How to Remove Fake Google Reviews
From Aaron Minc…
Identifying Fake Google Reviews
The first step in removing fake and negative reviews is learning how to identify them. Below, we cover the types of individuals who usually leave 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 casual readers into believing a certain viewpoint about the business in question that is false. Many individuals can be motivated to leave fake reviews, such as:
- Competitors in your industry,
- Actual consumers who had a negative experience, or
- Third-parties who are attempting to exact revenge or have an unrelated grudge against the business owner.
Why Do People Leave Fake Reviews on Google?
There are two main types of fake reviews on Google:
- A fake review where the reviewer was not an actual customer and posted a review that does not reflect a genuine marketplace interaction, and
- A fake review where the reviewer was in fact a real customer but posted a review with malicious intent or an ulterior motive.
The first 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’s reputation down a notch, or (2) the review was written by a third-party who for some reason has a grudge against your business. Maybe the reviewer did not like how you advertise your business, maybe a friend or family member of the reviewer previously engaged your business, or maybe the reviewer was simply trying to gain an edge in an otherwise competitive business landscape.
The second type of fake Google review typically occurs where a real customer did experience a genuine marketplace interaction with your business but described a situation in their review that does not match up with what actually took place – 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 it was, and describing interactions that never actually happened.
This second type of fake review is generally posted in two key situations: (1) for purposes of extorting your business, or (2) when you are just flat out dealing with a malicious person and you did not do anything wrong.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Hennes Communications is not a law firm and we do not offer legal advice.