Introduction to Online Reviews
If your business has a great local, word-of-mouth reputation but very few online reviews, does it even exist? This is the existential riddle facing local businesses and agencies in 2025. With Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) now reshaping the search experience, visibility isn’t just about being "the best." It’s about being part of the summary. And reviews? They’re no longer just trust signals. They’re ranking signals.
The Evolution of Reviews
Reviews have long been seen as conversion tools, helping users decide between businesses they’ve already discovered. But that role is evolving. In the era of Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs), reviews are increasingly acting as discovery signals, helping determine which businesses get included in the first place. GatherUp’s 2024 Online Reputation Benchmark Report shows that businesses with consistent, multi-channel review strategies, especially those generating both first- and third-party reviews, saw stronger reputation signals across volume, recency, and engagement.
What Makes a Business Visible?
These are the exact kinds of signals that Google’s systems now appear to prioritize in AI-generated results. In other words, the businesses getting summarized at the top of the SERP aren’t just highly rated. They’re actively reviewed, broadly cited, and seen as credible across sources Google trusts. Recency is a signal, and "relevance" is Google’s shortcut. More than two-thirds of consumers say they prioritize recent reviews when evaluating a business. But Google doesn’t necessarily show them first.
Understanding Review Signals
Instead, Google’s "Most Relevant" filter may prioritize older reviews that match query terms, even if they no longer reflect the current customer experience. That’s why it’s critical for businesses to maintain steady review velocity. A flood of reviews in January followed by silence for six months won’t cut it. The AI layer, and the human reader, needs signals that say "this business is active and trustworthy right now." For agencies, this presents an opportunity to shift client mindset from static review goals to ongoing review strategies.
The Role of Star Ratings
Star ratings still matter, but mostly as a decision shortcut. During our recent webinar with Search Engine Journal, we explored how consumers are using star ratings to disqualify options, not differentiate them. Research shows that 73% of consumers won’t consider businesses with fewer than 4 stars. But 69% are still open to doing business with brands that fall short of a perfect 5.0, so long as the reviews are recent and authentic. In other words, people are looking for a "safe" choice, not a flawless one.
First-Party and Third-Party Reviews
A few solid 4-star reviews with real detail from the past week often carry more weight than a dozen perfect ratings from 2021. Agencies should help clients understand this nuance, especially those who are hesitant to request reviews out of fear of imperfection. First-party reviews are collected and hosted directly on the business’s website. They can be marked up with schema, giving Google structured, machine-readable content to use in summaries and answer boxes. Third-party reviews appear on platforms like Google, Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor, and Reddit. They’re often seen as more objective and are more frequently cited in AI Overviews.
Building a Strong Review Presence
Businesses that show up consistently across both types are more likely to be included in AIOs, and appear trustworthy to users. GatherUp supports multi-source review generation, schema markup for first-party feedback, and rotating requests across platforms. This makes it easier for agencies to build a review presence that supports both local SEO and AIO visibility. AI Overviews pull from more than just Google reviews. According to recent data from Whitespark, over 60% of citations in AI Overviews come from non-Google sources.
The Importance of Review Responses
Review responses are no longer just a nice gesture. They’re part of the algorithmic picture. GatherUp’s benchmark research shows that 92% of consumers say responding to reviews is now part of basic customer service. 73% will give a business a second chance if their complaint receives a thoughtful reply. But there’s also a technical upside. When reviews are clicked, read, and expanded, they generate engagement signals that may impact local rankings. And if a business’s reply includes resolution details or helpful context, it increases the content depth of that listing.
Making AIO Part of Your Core Strategy
To adapt, agencies should align client visibility efforts across both search formats. For local pack optimization, keep Google Business Profile listings fully updated, build and maintain steady review velocity, and respond to reviews regularly. For AIO inclusion, collect first-party reviews and mark them up with schema, rotate requests to third-party platforms, capture reviews with photo uploads and detailed descriptions, and build unstructured citations through community involvement, media mentions, and event participation.
Conclusion
Reputation is no longer separate from rankings. AI Overviews now appear in nearly two-thirds of local business search queries. That means your clients’ next customers may form an impression—or make a decision—before ever clicking through to a website or map pack listing. Visibility is no longer guaranteed. It’s earned through content, coverage, and credibility. And reviews sit at the center of all three. For agencies, this is a moment of opportunity. You already have the tools to guide clients through the shift. Reputation management isn’t optional anymore. It’s infrastructure.