How Do I Report a Googld Review as Inappropriate
What to Practise When Your Business organization Gets a Bonkers Negative Review on Google
Your small business organization likely relies on customer reviews to build and promote your reputation.
After all, 97% of customers say that reviews bear upon their buying decisions.
But what happens when you get a negative review that is absolutely crazy?
Negative reviews are unavoidable for many minor businesses. Only every now and then, you might go a review that has you scratching your head.
Perhaps it's fake, or maybe it'southward just outlandish.
In this article, I'll go over the Google policy on reviews and provide examples from real businesses to aid illustrate types of reviews that interruption the rules.
Lastly, I'll summarize how you tin report a Google review whenever your business organization might get whacko feedback from customers—and sometimes not-customers too!
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 whatever of these categories violate Google'due south terms and are eligible to be deleted from your Google Business Contour.
Allow'due south get over some types of "prohibited or restricted content" with examples of real reviews to improve understand the Google review policy.
How to Spot Negative Google Reviews that Intermission the Rules
Let'due south look at the types of reviews that break Google'south review policy so you can discover imitation or inappropriate negative reviews of your business.
1. Offensive Content
If a review contains "obscene, profane or offensive linguistic communication," Google will remove it, even if information technology is an otherwise legitimate review.
That means if the language is offensive, it doesn't matter if the negative review is fake or real—it's a violation.
Google employees use their discretion to decide what crosses the line. Frequently, they let mild insults slide if the vocabulary isn't overly offensive and the residue of the review is relevant.
But if common sense tells you that certain language is indefensible, y'all might have a case.
In this below case, a client reviewed a eating place but didn't mention anything virtually 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
According to Google, online reviews must be about bodily, relevant client experiences with the visitor.
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 information technology might violate Google's review policy.
In the beneath instance, a friend or family member of a local company's onetime employee wrote a negative review about the employee's firing.
Clearly the reviewer isn't even a customer of the company and is non leaving a review about a customer experience.
three. Spam and Fake Content
Reviews that are spammy or faux do not see Google'south policy on reviews.
Google's definition of spammy or simulated content is whatever content that isn't about a "18-carat experience" with the specific company being reviewed.
Content designed to dispense a company'southward star rating is also part of this definition.
Lastly, duplicate reviews from the same customer, from either the same or different Google user accounts—even if the reviews are real—likewise meet this definition.
Typical examples include negative reviews about made-up experiences or which promote content that's not about a client experience at all. But not all examples are so obvious.
In this beneath instance, a legitimate review was posted for the incorrect company.
Technically, this review qualifies as an inflation for the other company'southward star rating because it's non about an actual experience with the company beingness reviewed.
iv. Conflict of Interest
Google prohibits reviews written past company owners, electric current employees, former employees or competitors.
And it's irrelevant whether the reviewer attempts to hide or misrepresent their authorship.
That ways competitors or one-time employees likewise can't provide a negative rating anonymously or under an alias.
It's within Google'due south discretion on a example-by-case ground to decide who and what is a conflict of interest.
In this case, a disgruntled onetime employee of a local housecleaning company clearly has something to say.
Writing a negative review virtually a visitor because you had a bad employment experience doesn't count.
5. Impersonation
Google'south policy against "impersonation" boils down to whether the reviewer is speaking as someone else.
Pretending to be a client to talk about someone else's experience is against the rules.
Even those transparent about reviewing 2nd- or third-manus customer experiences might nevertheless be breaching Google'south policy.
Of grade, Google employees grant elbowroom depending on the circumstances.
For example, they likely won't delete a review past someone writing for an elderly grandparent, especially if the grandchild was privy to the grandparent's customer experience.
Merely reviews by friends or acquaintances where specific details of the client experience are sparse or missing, every bit in the below example, might not cut it.
Other Violations of Google's Reviews Policy
Restricted Content
Any review of a business that attempts to promote or sell what Google calls "restricted content" is non allowed.
Restricted content "includes, but is non limited to, alcohol, gambling, tobacco, guns, health & medical devices, regulated pharmaceuticals, adult services and financial services."
Illegal and Terrorist Content
This type of content might exist obvious simply Google mentions it in their review policy for the sake of technicality.
Reviews that abet illegal or terrorist activity are articulate abuses of the Google review policy.
Sexually Explicit Content
These types of reviews are like "offensive content," mentioned in a higher place with an example.
Simply to forestall ambiguity, 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
Beginning off, when your business gets a negative review, attempt not to panic.
Nobody likes to receive negative feedback. But if the reviewer is an actual client discussing a real feel without existence 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 addiction of ruling on a "he said vs. she said."
In such situations, the all-time course of action is to reply to the review to either apologize to brand 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.
But what about reviews that exercise violate Google's review policy?
How to Report a Google Review
If yous get a bad review that violates the Google reviews policy, hither's how to report the Google review:
- Log into your Google Concern Profile.
- Click on "Reviews."
- Find the review yous'd similar to report and click on the three vertical dots on the correct-hand side.
- Click "Flag equally inappropriate," select the reason for flagging and enter your information.
The procedure for reporting Google reviews is outlined in this curt instructional video.
Google volition follow up with you if they need more information or if they accept an update.
What Happens if My Request to Remove a Google Review Is Denied?
If Google rejects your request to remove a review and you lot still experience it violates their policy, y'all accept a couple of options.
First, from your Google Business Profile, click on "Support" to submit a post in their Help Community or contact Google.
In a new Help Community mail, publish a copy of the review and explain the circumstances.
If a Google Product Expert sees your mail and agrees with you, they could escalate the situation.
Contacting Google many just work if at that place is new info to share or if there was a misunderstanding virtually your initial removal request. But it's worth a shot every bit a last resort.
Remove Bad Google Reviews to Get the Reputation You Deserve
It'due south important to get customer reviews considering with positive Google reviews, you tin offset using reputation marketing to grow your business.
What is reputation marketing? Reputation marketing is the strategy of using reviews in your own marketing materials to grow your business organization.
Negative reviews will weigh down these marketing efforts. The best way to avert bad reviews is of course to provide amazing customer experiences at every opportunity.
Only when yous become a completely bogus review or a negative review that looks fishy, at present yous know how you can flag it for removal to help keep your reputation strong.
Source: https://blog.nicejob.com/post/how-to-report-fake-google-reviews-with-examples
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