How Do I Report a Fake Google Review?

In today's online earth, failing to remove a false Google review can identify your business proper noun and reputation at serious gamble. Fake Google reviews tin lead to negative publicity, loss of potential customers, decreased profits, and other consequences.

Businesses can remove fake Google reviews in iv means:

1. Ask the original author to remove the negative review,
2. Flag the negative review to Google for Terms of Service violations,
3. Pursue legal activeness against the person who posted the review, and
4. Utilize online reputation management and search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to bolster your business organisation'due south reputation.

If your business organisation has recently been hit with a bad review, practice not worry. Whether it is a disgruntled client, competitor, a vengeful sometime employee, or an anonymous online troll, negative reviews happen to every business concern at some point. What is important is that you lot follow the best practices of how to respond to bad reviews and adapt to get them removed every bit quickly as possible.

At Minc Law, nosotros accept worked with hundreds of businesses to remove negative and faux online reviews from consumer review websites. When it comes to removing false Google reviews, we know what works and what does not. Beneath, we cover iv proven methods to remove fake Google reviews that actually work.

Identifying False Google Reviews

The beginning step in removing fake and negative reviews is learning how to identify them. Below, we embrace the types of individuals who usually go out fake reviews, why they do, and how you can spot them.

Who is Usually Behind Fake Google Reviews?

The purpose of fake Google reviews is to manipulate coincidental readers into believing a sure viewpoint about the business in question that is false. Many individuals tin can be motivated to leave fake reviews, such as:

• Competitors in your industry,
• Bodily consumers who had a negative feel, or
• Third-parties who are attempting to verbal revenge or have an unrelated grudge against the concern possessor.

Why Do People Leave Faux Reviews on Google?

At that place are two chief types of fake reviews on Google:

1. A faux review where the reviewer was not an actual customer and posted a review that does not reflect a genuine market place interaction, and
2. A fake review where the reviewer was in fact a real customer simply posted a review with malicious intent or an ulterior motive.

The start type of fake Google review typically falls into one of two categories: (1) the review was written by a competitor or ex-employee, with the purpose of taking your business organisation's reputation down a notch, or (2) the review was written past a 3rd-party who for some reason has a grudge confronting your business organisation. Maybe the reviewer did not like how you advertise your business, maybe a friend or family member of the reviewer previously engaged your business organisation, or possibly the reviewer was but trying to proceeds an border in an otherwise competitive business landscape.

The second type of imitation Google review typically occurs where a real customer did feel a genuine marketplace interaction with your business but described a situation in their review that does not match up with what actually took identify – often with malicious intent in mind. This can take the form of a reviewer creating multiple online aliases and accounts, pretending an interaction was worse than information technology was, and describing interactions that never actually happened.

This second blazon of faux review is mostly posted in 2 cardinal situations: (one) for purposes of extorting your business concern, or (2) when you are just flat out dealing with a malicious person and you lot did not exercise anything incorrect.

How Can You Place a Fake Google Review?

As a business, it is imperative that you lot pay close attending to your online presence and have a good idea of which reviews are real and which are completely fabricated. What makes a review suspicious varies from case to case, so the best advice is to trust your intuition.

Learning to spot a fake review takes some exercise, but the methods are relatively simple.

Beginning, compare the review to your business records and customer database. Can y'all match the username, transaction, or negative feel to any record you have on file? If the review does non seem to reflect a real feel at your function, information technology is the first ruddy flag.

So, take a closer look at the reviewer's business relationship itself.

• Was the profile created on the same day as the review?
• Has the reviewer made whatever other reviews also the review of your business?
• Is the username or profile photograph suspicious (such every bit a play on words or a photo taken from a stock photograph site)?

If it looks like an account was created on the same mean solar day as (or for the purposes of) writing the review anonymously, it could be a sign of a fake review.

Minc Law Tip: Sometimes fake reviewers use stock images every bit their profile pictures. You tin conduct a reverse epitome search on Google. Simply upload, drag and drop, or search Google Images with a URL to notice out where the picture came from.

Suspicious timing could be another indicator of fake reviews. They may showtime popping upwardly at regular intervals, or perhaps your business suddenly goes from a bulk of five-star ratings to an influx of negative reviews.

The timing of individual reviews can also be revealing; was the review published at a fourth dimension of day when your customers are likely asleep? If then, the review may have been published every bit a professional hit job hired from overseas in some other time zone.

Finally, the language of reviews could reveal inauthenticity. Perhaps the review uses:

• Poor grammar,
• Inflammatory rhetoric,
• Inaccurate descriptions of your service or product, and/or
• Directly or indirect promotions of your competitor(s).

If any of these employ to the review's language, information technology could be simulated.

How False Google Reviews Can Impact Your Business concern

Google reviews increase your concern's visibility and contribute to a positive business reputation. Below, nosotros hash out how positive Google reviews improve your local SEO ranking—and how large of an impact fake Google reviews can have on your business.

How Practice Google Reviews Assistance With Your Local SEO Ranking?

When an individual is looking for a business organization nearby—similar a eatery or an auto shop, for instance—they typically open up Google and blazon "[business organisation type] near me." Google and then uses a complex combination of the user'southward location, search history, and local business data to suggest businesses to the user.

Claiming and updating your business's Google My Business profile can aid your business organization rank ameliorate in Google'due south search algorithm. And responding professionally to Google reviews well-nigh your business concern also shows Google (and potential customers) that you value feedback.

Because of the nature of the algorithm, positive reviews about your business contribute to the quality of your Google search rankings.

How Big of a Problem Are Fake Google Reviews For Concern Owners?

Well-nigh everyone consults reviews before using a business. In fact, roughly xc% of worldwide consumers prefer to read reviews before buying a product. And 79% of consumers trust an online review as much every bit a personal recommendation.

But in that location are a lot of review platforms out there—how does Google stack up when consumers are searching out online reviews?

The answer: Google is extremely popular. It is the well-nigh-used review platform, with 59% of consumers using information technology to read reviews. The importance of online reviews (and Google reviews), and the outcome they can have on a business's success and longevity, cannot be overstated.

And so if your business is being bombarded with false Google reviews, it is safe to say that you are facing a significant problem.

How Can Fake Google Reviews Damage Your Business concern's Reputation?

The consequences of faux negative Google reviews may seem straightforward at first; they hurt web users' opinions of your business.

However, the ways a fake review can damage your business organisation vary. We list v common ways below.

1. Decreased Human foot Traffic & Customers

If consumers read negative reviews almost your concern, they commonly practice not know whether the review is imitation or non. Their stance of your business will be affected by these negative reviews—and in turn, you volition see fewer new customers deciding to have a chance on your company.

2. Loss Of Reputation in the Public Eye

With enough negative reviews, the general sentiment about your business organisation worsens. Potential customers and the full general public tin lose trust in your company's product, service, and even integrity.

3. Loss of Advertising & Sponsorships

With your loss of public reputation, your visitor may lose advertisers or sponsors besides. Other companies volition not want to invest in a company that is seeing fewer sales and interactions with potential customers, since the return on investment (ROI) would most likely be much less than they would prefer.

four. Reviewers May Feel More Comfortable Leaving Negative Reviews of the Business

Equally they say, once it rains, it pours—and unfortunately, this adage holds true when it comes to reviews. Once a negative review or 2 is published, other reviewers may feel inclined to pile on and add their own negative experience—embellished or not.

5. Lower Employee Morale & Difficulty Retaining Quality Employees & Talent

Information technology stands to reason that if your business is seeing less client traffic and experiencing negative public opinion, your employees will have less pride in their place of employment. It may fifty-fifty become difficult to rent and retain meridian talent if they see questionable reviews about your company online.

6. Damaged Ceo Reputation

Today, a CEO's reputation is directly related to the company'south image as a whole—and business leaders are increasingly held nether a microscope.

Negative reviews revealing or fabricating a misstep by a high-profile CEO can outcome in loss of revenue, public blowback, and a damaged make image.

7. Decreased Bottom Line & Having to Close the Business's Doors for Skilful

With the loss of sales, foot traffic, and advertising deals, a business that has been bombarded by false negative reviews faces the existent risk of losing plenty acquirement to go broke or out of business entirely.

How to Remove Fake Google Reviews & Damaging Content

If a reviewer is determined to leave a fake Google review for your business concern, they may use ane of several methods. For instance, they may:

• Post as multiple people and post multiple reviews;
• Leave a one-star review with no text;
• Mail statements that are blatantly imitation; or
• Go out a review made up of mixed substantive truths and falsities.

Whatever grade the review takes, you have options to fight back. Below, we cover the four ways strategies y'all tin employ to remove fake reviews.

What Steps Can You Take to Remove Fake Google Reviews?

Assuming the situation involves a real customer of your business, the best solution in most situations should hopefully be obvious: customer service. A happy customer never leaves a bad Google review, after all.

But if reaching out to the reviewer personally does non piece of work, you can also try flagging and reporting the review to Google. We cover both options in more than item beneath.

Option #1: Have Original Author Remove the Review

Co-ordinate to a ReviewTrackers' study, roughly 52% of customers expect to hear dorsum from a business organization within 7 days subsequently posting their review. Therefore, as a general rule, businesses should respond to a review within 24-48 hours of posting.

Usually, the reason a person posts a complaint online is that they desire their voice to be heard. Sometimes letting the person know that their complaints have been heard and the problem is being addressed is all that is needed.

Information technology is important to besides offer solutions. Is the customer just seeking an apology? What about a refund? Asking the customer what will resolve the situation is important.

If possible, nosotros recommend opting for a telephone call rather than a written message. Turning an impersonal situation into a personal one helps assure consumers their complaints are being taken seriously. If a phone call is non possible, yous should still offer a direct line of advice (e.g., video bulletin, text, or a directly message over social media).

However, in near cases, nosotros usually advise clients that responding to a negative review on the review site where it was posted should be a measure of last resort. This action should be reserved for extremely harmful reviews or ones that you are certain there is no other manner to remove or resolve.

Responding to a review in the wrong mode can do more damage than good—not to mention bring more than unwanted and unnecessary attention to the review. Responding to a review tin also encourage more bad reviews and decrease the chances that the website will remove the review for a term of service violation.

And finally, a bad response tin can put you lot in hot water legally if you say the wrong thing. Responses tin be especially troublesome for professionals such as doctors and lawyers, who take strict confidentiality obligations.

Continue in mind that if you are a medical professional, y'all may not be able to publicly answer to the author without violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Human action or other professional privilege obligations. For farther information, we recommend reading attorney Andrew Stebbins' commodity explaining how medical providers tin can respond to negative medical reviews.

Google Review Removal Tip: Google's Contributed Content Policy prohibits the offering or acceptance of money in exchange for reviews. Make sure not to cross over into this territory by offering customers money to postal service good reviews.

Option #2: Flag and Report the Review

Flagging a false Google review is the first step towards having Google remove imitation online reviews. Call up of it as sending a point to Google to alert them, "Hey! Something is non quite right here. Please come take a look!"

But before pulling the trigger, e'er make sure you check Google's review guidelines showtime to decide what Google considers an inappropriate review. Google'southward policies prohibit the following types of reviews:

• Spam and fake content;
• Off-topic content (such as posts unrelated to the location or business concern in question);
• Restricted content (such as links or contact data for where consumers tin buy illegal goods or services)
• Illegal, sexually explicit, and/or terrorist content;
• Offensive and obscene language and gestures;
• Dangerous and derogatory content (such as harassment or threats of physical violence/harm);
• Brand impersonations (such as trademark infringement, unfair competition, and deceptive trade practices by other businesses); and
• Conflicts of interest (such equally reviews written by the business'south owner, electric current or onetime employees, or competitors).

In one case you accept identified an appropriate violation, the next step is to flag the review. Local business owners and companies can flag reviews in two different means: past flagging the review via Google Maps or through managing one'due south Google My Concern reviews. We cover each option beneath.

Flag Fake Google Reviews in Google Maps or Your Google My Business's Review Profile

To flag a defamatory or false review almost your business organization, but Google your business or visit Google Maps to notice your business listing. Then:

• Find the review in question that you desire to flag,
• Locate the flag or three vertical dots side by side to a review,
• Click the flag or three dots, and
• Flag the review equally inappropriate.

Later flagging the review as inappropriate, yous volition be directed to a page to 'Study a policy violation.' There, you can identify the nature of the violation, fill out your email address, and submit the request.

Later flagging the review as inappropriate and selecting which Google policy information technology violates, you will receive a follow-up email letting y'all know they are looking into it.

In our feel, we have generally found that this method of flagging reviews only has success in the most obvious of cases. Still, if you wish to remove Google reviews in a comprehensive style, it is important to do all of your options that can potentially lead to removal.

Flag the Review From Within Your Google My Business Account

If you are a business owner, you tin too flag Google reviews through your Google My Business concern Account. In our feel, reporting reviews through your Google My Business account has historically proven more effective than the flagging option above. All you lot need to practice is:

• Log in to your Google My Business account,
• Open the location you'd like to manage (for companies and businesses with more than one location),
• Select 'Reviews' from the menu bar,
• Identify the fake review in question, and
• Click the three vertical dots and flag the review equally inappropriate.

Later on flagging a review, the review in question volition be escalated to a Google Business organisation review team of specialists to be analyzed. Flagged reviews are Not assessed or analyzed past artificial intelligence or auto-observe filters.

Google'south review flagging process commonly takes 72 hours earlier whatever action is taken regarding the review. You will also receive an email confirming this.

As opposed to flagging a Google review via Google Maps or a business's public review profile, we have by and large found that most people have better success rates having reviews removed through this method.

Just always retrieve, removing Google reviews is a process—one in which patience is truly a virtue.

Contact Google Small Business Support Straight

In a perfect world, every negative and fake online review would be removed immediately after being flagged, and every legitimate review would remain online. But this dream is far from the reality of Google's review policy and removal landscape.

Should your flagging of a negative or fake online review go unnoticed or unanswered, it is time to contact Google Small Business Support directly by phone or electronic mail to discuss it with them further.

To report fake or malicious reviews to Google directly (via your business organization contour), do the following:

• Login to your Google My Business account,
• Click on 'Reviews' in your bill of fare bar,
• Locate the 'Support' bar on the left side of the page (a pop-up Support bar will appear),
• Select 'Demand More Help', then 'Customer Reviews and Photos,'
• Select 'Review Removal Issues' and then 'Contact Support,'
• Select your method of contact – either email or phone,
• Make full out your contact information,
• Paste the text of the inappropriate and false online review and select 'Automatically include a screenshot,' and
• Include the Google Maps link of the review.

You will generally hear dorsum from Google within 24 to 48 hours or sooner. You will and so have the opportunity to speak with a support specialist and make your instance.

Nonetheless, your call will probable exist with the same department that already decided the review should remain online. So it is essential that yous come up prepared with strong documentation and evidence.

Because of the delicacy of this task, we recommend hiring an experienced net defamation attorney to assist you, equally they can help identify the correct process for reporting reviews, amend sift through relevant content policy guidelines, and explain why the review in question is fake and why they violate Google's review policies.

Documentation & Preservation of Testify is Essential For Making Sure a Review is Removed

Throughout this process, make sure to certificate all evidence that is relevant to the review you lot are seeking to have removed. In our feel, Google does not preserve copies of reviews.

Proceed an extremely detailed log of the communication y'all had with the customer, the flagging of the review, reporting, and disputing process. This fashion, you will exist able to check upwards on and dispute the review with certainty.

Documenting show is also important if you somewhen have legal action. When it comes to preserving evidence of the reviews themselves, we suggest taking the beneath 3 steps:

Stride 1: Locate the Google review

Stride ii: Click on the business relationship holder's name

Pace 3: Screenshot and Re-create the URL

Make certain to timestamp all screenshots and compile all evidence into a chronological timeline. Preservation and documentation of prove are essential for filing a defamation lawsuit.

Google Review Reporting Tip: In today's day and age, Twitter is used for almost everything. Google is no dissimilar. Tweeting at Google Small-scale Business Back up ( @GoogleSmallBiz ) is besides an effective fashion to become their attention and escalate the thing and review in question.

How Practise Yous Deal With Simulated Google Reviews If Google Refuses to Remove Them?

If Google will not work with you lot, your final options are to pursue litigation or implement a comprehensive online reputation management strategy.

Pursue Legal Action

Filing a defamation lawsuit over a review is a serious decision that should just be sought as a last resort after yous have exhausted other options.

But whether the imitation reviewer is known or anonymous, pursuing litigation (such every bit a John Doe lawsuit) tin can be an constructive tool to have a negative review removed. Most of the time, legal disputes involving faux and defamatory reviews are resolved without ever having to go to trial.

Withal, at that place are certain risks and issues involved with pursuing legal activity that must be carefully weighed and considered. There is always a chance it will be a contentious lawsuit, where a plethora of defamation defenses may be asserted, the evidence is picked apart, and principled stances are tested. Not to mention the omnipresent risk of the Streisand Consequence.

Information technology is incredibly important to work with an chaser who has feel with these types of procedures.

Use Online Reputation Management & SEO For Review Removal

In some situations, removing an unwanted review may not be possible—or worth it. Reputation management and SEO campaigns are usually the last remaining pick to accept negative online reviews removed.

• Online reputation direction (ORM) is the procedure or combination of strategies, techniques, and tools that people and businesses can use to create positive content, learn positive reviews, and boost their online reputations.
• Search engine optimization (SEO) involves using tools and techniques to make changes to websites and online content to assist them rank improve on Google. Ideally, any good ORM campaign includes a sound focus on SEO techniques and strategies.

Reputation direction drowns out negative reviews by creating positive content and information well-nigh a business. Eventually, the bad review may no longer be visible—effectively removing information technology. This process involves a mix of creating positive and substantive content through ORM, and so making sure information technology ranks well in search results using SEO.

Proactively creating a positive reputation for your business organisation name online is the first line of defence against bad reviews. Information technology also makes the chore of getting bad reviews removed easier when they do happen considering information technology makes your business concern look more than credible.

For farther data on online reputation management, we recommend reading our article explaining mutual online reputation direction costs.

When Tin Y'all Sue Someone For a Simulated Google Review?

Mostly, you lot tin can sue for a fake Google review when it rises to the legal definition of defamation, extortion, or harassment. If you have a valid defamation claim, y'all accept the option to file a lawsuit against the defamer.

To sue for a bad review, the review must be:

• Defamatory or legally actionable;
• Trying to harass or extort your company; or
• In violation of a review platform's Terms of Service.

You cannot sue the review platform for a faux Google review because they are protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Instead, your all-time option is generally to sue the reviewer and/or affiche themselves.

Can You Sue Over a Wordless One-Star Faux Google Review?

In virtually cases, one-star reviews are considered expressions of opinion. Just non always. Since defamation must comprise a simulated statement of fact, a wordless review is generally not actionable every bit defamation per se, and would take to accept into account other external facts that make the review actionable. These types of claims are referred to as defamation per quod or implied defamation. Still, whether y'all can sue for a i-star review is dependent on many specific factors.

If your business organization experiences a series of seemingly connected i-star reviews, for example, yous may exist able to sue the affiche.

What Can You lot Do About Negative Fake Google Reviews Posted By a Competing Business?

If you have reason to believe the fake Google review in question was posted by an industry competitor, you can endeavour sending them a finish and desist letter. If that does non work, you may exist able to file a defamation lawsuit confronting them if there are numerous causes of action, such as:

• False advertizement claims
• Injurious falsehood (business disparagement)
• Unfair/deceptive trade practices

What is Considered Online Defamation?

Online defamation, too known equally "internet defamation," refers to a false argument published on the internet. In order to be considered defamation, it must accept been published with at to the lowest degree a level of negligible intent and damaged its subject'southward reputation.

In the case of online reviews, they may enter into the realm of online defamation if they utilize false statements of facts to crusade damage to their target company's reputation and/or business.

Nosotros Can Help You lot Remove Fake Google Concern Reviews & Damaging Content

If yous are in business long plenty, you are likely to encounter fake online reviews. It is just the proper name of the game. How you answer to fake reviews and arroyo their removal is what will separate your business from competitors and enable your business organization to stand up the test of time in your manufacture.

While there are steps that you lot can take to protect your business against false Google reviews, we practise Non recommend clients going at this lonely. Reporting simulated and negative online reviews to Google should be washed with the help of experienced internet attorneys who have proven success removing fake Google business reviews and comprehensive knowledge of Google's content policies and guidelines.

★★★★★

"Very Happy, removed origin mail and google search resultes as advertised."

A, May 21, 2021

At Minc Law, our practice is dedicated to removing imitation online reviews and other defamatory net content. We know what it takes to non only remove fake online reviews—but put an end to the online attacks for good and assist your business organisation put its best digital footprint forward.

If y'all are ready to speak with an cyberspace defamation attorney, you tin can reach the Minc Police force squad by calling us at (216) 373-7706, or past contacting us via Chat, email, or our online contact course.

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