How we rank: the 100-point score
As of October 2026: every business gets a score out of 100. The highest score goes first. The same rules apply to every business in every trade, including any business connected to the people who run TownAnswer.
Where the 100 points come from
| Part | Points | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 26 | The Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews it rests on. A business with few reviews is pulled toward the average rating of its own trade (weight: 15 reviews). 3.5 stars scores 0 and 5.0 scores 26. |
| Review volume | 18 | How many Google reviews the business has, on a log scale. 500 or more scores full points. |
| Focus | 14 | Whether the business is mainly the trade. Main Google category = 14, an extra category = 10, only the name says it = 7. A general category (for example "Attorney") that two or more different trade searches returned = 5. |
| Profile | 22 | Website 5, phone 4, opening hours listed 3, ten or more photos 4, a claimed Google listing 3, an online booking or contact link 3. |
| Verified | 20 | TownAnswer Certified: the owner confirmed the profile with TownAnswer, and we reviewed its details by hand. It is free and open to every business. A business that is not yet verified scores 0 here. |
TownAnswer Certified
A Certified profile means the owner confirmed the business details with TownAnswer and a person on our team checked them by hand. It is free. It does not mean TownAnswer inspected the work. To get Certified, claim your business. Claiming is open to every business we list.
Grades
| Grade | Score |
|---|---|
| A+ | 90 and up |
| A | 85 to 89 |
| A- | 80 to 84 |
| B+ | 75 to 79 |
| B | 70 to 74 |
| B- | 65 to 69 |
| C+ | 60 to 64 |
| C | 50 to 59 |
| C- | under 50 |
Who is included
We search Google Maps with four phrases per trade at 319 points across Michigan. A business is included when its main category, an extra category or its name matches the trade. We do not drop a business because of one category. A business with no Google rating is listed but not scored.
This version lists 51,161 Michigan businesses, and 44,894 of them are scored. Data read in October 2026.
What never changes a score
Payment, advertising, a paid profile, a relationship with TownAnswer or a request from a business. A paid feature, if we offer one, is labeled where it appears and never changes the order.
Fix a mistake
If a listing is wrong, closed or in the wrong trade, write to mail@adminpostbox.com with the business name and address.