Reviews in a New Era: Understanding Consumer Behavior Shifts.

APEX / April 28, 2025

Introduction:

A recent report by BrightLocal, analyzing 15 years’ worth of consumer review behavior data, has unveiled significant shifts in how consumers research and interact with local businesses. These findings have important implications for marketers seeking to effectively reach and influence potential customers. Key trends highlighted in the report include a decreased emphasis on perfect ratings, evolving platform preferences, and an increased willingness among consumers to write reviews.

Historical Context:

The report provides a historical overview of online review usage, noting a substantial rise in local business research between 2015 and 2016. This increase coincided with the widespread adoption of smartphones, with ownership reaching 77% of U.S. adults during that period. The report indicates that this trend of frequent local business research peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with 59% of consumers reporting that they researched local businesses almost daily. However, following this peak, the study reveals a steady decrease in the number of consumers engaging in daily local business research.

Shifting Consumer Priorities:

The BrightLocal report also highlights a change in consumer priorities regarding online reviews, suggesting that traditional review metrics are becoming less influential. Notably, fewer consumers now expect businesses to have perfect five-star ratings. Additionally, consumers are demonstrating less concern about the recency of reviews compared to the 2018-2020 timeframe. While star ratings still hold significance, there’s a growing perception among customers that they can be “vanity metrics” and not always reliable indicators of a business’s true quality.

The report notes:

“This reinforces the point that consumers are more understanding of the challenges to maintain high ratings, and that it’s not a realistic indicator of true quality as a standalone factor.”

While consumer reliance on reviews as a primary purchasing driver may be evolving, their willingness to contribute reviews remains strong. Over the last five years, almost 75% of adults in the United States have written online reviews. Importantly, current data indicates a growing trend of consumers being more inclined to write reviews, even if they haven’t been active in doing so recently.

The report states:

“For business owners, what this shows is that, despite the challenges of maintaining a consistent stream of new reviews, consumers are overwhelmingly willing to write one. It’s all about giving them a strong reason to do so (AKA a memorable experience) and catching them at the right time.”

The BrightLocal report indicates that while Google remains a key review platform, consumer behavior is shifting. Facebook’s usage and trust have declined since 2020, while Yelp’s trust has remained stable. Increasingly, platforms like YouTube, local news, and social media influence consumer decisions.

This means that businesses should move beyond solely focusing on star ratings and review recency for local visibility. The report advises marketers to:

* Be present on various online platforms.

* Engage with customer feedback.

* Utilize business profiles to connect with consumers.

* Adapt to evolving review sources.

* Actively ask customers for reviews.

See the full report.