How to Report a Bad Review on Google

Mail service originally published – April 20, 2017.

There take been some changes to how to report a fake or inappropriate Google review, and a new tool rolled out to manage reported reviews. We've updated this blog post to assist you navigate the ins and outs of reporting false Google reviews.

Sadly, receiving a imitation review on your Google Business Contour (formerly Google My Business) is not a rare occurrence. In fact, it is quite common and something many businesses have experienced. Both Yelp and Amazon take sued fake review posters and in October of 2021 the Federal Trade Commission notified 700+ national advertisers that deceptive endorsements can lead to financial penalties. Legal action hasn't stopped or prevented fake reviews from continuing to be published, nor has paying huge fines, simply that doesn't mean equally a business concern owner there is no way to fight dorsum.

When it comes to faux Google reviews the two major bug that local business owners run across are:

1. Fake reviews on their Google Concern Profile – They are on the receiving stop of negative fake reviews. For some small businesses this could be a sudden influx of multiple negative fakes reviews.
2. Positive fake reviews on competitors Google Business Profile – A competitor that didn't have many positive reviews or had negative reviews is suddenly getting an influx of positive 5-star ratings they have paid for. This is review fraud – a business gaming the review system to hide their negative reviews, increase rankings, and purchase their way to the elevation (learn more about this review spam).

Fake reviews continue to be a huge problem, and beyond the businesses they bear on, these reviews exercise harm to consumers. A recent Uberall-Transparency Company study institute that nearly 11% of Google reviews were potentially simulated, which could amount to ~200 Million reviews in the Usa lone.

Trying to take a fake or spammy Google review removed can sometimes feel as frustrating as receiving the review (some call into question if the guidelines or spam algorithms even work), notwithstanding; it is however important to make attempts to have the review removed, even though at that place is no guarantee that Google volition take it down.

What to Practice When You've Received a Fake Review:

Respond to the Review

While you may not be able to have the review removed, you practise have the ability to respond. If the review is indeed faux, of course you volition not exist able to actually resolve the problem for this person. However you lot tin can brand information technology clear to other customers and prospective customers that you are enlightened of the review, yous take what reviewers say seriously, and that as a business concern y'all are dedicated to remedying these types of situations.

Just as at that place are guidelines for leaving a review, Google has some tips for responding. Your response should not exist defensive. Keep information technology cursory, and do your best to answer as you lot would for a negative review.

For instance:
"Hi, [insert reviewer's name],
We take these matters very seriously. Unfortunately, we have no record or recollection of any customer experience fitting this account, nor can we verify your identity from our records. We would like to investigate this result further, please contact [insert contact name] at [insert company electronic mail address], and so that we can resolve this outcome immediately."

If you tin't respond in a calm and professional manner, don't answer at all. Yep, information technology's very upsetting to receive a fake review, but how yous respond is a reflection of the company, and securing business organisation from a potential customer is far more valuable than getting the terminal word in.

In some cases there will be no point in responding. Use your discretion to determine the best course of action.

Report the Review

You tin notify Google Support about a violation of their content guidelines by flagging the review.

ane. Click the icon on the top-right corner (the iii vertical dots) and click "Report review".

2. Select which rule the review violates.

3. Check over the violation type selected and click "Submit."

And then you're done. You volition but hear from Google Back up if they require additional details from you or if they have data to share with y'all.

When reporting a review:

A) If y'all tin, have several people report the review in question.

B) One time a review is flagged, wait iii business days for a response. However, if the review is loaded with detest-speech, profanity, and/or has highly sensitive content, escalate it immediately through Google Support. Co-ordinate to Google, a squad of human operators reviews all flagged content.

C) Google now has a tool that allows you to manage your review removal requests. This tool helps you check the status of any reviews you've reported. This is besides an additional way for you as a business possessor or marketer to "report a new review for removal" for any of the profiles you manage.

Report the Review via Google Business Profile Manager & Support

If the faux review has not been removed using the flagging method, become in touch with Google Support. Y'all can exercise this through:

1. The Google Business concern Profile Dashboard

• Log into your GBP dashboard.
• Go to the Reviews department.
• Curl to the review you would similar to flag, click the icon on the top-right corner (the three vertical dots).
• Click "Flag as inappropriate."
• Select the reason for reporting the review (off topic, spam, conflict of interest, profanity, bullying or harassment, discrimination or detest spoken communication, personal information).
• Click "Submit."

2. Ask the Google Community For Help
If you have a specific question with regards to the spam policy or are seeking advice from other community members, you can use the Support Forum to get answers and help.

• Become to the Google Business Profile Aid Customs website
• Start past searching for previous questions of issues that are like to yours and expect for a solution, or you can ask a question about your spammy/fake review problem.
• If you lot tin can't go the answers you lot need so you can submit your question and problem and ask the community straight for help. If yous're concerned about privacy or a backfire, you may want to postal service to the thread under a unlike display name to protect your identity. Be sure to make your instance and provide as much proof as possible of the current situation.

Make Your Case

Okay, so you accept finally got in touch with Google Support, now what? Well, you have to make a case and do your best to show

• why the review is simulated,
• how information technology violates the policy,
• why it should be removed,
• brand sure you lot take images/screenshots, links, and any other details that back up your merits. The more proof yous can provide the stronger your instance will be.

After you written report it and brand your case, Support will tell you lot whether or non they will escalate the review(s) to a "specialist." This specialist volition determine the effect and notify you lot by email.

Written report a User in Maps

In 2020, Google released a feature that allowed you to written report Google Map users who are contributing false information, uploading offensive content, or abusing Google's content policy. If you have a legitimate fake review and tin show that a user is violating Google'south user contributed content policies which is defined as "simulated content, copied or stolen photos, off-topic reviews, defamatory linguistic communication, personal attacks, and unnecessary or incorrect content." Y'all may too desire to report users that you believe are writing simulated positive reviews for your competitors.

1. Open the Google Maps mobile app.
2. Tap the Review, Photo, or Question/Answer for the user that y'all would like to study.
3. Tap the username.
4. Tap the superlative right icon (three vertical dots).
5. Select "Report contour."
6. Choose the type of corruption.

How We Had a False Review Removed

When the review is clearly faux or spam, it's easier to remove. For instance, we had the following review removed considering the "feel" existence referenced was absolutely non related to our business and services:

I followed ALL of the steps above:

• We responded to the review. We actually kind of thought it was funny how far off this reviewer was and it didn't actually bother united states that the review was at that place, as information technology is very obvious to anyone that this review is non for our business organisation.
• I reported the review and provided my contact information and reason why the review was being flagged.
• The review I reported violates their content policy as anOff-topic Review. The review is for a furniture visitor called Masseys. We exercise not sell furniture here at Whitespark.
• I made the case to the support associate and showed how it violated their content policy, at which point he advised me that he agreed and will transport this to one of their specialists. He informed me that he cannot guarantee the removal equally it is upwardly to the discretion of the review specialist. Either manner he would be in contact with me. In less than 24 hours, I was notified that the review would be removed. Success!

The Best Defence is a Adept Offence

The all-time way to ensure that a false review won't exist detrimental to your business is having a solid review strategy in identify. Reviews are the second biggest local pack/finder ranking factor and a GBP conversion factor. If you are not making reviews a priority for your concern, and so yous need to start.

Building up your reviews by encouraging customers to leave you an online review is an easy way to mitigate the risks of receiving a fake review while showcasing how awesome your business concern is. Plus reviews build stronger client relationships, positively impact rankings, and provide credibility and social proof.

Simple and Effective Ways You Tin can Grow Your Online Reviews:

1. Encourage All Customer Feedback
Sometimes we are blinded by the attraction of those shiny review stars, just before you start asking all your customers for a review, have you lot checked in with them to see how they are feeling virtually your service or product? Reviews are the outcome of great customer service, and then how is yours stacking upwards?

In that location are so many opportunities for you to obtain customer feedback, here are viii easy means to assist get you lot started.

2. Monitor Your Make Mentions
Stay on acme of what people are saying about your visitor. Any solid reputation management plan includes monitoring what people are saying and engaging with your audience.

Get-go by setting up Google Alerts, information technology takes no more than 10 minutes. Add alerts for your brand name, website, CEO, and keywords. There are also a bunch of applications in the marketplace that tin can help you with monitoring social mentions, edifice brand awareness, and reviews. Examples would be Mention, Brandwatch, or Sprout Social.

You don't have to review your alerts every day, but schedule a small block of time once a calendar week to review the alerts and stay on top of what people are maxim about your business organisation.

three. Start Asking Every Client For a Review
Having a solid review strategy in identify is a great mode to combat a fake review. Receiving consistent reviews builds upwards your review numbers, and provides a more complete motion picture of how your company truly operates.

The best way to build upward your online reviews is to make asking a function of your daily operating practices, and knowing that yous will accept to ask a lot of customers before ane volition go out a review. It'due south nothing personal, life is busy and just because a customer doesn't leave a review immediately, doesn't mean they never will.

Potential customers are non merely reading reviews on your Google listing, they are on sites like Angie'southward List, Facebook, Trip Advisor, etc, and then information technology'south upwards to y'all to ensure you lot are listed on these sites, and actively trying to become reviews hither every bit well.

You tin manually encourage reviews on these sites by directing customers to these sites, or consider using a review platform that helps y'all organize your feedback requests, earn testimonials, grow your online reviews , and streamline the process.

Don't let a bad or fake review concur your business concern hostage. Prepare yourself upwards for review success by implementing a winning customer feedback and review strategy. With Whitespark's Reputation Architect you can abound, manage, and market place your online reviews and customer feedback all in one place to drive sales upward for your business organisation. Starting time your gratis 14-mean solar day trial today.

Well-nigh review platforms are easy to use, information technology'south a matter of entering your company data, adding clients, sending a customized e-mail asking if they would recommend your business organisation, requesting feedback on their experience, then request if they would go out a review. This is exactly how our Reputation Builder works. The bonus of using a review tool like this, is that you also take many boosted features at your disposal, yous can comprise customer survey'south to get specific customer feedback, you can showcase your reviews on your website, and you tin monitor your reviews across many platforms so that you can respond in a timely mode.

Having a solid review strategy in place that helps you abound your reviews on your Google listing and multiple third-party sites is not simply a deterrent for fake review spammers information technology'southward practiced for your business concern, your local rankings and building your reputation.

A Negative Review or Rating Does Non Equal a Fake Review

Negative reviews happen. No business organization is perfect and not every single client will exist satisfied, mistakes will exist made. Receiving a negative rating but review can be annoying because you don't know why someone is unhappy with your business organization and removing rating only reviews is really hard. But likewise, negative reviews are not all bad news. While hearing someone had a negative customer feel sucks, it's an opportunity to make things better.

Negative Reviews:

• • Provide honest feedback that yous can plough effectually and use to amend your business concern or make changes.
  • Create trust. Seeing only positive reviews of a company can issue in people questioning the authenticity of the reviews. Seeing a few sprinkles of negative reviews creates a level of trust.
  • Create opportunities for turning something bad into something good. You won't be able to please anybody, only if you tin make things right for someone, why not try? If you tin accept that negative review and turn it into a positive i, that will be noticed. How you lot answer and how you react will be what other's are judging.
  • Research shows that "5 star rated businesses have below-average sales—the sweet spot is 3.5 to iv.5 stars." Consumers do not want perfection. They want to exist able to trust in the reviews they meet on Google, they want business owners to be active in responding to reviews, and they desire to see contempo reviews.

You Got This!

Don't allow spammers go the all-time of you with fake reviews. Stay on top of your reviews, ever flag and report fake reviews (fifty-fifty if they are challenging to remove), and go a solid review strategy in identify for your business.

Do you take any faux review horror stories to share? Or better yet, any awesome pro-tips to aid other businesses who are dealing with a fake review? Permit us know in the comments below!

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Source: https://whitespark.ca/blog/remove-fake-google-reviews/

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