06/19/2026
A siding contractor in Collinsville called me frustrated last month. 4.9 stars, 23 reviews, years of solid work. He was getting outranked in Local Service Ads by a competitor with 15 reviews and a lower rating.
The difference was timing. His 23 reviews came in during a push he did last spring. The competitor had posted three new ones in the past two weeks. LSA's algorithm treats a review from six months ago almost like it doesn't exist. Recency carries more weight than most people realize.
A lot of owners think reputation is something you build once and then it works for you. It doesn't work that way. It's more like a garden. You can't water it in April and expect it to look good in October.
One new review a week, even just one, keeps the signal alive. Texting the last five customers you finished is usually enough to make that happen consistently.