Reviews matter. The October 2026 test says so, and it also says they are not the whole story.
What the test found
Everline asked ChatGPT and Google AI Mode, from a logged-out browser, for the best businesses in ten categories across Toronto and the GTA, then checked which top-ranked Google listings they named. The full method is in the October 2026 report.
The listings that were named had more reviews in the middle of the pack. Their ratings were no different.
| Listings | Median reviews, named | Median reviews, not named | Median rating, named | Median rating, not named |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 510 | 277 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
| All GTA | 384.5 | 180.5 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
The share named does not climb steadily with review count. Toronto listings with 500 or more reviews were named most often. Listings with 250 to 499 were named least often of any group with more than a handful of listings.
| Google reviews | Listings | Named by either | Share named |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 50 | 4 | 1 | 25% |
| 50 to 99 | 16 | 5 | 31.2% |
| 100 to 249 | 23 | 5 | 21.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 17 | 3 | 17.6% |
| 500 or more | 37 | 16 | 43.2% |
Rating sets a floor more than a ladder. Across all GTA listings, none of the 8 listings rated under 4.5 was named, and those at a perfect 5.0 were named less often than those at 4.8 to 4.9.
| Google rating | Listings | Named by either | Share named |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 4.5 | 8 | 0 | 0% |
| 4.5 to 4.7 | 18 | 3 | 16.7% |
| 4.8 to 4.9 | 96 | 40 | 41.7% |
| 5.0 | 76 | 25 | 32.9% |
The roofer example
A Toronto roofer rated 4.7 with 561 reviews on its Google listing was not named in any answer. A competitor rated 4.9 was named by ChatGPT. That competitor holds two Google listings, with 67 and 255 reviews: 322 in total. The name match cannot tell which listing ChatGPT meant, so the fair comparison is 322 against 561, and the business with fewer reviews was the one recommended.
Everline’s reading: the roofer with more reviews trades under two generic words that describe every company in its category, which gives an assistant nothing to tell it apart by. Reviews could not make up for that.
What it means for your business
Reviews get a business considered. Past that point, reviews alone did not separate the named from the not named in this test. That is why the Seven-point check counts rating and reviews as one check among seven, next to the listing name, Bing Places and third-party lists.
The test is one month in one region, with top-ranked listings only. Read it as a pattern worth acting on, not a law.