Customer reviews are a powerful form of social proof, playing a crucial role in the customer research process and significantly influencing purchase decisions. Google also considers reviews a key ranking factor when determining the position of local businesses in search results.
Fake Google reviews can have a major detrimental impact on a business's reputation, local SEO performance, and customer trust. They can mislead potential customers, skew perceptions, hurt search rankings, and make it difficult for businesses to compete fairly in their local markets.
While fake reviews can come from various sources, including competitors and disgruntled customers or former employees, they are universally damaging and can create long-lasting challenges for businesses.
Even a single negative review, whether justified or not, can damage a business’s reputation, deterring potential customers and lowering its local search ranking. It can take many positive reviews to counteract the impact of just one negative one, making it essential for businesses to monitor reviews closely and analyse sentiment to protect their online reputation.
While using sentiment analysis and implementing business improvements can help boost reviews and rankings over time, there’s another issue that can hold businesses back: fake Google reviews.
Fake Google reviews are misleading posts on a business’s Google Business Profile that don’t reflect real customer experiences. These reviews can be either positive or negative, typically aimed at influencing the business’s online reputation and search rankings. They may come from different sources and are often left for various reasons, including to unfairly enhance or harm a business’s credibility.
*Sources of Fake Google Reviews*
*Competitors*
Some businesses may leave fake negative reviews on a competitor's profile to harm their reputation, deter potential customers, and gain an unfair edge. This is a tactic known as Black Hat SEO—a deceptive practice that reputable businesses and SEO professionals should avoid.
*Disgruntled Customers*
Frustrated customers sometimes exaggerate or invent negative reviews to harm a business. In some cases, they may even create multiple Google accounts to post several fake reviews, amplifying the negative impact.
*Paid Review Services*
There are individuals and services that sell fake reviews, giving businesses a quick way to boost their ratings with positive feedback or, conversely, harm competitors w…
*Motivations for Leaving Fake Google Reviews*
*Shady Competitive Tactics*
Some competitors post fake negative reviews to damage a rival’s reputation, making their own products or services look better by comparison. This can also negatively impact the competitor’s local SEO.
*Financial Incentives*
Some individuals are paid to leave fake reviews, either through direct payment or in exchange for free products, services, or discounts.
*Revenge or Malice*
Personal grievances, grudges, or other negative emotions sometimes drive people to leave fake reviews simply to harm a business.
*Influence and Manipulation*
Fake reviews are often used to shape public opinion or sway decisions, particularly for new businesses that are working to establish credibility.
In some cases, scammers post fake Google reviews to exploit businesses for personal gain. They may, for instance, falsely claim they purchased a defective product in an attempt to secure a refund, even though they never actually made a purchase.
How To Spot Fake Google Reviews
While fake reviews can sometimes be hard to spot, there are some red flags that businesses and local SEOs should watch out for to help them identify and remove fake Google Reviews. These include:
1. Extreme Language: Fake reviews often use overly dramatic or exaggerated language and punctuation. If a review seems too good to be true (e.g., "This is the best service ever!!!"), or excessively negative (e.g., "Worst experience of my life!!!!"), it could be fake.
2. Lack of Specific Details: Genuine reviews usually include specific details about the customer's experience, such as the product or service they received. Fake reviews, on the other hand, tend to be vague and general (e.g., "Great place" or "Terrible service" without further explanation).
3. Bulk Reviews in a Short Time Frame: If a business suddenly receives a large number of reviews within a short period, this could be a sign of a coordinated fake review campaign. Genuine reviews typically come in at a more steady and natural pace.
4. Reviewer Activity: Check the reviewer's profile for suspicious activity. Some signs to watch for include:
The reviewer has left multiple reviews for businesses in different geographic locations within a short time frame.
The reviewer consistently leaves only five-star or one-star reviews, without any middle-ground ratings.
The reviewer's profile shows very few reviews, or they've only reviewed one business.
5. Repetitive Language: If multiple reviews contain similar or identical wording, it could indicate that the reviews were copied or generated by the same person or bot.
6. Errors: If someone is getting paid or otherwise incentivized to leave fake Google Reviews, they're likely to make simple mistakes, such as copying and pasting the content from another review without changing the name of the business.
How To Remove a Fake Review From Google
If you discover a fake review on your Google Business Profile, taking action promptly is essential to protect your reputation. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to report fake Google Reviews to get them removed:
o Flag the Review:
1 Go to your Google Business Profile and locate the fake review.
2 Click on the three vertical dots next to the review and select "Flag as inappropriate."
3 Google will review your report, but this process can take several days.
o Provide Evidence to Google My Business Support:
1 If flagging the review doesn't result in its removal, you can escalate the issue by contacting Google Business Profile support directly.
2 Gather evidence that supports your claim that the review is fake, such as proof that the reviewer was never a customer or discrepancies in the reviewer's story or timeline.
3 Submit this evidence through the support form or during your communication with Google's support team.
o Encourage Authentic Customer Reviews:
1 A strong strategy for counteracting the impact of fake Google reviews while waiting for them to get removed is to encourage your legitimate customers to leave honest reviews.
2 Positive, genuine reviews can help dilute the effect of any fake reviews on your overall rating.
o Respond Publicly to the Review:
§ While waiting for Google to take action, it's a good idea to respond to the fake Google review publicly.
§ Be professional and polite in your response, saying something like, "We take all feedback seriously, but we cannot find any record of your visit. If you could contact us directly, we'd be happy to address your concerns."
§ This shows other potential customers that you are proactive and committed to addressing issues, even if the review is not legitimate.
o Follow up with Google:
§ If the review hasn't been removed after a reasonable amount of time, follow up with Google support. Persistence can sometimes help move things along.