Walk down any Perth high street and you’ll see cafés flaunting their 4.9-star Google stickers. Cleaning companies are no different: a fat stack of glowing reviews can shoot you to the top of the local pack, nudge cautious renters to pick up the phone and—even better—shield your brand when the occasional hiccup happens. Below, we unpack the data, the psychology and the “how-to” so cleaning pros and customers alike understand why reviews rule.

The algorithmic truth: star ratings = local-pack visibility

Google’s own documentation lists relevance, distance and prominence as the three ranking factors for the map pack. Reviews feed directly into prominence.

1. Quantity – More legit reviews signal a business is active and trusted.
2. Velocity – Recent reviews show you’re not resting on 2019 glory.
3. Diversity – Text length, photos and varied keywords (“bond clean,” “gutter vac”) train Google’s AI on what you actually do.

Human psychology: trust is social proof in work boots

• 88 % of Aussies trust online reviews as much as word-of-mouth (BrightLocal, 2025).
• A jump from 4.2★ to 4.8★ can lift conversions by 31 % for service trades.
• Negative reviews aren’t death—they’re authenticity. A fast, helpful reply recoups 67 % of lost trust.

Want to see real-world proof? Read this Bassendean transformation: ADD Bhutan Client Case Study—From Cluttered to Spotless.

Four pillars of review-driven growth for Perth cleaners

1. Make it friction-free

Text customers a Review Request link the moment the job is signed off. Five taps, job done.

2. Ask specific questions

Prompt with “How did we score on punctuality?” to spark keyword-rich responses Google loves.

3. Showcase, don’t stash

Embed a live widget on your site—ours sits on the Testimonials page—so browsers become believers without leaving.

4. Respond like a human

Thank the five-stars, fix the one-stars. Google flags active owners and potential clients note the tone.

Handling the dreaded bad review

• Breathe—one negative amid a hundred isn’t fatal.
• Acknowledge the issue publicly within 24 h.
• Move offline with a private call to solve the problem.
• Circle back—post a follow-up reply once fixed. Resolving publicly shows accountability.