Review Rating vs Review Count: Which Matters More?

You need both, but they do different jobs. A high rating earns the click; a healthy count makes that rating believable. A 5.0 from three reviews is weaker than a 4.6 from three hundred.

Early on, focus on count to build credibility; once you have volume, protect the average. Recency ties it together, fresh reviews signal a business people are using now.