Most local businesses do not know whether their Google presence is strong, weak, or average for their category and market. What they cannot assess without external reference is whether their current situation is fine or costing them leads every day.
This page provides the reference benchmarks that make that assessment possible. When you run a business through F! Insights, the scored report places your numbers against named local competitors so you can see exactly where you stand in your own market, not against a national average.
In This Article
How to Use These Benchmarks
These are reference points, not fixed thresholds. The benchmarks below represent typical ranges observed across competitive local markets in the United States. The most useful application is to compare them to your named local competitors, not to an abstract industry number.
To learn more about building local authority with scan data, visit Run a Local Ranking Heatmap and Find Dead Zones. How to Read a Geogrid and Build a Local SEO Action Plan and Turn 10 GBP Scans Into a Publishable Industry Report cover adjacent steps in detail.
Review Count and Velocity Benchmarks by Category
| Business Category | Competitive Count (Top Quartile) | Average Count | Healthy Monthly Velocity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and food service | 200 to 500+ | 60 to 120 | 15 to 40 per month |
| Dental practices | 150 to 350 | 50 to 100 | 8 to 20 per month |
| Plumbing and HVAC | 80 to 250 | 30 to 80 | 5 to 15 per month |
| Roofing contractors | 50 to 150 | 20 to 60 | 3 to 10 per month |
| Auto repair shops | 100 to 300 | 40 to 100 | 8 to 20 per month |
| Chiropractic practices | 80 to 200 | 30 to 70 | 5 to 15 per month |
| Law firms | 40 to 120 | 15 to 40 | 2 to 8 per month |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 40 to 120 | 15 to 50 | 3 to 10 per month |
| Physical therapy | 60 to 180 | 20 to 60 | 4 to 12 per month |
| Insurance agencies | 30 to 80 | 10 to 30 | 2 to 6 per month |
| Accountants and tax preparers | 20 to 60 | 8 to 25 | 1 to 5 per month |
Velocity is often more important than total count for ranking purposes. For how to build a consistent review velocity system, see How to Get More Google Reviews Without Begging.
Star Rating Benchmarks
| Rating Range | What It Signals | Click-Through Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 4.5 to 5.0 | Strong trust signal; competitive in most categories | Highest click-through rates in the Map Pack |
| 4.0 to 4.4 | Acceptable in most categories; competitive if review count is strong | Moderate click-through |
| 3.5 to 3.9 | Visible signal of concern for high-consideration categories | Noticeably lower click-through |
| Below 3.5 | Active trust barrier; affects both ranking and conversion | Very low click-through; most prospects choose a competitor |
GBP Completeness Benchmarks
| Completeness Level | Typical Score Range | Competitive Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Fully optimized | 85 to 100% | Maximum eligibility for relevant searches |
| Well-managed | 70 to 84% | Competitive in most markets; specific gaps may limit some search categories |
| Partially complete | 50 to 69% | Missing elements are likely reducing search eligibility; fixable in one focused session |
| Neglected | Below 50% | High-priority fix before any other optimization work |
The most commonly missing elements: secondary service categories, specific attributes, regular photo updates, Q&A responses, and holiday hour updates. All fixable in an afternoon.
Mobile PageSpeed Benchmarks by Category
| Business Category | Top Performer Range | Average Range | Competitive Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare practices | 65 to 85 | 40 to 65 | 60+ |
| Home services (trades) | 55 to 80 | 25 to 55 | 50+ |
| Restaurants and food service | 50 to 75 | 25 to 55 | 50+ |
| Auto services | 50 to 75 | 25 to 55 | 50+ |
| Professional services | 60 to 85 | 35 to 65 | 55+ |
| Law firms | 55 to 80 | 30 to 60 | 55+ |
Mobile scores below 50 are common across all categories, which is why they represent a meaningful competitive advantage when addressed. For how PageSpeed scores affect both ranking and lead conversion, see Core Web Vitals: A Lead Generation Angle Most Agencies Miss.
Reading Your Own Position Against These Benchmarks
Pull up your own numbers: your current review count and date of most recent review, review counts of the top three Map Pack results in your search, your mobile PageSpeed score (pagespeed.web.dev), and your GBP profile for completeness. For a structured view of how these factors combine into an overall competitive position score, see What Your Google Business Profile Score Actually Means.
Which Gaps to Close First
- GBP completeness gaps: fast to close, costs nothing, affects ranking eligibility immediately
- Review response rate: respond to every existing unanswered review this week
- Photo recency: upload several recent photos; resets the recency signal within days
- Review velocity system: produces compounding results over months
- Mobile PageSpeed: requires technical work; impact on both ranking and conversion justifies the investment if score is below 50
Want to see your specific numbers right now? Run a free scan and get a full scored breakdown in under 90 seconds.