Star rating — We weight Google star ratings most heavily. Higher average ratings earn more points. Ratings below 3.0 earn nothing on this factor.
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Review volume — More reviews means more confidence. We use a Bayesian adjustment so a 5-star business with 3 reviews doesn't outrank a 4.8-star business with 200 reviews.
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Claimed listing — Businesses that have claimed their listing and actively manage their profile receive a bonus. This signals an engaged, responsive owner.
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Responds to reviews — Businesses that reply to customer reviews show they value feedback. This earns a modest ranking bonus.
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Recency — A business with recent reviews (in the past 12 months) ranks higher than one with the same rating but no recent activity. Older review profiles decay linearly.
Frequently asked questions
How do you rank the best landscapers in Chicago?
Our ranking score combines four factors: Google star ratings (weighted most heavily), review volume with Bayesian adjustment to prevent gaming by low-volume businesses, whether the business has an active claimed listing, and how recently they've received and responded to reviews. Paid listings never influence rank order. See the "How We Rank" section below for the full methodology.
How often is the list of top landscapers in Chicago, IL updated?
Rankings are recomputed daily at 05:00 UTC. The page itself caches for 24 hours, so you'll typically see rankings that are 1–2 days old. Significant rating changes — a business gaining or losing many reviews — will be reflected within the next daily recompute cycle.
What makes a landscapers business eligible for this list in Chicago?
To appear in the top-10 ranking for Chicago, IL, a business must: (1) be active in our directory with a Chicago service area, (2) have at least 3 Google reviews, and (3) either have a claimed listing or a Google rating of 4.5 or higher. This filters out empty-shell listings and ensures every ranked business has a real customer track record. The current #1 pick is Arts Landscaping & Maintenance LLC with a 5.0-star rating.