Have you just discovered, to your astonishment, a fake review on your Google My Business listing?
You need to act quickly, because a fake Google review can have consequences for your online reputation and on your organic search ranking. Regarding this point, don't hesitate to call on a web writer who can support the SEO optimization of your articles and help you maintain a good ranking in search results.
Internally, several measures can be taken: here is the procedure to report a fake review and how to act to get rid of it as quickly as possible.
What are the different types of fake reviews on Google?
Fake negative reviews
Negative fake reviews are unfortunately common on Google, where competition is fierce among businesses in the same geographic area or industry. If you notice negative fake reviews on your Google My Business listing, it is nothing more than an attempt to harm your company's reputation. Indeed, these reviews are not posted by genuine customers: they are most often competitors seeking to promote their own business at your expense.
These negative fake reviews on Google therefore do not reflect the quality of your services or products, but they still pose a real risk to your online reputation. Indeed, according to a 2023 study by BrightLocal, 98% of people read online reviews about a company's services to guide their choice!
The accumulation of negative fake reviews left by competitors is particularly harmful to your revenue, but also to your online visibility. Google's algorithm is unforgiving, because its goal is to offer users the best possible recommendations: it therefore favors the appearance in search results of the highest-rated businesses over others. Negative fake Google reviews can therefore jeopardize your organic search ranking!
Purchased fake reviews
This practice, as controversial as it is illegal, is however common in certain sectors. It involves buying the services of an external provider who will be tasked with posting fake Google reviews promoting services or products.
These fake positive reviews are misleading for the company's customers, who will then rely on recommendations that are nothing more than disguised self-promotion. Here too, these fake Google reviews can affect your organic search ranking, which in this case will be positive.
How to respond to negative fake reviews?
How to detect fake reviews?
Several signs can indicate that a negative Google review is actually fake:
- The author of the review is completely unknown to you;
- This user has not shared other reviews about businesses in your geographic area;
- Several spelling mistakes are noticeable and suggest a poorly executed translation;
- The review itself does not indicate dissatisfaction with any particular one of your products or services;
- The review in question promotes one of your competitors to the detriment of your business;
- The review is vague and poorly substantiated;
- The presence of duplicate negative reviews is also a good indicator that they are fake.
Should you reply to a fake review?
Before trying to remove the fake Google review in question, it is essential to respond to it. This will help somewhat strengthen your organic SEO (because the search engine favors active Google My Business listings), but not only. Deleting a fake Google review can take time, and you have no guarantee that your report will lead to any real action by Google.
If the fake comment in question is likely to remain on your Google My Business listing, it is important that your other customers can see your point of view. Reply that the review is falsified and that you will report it as soon as possible. This will help defend your online reputation while reassuring your other customers. Don't hesitate to include a few strong arguments in your response!
How to remove a fake Google review?
Go to your establishment's Google My Business listing, then click on the reviews so they appear in full on your screen. Select the review you believe is fake by clicking the three small dots to the right of that comment.
Click 'Report review'. A new page will then open in your web browser, asking you to specify the reason for your report:
- The review is off-topic;
- This is spam (review generated by a bot or a fake account);
- Conflict of interest (select when you suspect one of your competitors is behind the fake Google review);
- The review contains profanity;
- The comment reports an attempt at intimidation;
- The review contains discriminatory content or incites hatred;
- The review includes private information;
- The content of the review is useless to other users.
You simply need to select the reason for your report, then complete the procedure.
What to do if Google doesn't remove the review?
It may happen that Google does not remove the fake review, despite your good faith and following the reporting procedure. However, all hope is not lost, because you have one last resort: filing a complaint with a district court for defamation.
Don't forget to compile a complete file proving the offense in question, and be prepared to be patient, because unfortunately the procedures can be lengthy.
Fake positive reviews
Can a business buy reviews?
Previously, it was possible tobuy fake Google reviews via 'click farms', where bots were tasked with massively posting fake positive reviews. This practice is becoming increasingly rare thanks to improvements in Google's algorithm, which automatically removes these fake reviews as soon as they are posted on GMB listings.
However, it is possible to buy fake Google reviews from unscrupulous external providers: the prices for this "service" vary widely depending on the situation. These purchased fake reviews are harder for Google to detect, and therefore require your full vigilance.
Possible penalties for buying fake positive reviews
Buying fake positive reviews for your Google My Business listing is considered a deceptive commercial practice and is strictly prohibited by Google's policies.
The risks are therefore numerous, because you can be heavily penalized by the search engine, which will cause your website's organic search (SEO) ranking to fall. Google can even choose to completely hide your website in the event of a repeat offence or a serious breach of its internal rules!
Furthermore, buying fake Google reviews is punishable by law: you may face a fixed fine of up to €300,000, together with two years' imprisonment.
Of course, buying fake Google reviews can also be very costly for your online reputation, as you will lose the trust of internet users, who may well shun your products or services after the deception is uncovered.
Our tip for handling fake reviews on Google
Reassuring your prospects is the ideal solution to counter fake Google reviews : by demonstrating your expertise, your working policies and your commitment to customer satisfaction, you will eliminate any attempt at denigration.
To do this, nothing beats publishing catchy, interesting and professional blog posts on your website that demonstrate the breadth of your know-how and knowledge… By calling on a content writing platform service such as Redacteur.com, for example!
The article Fake reviews on Google: how to react? first appeared on Redacteur.com.
