What Happens if a Google Review Is Reported

What to Do When Your Business Gets a Bonkers Negative Review on Google

Your modest business concern probable relies on customer reviews to build and promote your reputation.

After all, 97% of customers say that reviews impact their buying decisions.

But what happens when yous get a negative review that is absolutely crazy?

Negative reviews are unavoidable for many small businesses. Merely every now and so, you might get a review that has you scratching your head.

Perhaps it's fake, or peradventure it's just outlandish.

In this article, I'll go over the Google policy on reviews and provide examples from existent businesses to aid illustrate types of reviews that intermission the rules.

Lastly, I'll summarize how you can report a Google review whenever your business might become whacko feedback from customers—and sometimes not-customers as well!

What Is the Google Reviews Policy?

Google's reviews policy outlines what types of content are considered "prohibited or restricted."

Reviews with content that falls into any of these categories violate Google's terms and are eligible to be deleted from your Google Business Profile.

Let's go over some types of "prohibited or restricted content" with examples of real reviews to meliorate understand the Google review policy.

How to Spot Negative Google Reviews that Intermission the Rules

Let's look at the types of reviews that suspension Google'south review policy so y'all tin detect false or inappropriate negative reviews of your concern.

one. Offensive Content

If a review contains "obscene, profane or offensive language," Google volition remove it, fifty-fifty if it is an otherwise legitimate review.

That means if the language is offensive, it doesn't affair if the negative review is fake or real—it's a violation.

Google employees apply their discretion to make up one's mind what crosses the line. Oftentimes, they allow mild insults slide if the vocabulary isn't overly offensive and the rest of the review is relevant.

But if common sense tells you that sure linguistic communication is indefensible, you might have a case.

In this below example, a customer reviewed a eating house but didn't mention anything almost the food, the drinks, the service, the prices, wait times or even the interior decor.

Instead, the review is an insult to the staff and other patrons with arguably offensive language that I've blacked out.

2. Off Topic

Co-ordinate to Google, online reviews must be near bodily, relevant client experiences with the company.

Personal rants, political or social commentary and other content of that nature could be flagged for removal.

If you get a negative review that is off topic and not reflective of a customer's genuine experience, then it might violate Google'southward review policy.

In the below example, a friend or family member of a local company'southward onetime employee wrote a negative review about the employee's firing.

Clearly the reviewer isn't fifty-fifty a customer of the company and is not leaving a review about a customer experience.

3. Spam and Fake Content

Reviews that are spammy or simulated exercise not come across Google's policy on reviews.

Google's definition of spammy or fake content is whatsoever content that isn't nigh a "18-carat experience" with the specific company being reviewed.

Content designed to manipulate a company's star rating is also function of this definition.

Lastly, duplicate reviews from the same customer, from either the same or different Google user accounts—fifty-fifty if the reviews are real—also meet this definition.

Typical examples include negative reviews about made-up experiences or which promote content that's non about a client experience at all. But not all examples are and so obvious.

In this below example, a legitimate review was posted for the wrong company.

Technically, this review qualifies every bit an inflation for the other company's star rating because it'southward not virtually an actual feel with the company being reviewed.

four. Disharmonize of Interest

Google prohibits reviews written by company owners, current employees, former employees or competitors.

And it's irrelevant whether the reviewer attempts to hide or misrepresent their authorship.

That means competitors or one-time employees too can't provide a negative rating anonymously or under an alias.

It's inside Google's discretion on a example-by-instance footing to determine who and what is a conflict of involvement.

In this example, a disgruntled erstwhile employee of a local housecleaning company clearly has something to say.

Writing a negative review near a company because you had a bad employment experience doesn't count.

five. Impersonation

Google'due south policy confronting "impersonation" boils downwards to whether the reviewer is speaking as someone else.

Pretending to be a customer to talk about someone else's experience is against the rules.

Even those transparent nigh reviewing second- or third-manus customer experiences might nevertheless exist breaching Google's policy.

Of course, Google employees grant leeway depending on the circumstances.

For example, they likely won't delete a review by someone writing for an elderly grandparent, especially if the grandchild was privy to the grandparent's customer experience.

But reviews by friends or acquaintances where specific details of the customer experience are sparse or missing, as in the below example, might not cut it.

Other Violations of Google'due south Reviews Policy

Restricted Content

Any review of a business concern that attempts to promote or sell what Google calls "restricted content" is not immune.

Restricted content "includes, but is not limited to, alcohol, gambling, tobacco, guns, health & medical devices, regulated pharmaceuticals, developed services and financial services."

Illegal and Terrorist Content

This type of content might be obvious but Google mentions it in their review policy for the sake of technicality.

Reviews that abet illegal or terrorist activity are clear abuses of the Google review policy.

Sexually Explicit Content

These types of reviews are like "offensive content," mentioned above with an case.

But to prevent ambivalence, Google lists "sexually explicit content" separately in their reviews policy.

Dangerous or Derogatory Content

Google reviews that threaten harm, express harassment, intimidation or bullying or incite hatred are prohibited.

How to Remove Bad Reviews From Google

First off, when your business gets a negative review, try not to panic.

Nobody likes to receive negative feedback. But if the reviewer is an actual customer discussing a real feel without being offensive or spammy, their review might be valid.

And a reviewer misrepresenting specific details about their otherwise real experience isn't necessarily against the rules. Google isn't in the habit of ruling on a "he said vs. she said."

In such situations, the all-time class of action is to respond to the review to either apologize to make things right or, if necessary, respectively and tactfully tell your side of things.

Check out our guide of negative review response examples for tips to reply to negative reviews and templates of responses.

Simply what about reviews that practise violate Google's review policy?

How to Report a Google Review

If you go a bad review that violates the Google reviews policy, here's how to report the Google review:

1. Log into your Google Concern Contour.
2. Click on "Reviews."
3. Find the review yous'd like to report and click on the three vertical dots on the correct-hand side.
4. Click "Flag equally inappropriate," select the reason for flagging and enter your information.

The process for reporting Google reviews is outlined in this short instructional video.

Google will follow upwards with you if they need more information or if they have an update.

What Happens if My Request to Remove a Google Review Is Denied?

If Google rejects your asking to remove a review and you still experience it violates their policy, you take a couple of options.

Offset, from your Google Business Contour, click on "Back up" to submit a post in their Help Customs or contact Google.

In a new Assist Community mail service, publish a re-create of the review and explicate the circumstances.

If a Google Product Expert sees your postal service and agrees with you, they could escalate the state of affairs.

Contacting Google many only piece of work if in that location is new info to share or if there was a misunderstanding about your initial removal request. Merely information technology's worth a shot as a last resort.

Remove Bad Google Reviews to Get the Reputation You Deserve

It's of import to get customer reviews because with positive Google reviews, you can kickoff using reputation marketing to abound your business organisation.

What is reputation marketing? Reputation marketing is the strategy of using reviews in your own marketing materials to grow your business.

Negative reviews will weigh down these marketing efforts. The all-time way to avert bad reviews is of class to provide amazing customer experiences at every opportunity.

But when you go a completely bogus review or a negative review that looks fishy, now y'all know how you tin can flag it for removal to aid proceed your reputation strong.

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Source: https://blog.nicejob.com/post/how-to-report-fake-google-reviews-with-examples

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