If You Flag a Review as Inappropriate Will the Person Find Out

Post originally published – April twenty, 2017.

At that place have 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 help you navigate the ins and outs of reporting fake Google reviews.

Sadly, receiving a false review on your Google Business organisation Profile (formerly Google My Business) is non a rare occurrence. In fact, it is quite common and something many businesses take experienced. Both Yelp and Amazon accept sued fake review posters and in October of 2021 the Federal Trade Commission notified 700+ national advertisers that deceptive endorsements can lead to fiscal penalties. Legal activeness hasn't stopped or prevented fake reviews from continuing to be published, nor has paying huge fines, merely that doesn't mean as a business concern possessor in that location is no way to fight back.

When it comes to fake Google reviews the two major issues that local business organisation owners come across are:

1. False reviews on their Google Concern Profile – They are on the receiving stop of negative simulated reviews. For some pocket-sized businesses this could exist a sudden influx of multiple negative fakes reviews.
2. Positive imitation reviews on competitors Google Business organisation 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 organization gaming the review system to hibernate their negative reviews, increase rankings, and buy their fashion to the top (learn more nearly this review spam).

Fake reviews go along to be a huge problem, and across the businesses they impact, these reviews exercise harm to consumers. A contempo Uberall-Transparency Company study found that almost xi% of Google reviews were potentially fake, which could amount to ~200 Million reviews in the Usa alone.

Trying to take a fake or spammy Google review removed can sometimes feel as frustrating every bit receiving the review (some call into question if the guidelines or spam algorithms even work), notwithstanding; it is however of import to make attempts to have the review removed, fifty-fifty though there is no guarantee that Google will take information technology downward.

What to Do When You've Received a Imitation Review:

Respond to the Review

While yous may not be able to take the review removed, you lot do accept the ability to answer. If the review is indeed fake, of course you volition non be able to actually resolve the problem for this person. However you tin brand it clear to other customers and prospective customers that y'all are enlightened of the review, you lot take what reviewers say seriously, and that equally a business concern y'all are defended to remedying these types of situations.

Just as in that location are guidelines for leaving a review, Google has some tips for responding. Your response should not be defensive. Keep it cursory, and practice your best to respond as you would for a negative review.

For example:
"Hello, [insert reviewer's name],
We take these matters very seriously. Unfortunately, we accept no record or recollection of any customer experience plumbing equipment this business relationship, nor can nosotros verify your identity from our records. Nosotros would like to investigate this issue further, delight contact [insert contact name] at [insert company electronic mail address], so that we can resolve this issue immediately."

If yous can't answer in a at-home and professional style, don't respond at all. Yes, information technology's very upsetting to receive a fake review, but how y'all respond is a reflection of the visitor, and securing business from a potential client is far more valuable than getting the terminal give-and-take in.

In some cases there will be no point in responding. Use your discretion to make up one's mind the best course of activeness.

Report the Review

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

1. Click the icon on the top-right corner (the three vertical dots) and click "Written report review".

ii. Select which dominion the review violates.

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

And then you're done. You volition just hear from Google Support if they require additional details from you or if they take information to share with you lot.

When reporting a review:

A) If you tin can, have several people report the review in question.

B) One time a review is flagged, wait three business days for a response. However, if the review is loaded with hate-speech, profanity, and/or has highly sensitive content, escalate it immediately through Google Back up. According to Google, a team of human operators reviews all flagged content.

C) Google now has a tool that allows you lot to manage your review removal requests. This tool helps you cheque the condition of whatsoever reviews you've reported. This is also an additional mode for you lot as a business owner or marketer to "study a new review for removal" for any of the profiles you manage.

Report the Review via Google Business organisation Profile Manager & Back up

If the fake review has non been removed using the flagging method, get in bear upon with Google Support. You can do this through:

i. The Google Business Profile Dashboard

• Log into your GBP dashboard.
• Go to the Reviews department.
• Scroll to the review you would like to flag, click the icon on the top-right corner (the iii vertical dots).
• Click "Flag every bit inappropriate."
• Select the reason for reporting the review (off topic, spam, conflict of interest, profanity, bullying or harassment, bigotry or hate oral communication, personal data).
• Click "Submit."

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

• Become to the Google Business Profile Assist Customs website
• Showtime by searching for previous questions of issues that are similar to yours and wait for a solution, or y'all tin can enquire a question about your spammy/fake review problem.
• If you tin can't get the answers you lot need then y'all can submit your question and trouble and ask the community straight for assistance. If you lot're concerned about privacy or a backfire, you may want to post to the thread nether a different display name to protect your identity. Exist certain to make your case and provide as much proof equally possible of the electric current situation.

Make Your Instance

Okay, so y'all have finally got in bear on with Google Support, now what? Well, you accept to make a example and exercise your best to show

• why the review is simulated,
• how it violates the policy,
• why it should exist removed,
• make sure yous take images/screenshots, links, and any other details that back up your claim. The more proof you can provide the stronger your example volition be.

After you lot report it and make your case, Support will tell you whether or not they will escalate the review(s) to a "specialist." This specialist will decide the upshot and notify yous by e-mail.

Report a User in Maps

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

1. Open the Google Maps mobile app.
2. Tap the Review, Photograph, or Question/Answer for the user that you would like to report.
3. Tap the username.
4. Tap the top right icon (three vertical dots).
5. Select "Report profile."
6. Choose the type of abuse.

How Nosotros Had a Imitation Review Removed

When the review is clearly imitation or spam, it's easier to remove. For instance, we had the following review removed because the "experience" being referenced was absolutely not related to our business organisation and services:

I followed ALL of the steps above:

• We responded to the review. We actually kind of idea it was funny how far off this reviewer was and it didn't really carp us that the review was there, as it 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 existence flagged.
• The review I reported violates their content policy as anOff-topic Review. The review is for a furniture company called Masseys. We practise not sell furniture here at Whitespark.
• I made the case to the back up associate and showed how information technology violated their content policy, at which point he advised me that he agreed and will ship this to ane of their specialists. He informed me that he cannot guarantee the removal every bit it is upwards 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 All-time Defence is a Good Offence

The all-time way to ensure that a fake review won't be detrimental to your business is having a solid review strategy in place. Reviews are the second biggest local pack/finder ranking cistron and a GBP conversion cistron. If you are non making reviews a priority for your business, and then you lot need to commencement.

Edifice up your reviews past encouraging customers to exit y'all an online review is an easy mode to mitigate the risks of receiving a imitation review while showcasing how awesome your business is. Plus reviews build stronger customer relationships, positively impact rankings, and provide brownie and social proof.

Simple and Effective Means You lot Can Grow Your Online Reviews:

1. Encourage All Customer Feedback
Sometimes we are blinded by the allure of those shiny review stars, but earlier you start asking all your customers for a review, have you checked in with them to come across how they are feeling nigh your service or product? Reviews are the outcome of great client service, then how is yours stacking up?

There are so many opportunities for you to obtain customer feedback, here are 8 piece of cake ways to help become you started.

2. Monitor Your Brand Mentions
Stay on top of what people are saying almost your visitor. Any solid reputation management program includes monitoring what people are saying and engaging with your audience.

Start by setting up Google Alerts, it takes no more 10 minutes. Add alerts for your brand name, website, CEO, and keywords. There are also a bunch of applications in the market that can help yous with monitoring social mentions, building make awareness, and reviews. Examples would be Mention, Brandwatch, or Sprout Social.

You don't have to review your alerts every day, only schedule a pocket-size block of fourth dimension once a week to review the alerts and stay on top of what people are saying most your concern.

iii. Start Asking Every Customer For a Review
Having a solid review strategy in place is a great way to combat a fake review. Receiving consequent reviews builds up your review numbers, and provides a more complete moving picture of how your company truly operates.

The best way to build up your online reviews is to brand asking a part of your daily operating practices, and knowing that you will have to enquire a lot of customers earlier one volition leave a review. It'southward nothing personal, life is decorated and just because a customer doesn't leave a review immediately, doesn't hateful they never volition.

Potential customers are not just reading reviews on your Google listing, they are on sites like Angie's Listing, Facebook, Trip Advisor, etc, so information technology's upwardly to you lot to ensure you are listed on these sites, and actively trying to get reviews here every bit well.

You tin can manually encourage reviews on these sites by directing customers to these sites, or consider using a review platform that helps you 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 organisation earnest. Set yourself upwardly for review success by implementing a winning customer feedback and review strategy. With Whitespark'south Reputation Builder y'all tin grow, manage, and market your online reviews and customer feedback all in one place to drive sales up for your business. Start your free 14-day trial today.

Most review platforms are piece of cake to use, it's a matter of entering your company information, adding clients, sending a customized email request if they would recommend your business concern, requesting feedback on their feel, and then asking if they would leave a review. This is exactly how our Reputation Builder works. The bonus of using a review tool like this, is that you too accept many additional features at your disposal, you can comprise customer survey's to get specific customer feedback, you lot tin showcase your reviews on your website, and you tin can monitor your reviews across many platforms and so that you can respond in a timely way.

Having a solid review strategy in identify that helps you grow your reviews on your Google listing and multiple tertiary-political party sites is not simply a deterrent for imitation review spammers it's good for your business concern, your local rankings and building your reputation.

A Negative Review or Rating Does Not Equal a Fake Review

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

Negative Reviews:

• • Provide honest feedback that you tin can turn around and apply to improve your concern or brand 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 practiced. Yous won't be able to delight anybody, merely if you tin make things right for someone, why not attempt? If yous can take that negative review and turn information technology into a positive ane, that volition exist noticed. How you respond 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 practice non want perfection. They want to exist able to trust in the reviews they see on Google, they want business owners to be active in responding to reviews, and they want to encounter recent reviews.

You Got This!

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

Do you have any imitation review horror stories to share? Or better nonetheless, any awesome pro-tips to help other businesses who are dealing with a fake review? Permit u.s.a. know in the comments below!

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

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