If more reviews automatically meant a higher local ranking, the business with the most five-star ratings in a metro would own every "near me" search across every town in it. That is not how it works, and noticing why saves real money.
Google names relevance, distance, and prominence as its three local ranking factors. Reviews are part of prominence. Distance is a separate factor entirely, and it answers a different question: is this business close enough to be considered for this particular searcher? A business that clears the distance filter and has strong reviews is well-positioned. A business that does not clear the filter, no matter how many stars it carries, is typically absent from the results.
Where the myth breaks
Search "plumber near me" from a given town. The top three results almost always have addresses inside or very near that town. One might have 60 reviews. Another might have 180. Across town, there may be a shop with 500 reviews that does not appear in those results at all, because it is too far from the search location.
Reviews clearly matter: 97% of consumers check ratings when researching a local business (BrightLocal, 2026). But they matter after distance has already filtered the field. Among the businesses that are close enough to be considered, reviews help decide who sits where. They do not teleport a distant business into a local result.
What this means for spending
If you are already in the map pack and want to move from third to first, investing in reviews is a reasonable move. If you are not in the map pack because your nearest office is 15 miles away, a review campaign is solving the wrong problem. The thing that changes whether you appear is a real address in that town, not a higher star count at your existing one.
Reviews and proximity are both worth investing in. The order in which you invest matters. Close the distance gap first, then let your reviews do the work they are built for.
FAQ
Q: Do reviews matter at all for local ranking?
Yes. They are part of what Google calls prominence, one of its three stated local ranking factors. They influence your position among the businesses being considered. They just do not override distance.
Q: What matters more, review count or star rating?
Google names "number of reviews and review score" as factors in prominence. Both contribute. Neither overrides a large distance gap.
Social atomization notes
The myth: more reviews means you rank first. The reality: reviews sort you among the businesses that are close enough to show up. A 500-review shop 20 miles away often does not appear at all in a town where a 60-review shop inside it sits in the top three.