests neutral and optional. Google prohibits selective positive solicitation, incentives and manipulative review practices; a velocity target does not justify any of them.
For more detail, see Maps prohibited and restricted content.