How we count: the numbers behind our guides
Public information, counted, never copied
Our guides cite numbers like "the median rating of about 1,600 salons in Malaysia is 4.8". This page explains where they come from.
What we look at
Everything we count is public: anyone can see it on Google Maps or in Google's own tools.
- Ratings and review counts of shops, clinics and centres in Malaysia, as shown on Google Maps.
- How many reviews have each star rating, and whether the owner replied, for reviews published in a stated period.
- The topics Google lists above a place's reviews, and Google's popular times for a place.
- Prices shops list themselves on their Google profile.
- Monthly searches in Malaysia, from Google Ads estimates.
How we count
We count places by the trade Google files them under, such as "Barber shop" or "Dental clinic". Rating benchmarks use places with at least 10 ratings, so a place with one or two reviews doesn't skew a trade. Each guide says which trade, how many places and which month: most guides use counts made in October 2026.
Counts of places and reviews are rounded ("about 1,600 salons"). Shares, ratings and medians are shown as we found them.
What we never publish
- We never copy or quote what reviewers wrote, and never show their names or photos.
- We never name a shop, clinic, chain or franchise, or show any one business's rating.
- We never show screenshots of Google Maps listings.
Our guides describe trades, not businesses.
What our numbers do not show
The places we count are many, but not every business in Malaysia. A share like "41% of laundries rated below 4.0" describes the places we counted, not the whole country.
Reviews are a sign of what customers experience, written by the people who chose to write. They are not a count of all customers, sales or visits.
Search numbers are Google's estimates, rounded by Google. Most come from customers, not owners.
Who we are
Highground reads what customers write about each outlet of a Malaysian chain, and its rivals, and tells the owner which outlet to fix first. It is not affiliated with Google. Google and Google Maps are trademarks of Google LLC.
Questions about a number, or a page you think is wrong: tell us through the contact form and name the page.
More guides
- Area manager store visit checklist template (free)One branch visit in three parts, for any trade. Read the reviews, visit as a customer, and leave with three fixes.
- Competitor analysis example for shops in MalaysiaA one-page method, with a worked example of two cafés on one row, for finding what a rival's customers get that yours don't.
- Food and beverage industry in Malaysia: 2026 trendsWhat Malaysians search for, how they rate cafés and restaurants, what they pay and when they come, counted from public Google information.
- Franchise expo Malaysia 2026 and 2027: trade show datesWhen Malaysia's franchise, beauty, food, café, car and dental trade shows ran in 2026, their 2027 dates, and what each trade should look at.
- How to manage multiple restaurant locations and branchesA one-hour weekly routine for owners of 3 to 20 branches. Read every branch, pick one problem, visit at the busy hour, check the fix held.
- Kenapa jualan tiba tiba sepi di satu cawangan? Cara semakLima punca biasa bila satu cawangan sepi tapi cawangan lain okay, cara semak setiap satu, dan pelan seminggu untuk cari jawapan.
Free tools: rating check, price rise notice maker, price list maker.