The big news this week is about ChatGPT. A new study found it names businesses with lots of Google reviews far more often than businesses with only a few. If you needed another reason to ask every customer for a review, this is it.
One thing to do this week
Ask every customer for a Google review this week, not just the ones you think loved you. Make it part of how your team wraps up with every customer.
This week’s stories
ChatGPT names businesses with more reviews
What happened: A study asked ChatGPT to recommend local service businesses in 49 places. Businesses with 1,000 or more Google reviews got named about six times as often as businesses with fewer than 25. Star ratings didn’t show the same pattern. The study comes from a company that sells AI visibility services, and it didn’t prove that more reviews cause more mentions.
Why it matters to you: When someone asks ChatGPT who to use, the businesses it names are the ones they call or visit first.
Do this: Ask ChatGPT who it recommends for what you do in your town, and see if you’re on the list.
Source: 8ight.AI, reported by PPC Land, October 6, 2026
Keep prices and “call now” out of your Google listing
What happened: Google’s Maps rules now include a separate list for business owners. Prices, limited-time deals, and direct sales pitches aren’t allowed in your listing. They’re still fine in Google posts. Google hasn’t said when this changed.
Why it matters to you: Google can remove content that breaks its rules, and your listing is often the first thing customers see.
Do this: Read your Google listing description. If it mentions a price, a sale, or “call now,” move that to a Google post.
Source: Search Engine Roundtable, October 6, 2026
A new review can take two weeks to move your score
What happened: Google says your star score is the average of all your Google ratings, and it can take up to two weeks to update after a new review.
Why it matters to you: If a great review comes in and your score doesn’t budge, nothing is broken yet.
Do this: Give it two weeks before you contact Google about a score that hasn’t changed.
Source: Google Business Profile Help
Quick hits
- Google blocked or removed more than 290 million reviews that broke its rules in 2025. (Google, April 2026)
- Yelp shows about 3 in 4 of its reviews. The rest sit behind a link and don’t count toward your stars or review total. (Yelp)
- Google seems to have stopped showing review stars in search results for healthcare websites, based on one company’s data. Google hasn’t commented. (Search Engine Roundtable, October 7, 2026)
Google, Yelp, and now ChatGPT all count your reviews a little differently. We’ll keep tracking the changes here every Friday.
Matt Tyner
Chief Customer Officer, Liftify
Trust, made visible.
Every review is a point of light. Enough of them, connected, is how a customer finds you, picks you, and calls. Reviews in the News exists to help you build that, one week at a time.