Imagine asking a friend, "Is this mechanic good?" If your friend says, "I don't know, nobody talks about him," you probably won't go there.
AI works the exact same way.
Reviews are Data
To an AI, customer reviews aren't just feelings; they are data.
If 50 people say "best deep dish pizza," the AI learns that your business = "best deep dish."
If 10 people say "rude service," the AI learns to avoid you.
Recency Matters
It's not enough to have good reviews from three years ago. AI looks for fresh information. It wants to know if you are good **today**. A steady stream of new, positive reviews tells the search engines that you are active, popular, and trustworthy.
**The Struggle:** Asking every customer for a review and then replying to every single one (even the bad ones!) can feel like a full-time job.