Started 1 August 2026 · tested on real data, published whichever way it went.
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The hypothesis
What I expected — written before starting
More reviews should mean a higher map-pack position. I expected review count to be the strongest single factor.
The result
Hypothesis failed
Wrong. Review count did not predict visibility.
The clinic with 1,681 reviews appeared in the Google Maps top 3 at only
3 of my 25 test points. A competitor with 559 reviews appeared at 15.
A clinic with 8 reviews matched one with 117. A clinic with zero reviews
matched one with 70.
Two other things did line up with winning: the search word appearing
inside the business name, and the primary category setting.
I was wrong, and the common advice is wrong here too. Limits: one keyword,
one day, 76 clinics scanned. This is a pattern, not proof.
The details
Method, data and what I learned
25 test points around one clinic. Green = top 3. Red = nearly invisible.
All 76 clinics, the full comparison table, and the method.
This experiment failed, and it stays published. A lab that only shows its wins isn’t a lab, it’s a brochure. What I learned here changed how I approach the next one.
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