Rochester Window Cleaning · Methodology
How we rank Rochester window cleaning companies
Every business in our directory gets a single composite score derived from a transparent formula. We publish the formula and our data sources so you can verify the rankings yourself.
The formula
score = ((C × m) + (reviewCount × avgStars)) / (C + reviewCount) Where: C = 10 (prior weight — Bayesian smoother) m = 4.0 (prior mean — the expected average rating)
This is the same Bayesian average IMDB uses to rank movies. It prevents a brand-new business with 5 perfect reviews from outranking an established operator with 200 reviews at 4.7 stars — because the 5-review business hasn't earned the statistical signal that says it's consistently 4.7+ at scale.
Worked example
| Business | Reviews | Avg stars | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| A — established | 200 | 4.7 | 4.67 |
| B — new | 5 | 5.0 | 4.33 |
| C — mid-tier | 50 | 4.4 | 4.33 |
Business A wins even though Business B has a perfect average — because A's 4.67 is supported by far more data points. Business C and B tie despite different stats, illustrating that volume and average trade off through the Bayesian prior.
Data sources
- Google Business Profile — primary source for review count + average stars + service area
- Yelp — secondary review signal where present
- BBB.org — accreditation status + complaint history (public records only)
- NY State business registry — verifies legal entity name + active status
- Business's own website — for service offerings + pricing where published
We update business data weekly. If you see something stale, email connormeador@gmail.com.
What we DON'T do
- Pay-for-placement — no business pays to rank higher
- Reciprocal-link schemes — no "link to us, we'll link to you"
- Scraped review text — we link to original sources, we don't republish
- Fabricated certifications — only verifiable industry credentials are mentioned
- AI-generated "sample of their work" images tied to specific businesses