How Weekly Rankings Work
A living leaderboard. Not a static directory.
The Short Version
- • Rankings change every week based on live Google review data
- • Only venues with 4.0+ Google rating are considered
- • Recent reviews count more than old ones
- • Star-only or short reviews (<50 characters) are filtered out
- • No venue can pay for a higher ranking
Why Weekly Rankings Matter
Most restaurant guides rank venues once and forget about them. A place that was brilliant two years ago might be coasting today. A new opening generating genuine excitement gets buried because it lacks history.
We recalculate every ranking, every week, from live Google Business Profile data. If a venue is getting better, the numbers show it. If standards are slipping, that shows too. The rankings reflect what's happening right now, not what happened last year.
The Hot Score
Every venue receives a Hot Score from 0–100, calculated from four weighted factors:
Review Velocity
30 ptsThe biggest factor. How many genuine text reviews (>50 characters) has this venue received in the last 90 days? A steady stream of engaged customers writing real feedback is the strongest signal of a venue that's alive and thriving.
Review Recency
25 ptsHow fresh are the reviews? A venue with 20 reviews this month scores higher than one with 200 reviews but nothing recent. We measure the median age of the last 30 text reviews.
Rating Trend
20 ptsIs this venue improving or declining? We compare the average rating over the last 28 days against the previous period. A venue trending upward gets rewarded. One trending down gets penalised.
Baseline Rating
25 ptsThe overall Google rating matters, but it's only one quarter of the score. A 4.8-star venue with no recent activity will lose to a 4.3-star venue that's generating genuine buzz right now.
Hot Score Breakdown
Total: 100 points · Recalculated every week
Where the Data Comes From
Google Business Profile
Ratings, review text, review dates, response data, and profile completeness. The public data that every customer sees.
Weekly Snapshots
We take a full snapshot of every venue's GBP data each week. This lets us track trends, velocity, and changes over time rather than just looking at a single moment.
Update Cycle
- WeeklyFull Hot Score recalculation and ranking update
- WeeklyNew review data snapshot from Google Business Profile
- QuarterlyNew venue discovery sweep for each zone
- Real-timeClosures and major changes reflected within 48 hours
What Gets a Venue Removed
- • Rating drops below 4.0 stars (with 30-day grace period)
- • Permanent closure
- • Significant food safety issues
- • Evidence of fake reviews or rating manipulation
For Venue Owners
Want to climb the rankings? Here's what the data rewards:
- 1. Generate genuine reviews — The velocity score (30 points) is the single biggest factor. Ask happy customers to share their experience on Google.
- 2. Encourage detailed feedback — Short reviews under 50 characters don't count. Real stories carry weight.
- 3. Maintain consistency — The trend score catches both improvements and declines. One great week won't offset a bad month.
- 4. Respond to reviews — While response rate isn't in the Hot Score directly, it influences how customers perceive you and whether they write reviews at all.
See where you rank versus your competition every week. Get a detailed audit from booteek.ai →
Common Questions
Can venues pay to be featured?
No. Rankings are calculated from data, not money. We don't accept payment for reviews, rankings, or featured positions.
Why filter out short reviews?
A five-star rating with no text tells us someone clicked a button. A 200-word review about the ceviche and the sunset from the terrace tells us someone had an experience worth writing about. We measure engagement, not clicks.
How do you catch fake reviews?
Velocity anomalies, reviewer account patterns, and sentiment analysis. A sudden spike of five-star reviews from accounts with no history actually hurts a venue's score because it disrupts the natural pattern.
How is this different from TripAdvisor or Google Maps?
TripAdvisor and Google show cumulative ratings — a snapshot of all time. We show momentum. A venue with a 4.3 overall but 15 detailed reviews this month might outrank a 4.7 with nothing recent. That's the difference between a directory and a leaderboard.
My venue should be on here. How do I get listed?
If you have a 4.0+ Google rating and you're in one of our covered areas, you'll be considered in the next quarterly discovery sweep. Making sure your Google profile is complete and you're generating regular reviews will help when we do.