Ranking methodology
How RealReviews orders listings and ranked local pages
Ranked listing pages are sortable views over available category, location, rating, and review-count context. They are designed to be transparent, reversible, and safe when data is incomplete.
Default Best/Top ordering
Best and Top pages start with a balanced review-signal view: category match, location match, public rating context, public review counts, profile completeness, and stable tie-breakers such as business name.
- The default order is not sold.
- Claimed or sponsored status is not an organic ranking boost.
- When data is thin, pages remain noindex or show fallback browsing states.
Highest Rated preset
Highest Rated starts with available rating values from labeled sources, then uses review count and name as tie-breakers. External rating values are not converted into a RealReviews rating.
- Ratings should show where the public data came from.
- Low-count ratings should be interpreted cautiously.
- Users can switch sort presets when available.
Most Reviewed preset
Most Reviewed starts with public review counts where available, then uses rating and name as tie-breakers. Count-first pages are context pages, not quality guarantees.
- Review counts may change after capture.
- Counts can reflect platform age or visibility, not only customer satisfaction.
- Sparse pages remain gated from search indexing.