The direct answer
Yes, Google reviews directly increase sales for local businesses
Google reviews increase sales through two measurable mechanisms. The first is discoverability: Google uses review quantity, recency, and rating as ranking signals in Maps and local search. Businesses with more recent reviews and higher ratings consistently rank higher, resulting in more impressions, more clicks, and more customer contacts.
The second mechanism is trust and conversion. Your star rating and review count are among the first things visible in your Google Maps listing. Most customers make a quick judgment about whether to contact your business based primarily on those two numbers.
For local service businesses, restaurants, healthcare providers, salons, gyms, and hotels, Google reviews are often the single most influential factor in whether a new customer chooses you over a competitor.