Stop vanity metrics. Learn the 7 reputation KPIs Australian businesses should track.
Your Starworks dashboard displays dozens of data points—average rating, review count, response time, sentiment score. Yet most Australian business owners track vanity metrics while ignoring the data that actually predicts customer behaviour and revenue impact. According to Roy Morgan research, 72% of Australian consumers read online reviews before purchasing, yet many businesses obsess over total review count rather than metrics that drive real business outcomes. This guide cuts through the noise to show you exactly which review analytics matter, how to interpret them, and what actions to take based on your data.
Review analytics are measurable data points extracted from customer feedback across Google, Facebook, industry-specific platforms, and your website. They function as early warning systems for your reputation and business health, serving three critical functions:
• Competitive intelligence – See how you stack against local competitors
• Customer insight – Understand what's driving satisfaction or complaints
• Operational improvement – Identify specific areas to fix in your business
The key is knowing which metrics to watch and why they matter to your bottom line.
Your overall rating is a trust signal that appears in Google Search results and Google Maps. Research by Deloitte found that a 1-star difference in rating influences 25-30% of potential customers' purchasing decisions.
What to track:
• Rating distribution – Are you getting mostly 5s and 1s (polarized), or a healthy spread? • Trending rating – Is your rating stable, improving, or declining? • Rating by platform – Your Google rating might be 4.7, but your Facebook rating 4.2. This gap reveals where customer experience is slipping
Action: Set up alerts if your weighted average drops below your baseline by more than 0.3 stars over a 30-day period.
Consistent review volume signals active customer engagement and gives search engines fresh signals that your business is legitimate. According to BrightLocal's 2023 survey, 89% of Australian consumers trust businesses with recent reviews more than those with outdated feedback.
What to track:
• Reviews per week – Establish your baseline and aim to increase it • Seasonal patterns – Many Australian businesses see review surges around holidays • Velocity changes – A sudden drop in reviews might indicate a service issue
Action: If you're currently getting 2 reviews per week, aim for 3-4. Automated review request tools can help you reach this goal.
A Harvard Business School study found that responding to negative reviews can increase customer likelihood to return by up to 25%. This metric separates professional businesses from the rest.
What to track:
• Response rate – Aim for 100% of 1-3 star reviews; minimum 80% of all reviews • Response time – Best practice is under 24 hours; excellent is under 12 hours • Response quality – Are your responses defensive, or genuinely helpful?
Real-world example: A Sydney-based aged care facility discovered they were responding to only 40% of reviews, taking 3-4 days on average. After implementing a daily review check-in, their response rate hit 95%, average response time dropped to 8 hours, and their overall rating improved from 4.1 to 4.6 stars within 60 days.
Action: Set a calendar reminder to check and respond to reviews daily.
Not all 4-star reviews are created equal. Sentiment analysis uses AI to detect the emotional tone behind reviews, revealing true customer satisfaction beyond the star rating.
What to track:
• Positive sentiment % – What percentage of your reviews contain genuinely positive language? • Negative sentiment keywords – Which specific words appear in negative reviews? (e.g., "slow," "rude," "expensive") • Complaint hotspots – The top 5 negative keywords appearing in recent reviews
Real-world example: A Melbourne dental practice had a 4.3-star rating, but sentiment analysis revealed that 35% of reviews mentioned "long wait times." After restructuring their appointment scheduling, average wait time dropped from 25 to 8 minutes, and their rating climbed to 4.7 within three months.
Action: Review your sentiment analysis weekly and address complaint patterns systematically.
Different platforms attract different audiences and influence different customer journeys. Understanding your review distribution helps you prioritize efforts strategically.
What to track:
• Reviews by platform – Google, Facebook, industry-specific sites, your website • Rating variance by platform – Do you have a 4.8 on Google but 3.9 on Facebook? • Review growth by platform – Which platforms are growing fastest?
Real-world example: A Brisbane renovation company discovered that 60% of reviews were on Google, 25% on Facebook, and 15% on Houzz. Their Google rating was 4.6, but Houzz was 4.1. By addressing concerns highlighted on Houzz, they improved that platform's rating to 4.5 within two months.
Action: Monitor all platforms from one dashboard and set platform-specific targets based on where your ideal customers review.
A restaurant might find that weekend diners rate them 4.8 stars, while lunch-rush customers rate them 3.5 stars. This granular insight drives operational improvement.
What to track:
• By customer type – New vs. repeat customers, different service types • By time period – Peak hours vs. quiet hours, weekdays vs. weekends • By location – If you have multiple locations, which are performing best?
Real-world example: A Gold Coast fitness chain found that morning yoga classes scored 4.8 stars, while evening strength training scored 3.9 stars. After retraining their evening trainer, evening classes improved to 4.6 stars.
Action: Ask customers to specify what service or product they're reviewing to help segment data.
NPS measures how likely customers are to recommend you. Calculate a proxy NPS by treating 5-star reviews as "promoters" and 1-2 star as "detractors."
What to track:
• NPS trend – Is your NPS improving or declining? • Promoter language – What specific words do 5-star reviewers use? • Detractor language – What's driving low ratings?
Action: Calculate your review-based NPS monthly. A healthy NPS for most Australian businesses is 50+.
You don't need to track everything at once. Start with these essentials:
Week 1: Foundation Metrics
Week 2-3: Deeper Insights
Week 4+: Optimization
Obsessing over total review count – A small business with 50 reviews at 4.8 stars outperforms a competitor with 200 reviews at 4.2 stars.
Ignoring negative reviews – Treat them as free consulting. A 2-star review saying "good service but took too long" tells you exactly what to fix.
Not responding to reviews – Every review deserves a thoughtful response. This single action shifts customer perception dramatically.
Tracking metrics without taking action – Dashboards are useless if you don't act on them.
Comparing to irrelevant competitors – A tradie comparing their 4.5-star rating to a national franchise's 4.7 is comparing apples to oranges.
The three metrics that predict business growth are:
The businesses that win at reputation management aren't those with the most reviews or highest ratings. They're the ones who use analytics to understand their customers, take action on insights, and continuously improve their service.
Your dashboard should tell a story about your business. Is it a story of improvement, stagnation, or decline? The data is there—you just need to know what to look at.
Focus on weighted average rating, response rate, sentiment trends, and review velocity rather than vanity metrics like total count. According to Roy Morgan, 72% of Australian consumers read reviews before purchasing. Track metrics that predict customer behaviour and revenue impact, not just impressive numbers.
Review analytics provide competitive intelligence, customer insights, and operational improvement opportunities. They reveal specific patterns—like service issues on weekends or customer complaints about invoicing. This actionable data helps you identify and fix problems that directly impact customer satisfaction and revenue.
Response rate demonstrates customer engagement and shows potential clients you actively listen. A business with 50 reviews and 90% response rate outperforms one with 500 reviews and 10% response. Quality engagement builds trust and influences purchasing decisions more than raw review volume.
Sentiment analysis identifies emotional patterns in customer feedback beyond star ratings. It reveals what customers genuinely value or dislike about your service. This helps Australian businesses understand underlying satisfaction drivers and prioritise improvements that matter most to their target market.
Review analytics provide competitive intelligence by comparing your metrics against local competitors. Track their response times, sentiment scores, and rating trends. This benchmarking helps you identify competitive advantages and gaps, allowing you to differentiate your Australian business effectively.
Weighted average rating accounts for review recency and source credibility, not just raw star counts. Recent reviews carry more weight than old ones. This metric better reflects current customer sentiment and business performance than simple average ratings, making it crucial for understanding true reputation health.
Monitor key metrics weekly to spot trends early, but don't obsess over daily fluctuations. Focus on monthly patterns to identify seasonal issues or sustained problems. Regular review prevents small reputation issues from escalating and helps you respond to customer feedback promptly and strategically.
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