{"id":11061,"date":"2018-09-21T15:03:00","date_gmt":"2018-09-21T15:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trafficsoda.com\/?p=11061"},"modified":"2022-11-28T17:25:09","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T17:25:09","slug":"fake-google-review-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/fake-google-review-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"The Smart Way to Deal With Fake Negative Reviews on Google, Yelp and Other Sites"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you\u2019re reading this, chances are you\u2019re in damage control-mode. Your business has been hit with a fake negative review on Google, Yelp, or another online platform, and you want to deal with it ASAP. Preferably by wiping it off the face of the Internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fake negative reviews are all too common. It\u2019s trivially easy to create an account on these sites and write feedback for all the world to see. For business owners who\u2019ve worked hard to build their reputation, these types of reviews are exasperating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It <em>is<\/em> possible to get fake reviews removed in some cases. But that\u2019s not always the case. Dealing with fake negative reviews is a delicate process, and it\u2019s one you should prepare for <em>before<\/em> it becomes necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve laid out a step-by-step process for how to deal with fake negative reviews of a business, including how to report fake reviews and what to do when removal isn\u2019t possible.<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Deal with Fake Negative Reviews, Step-By-Step<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dealing with fake negative reviews is easier when you have a plan of action. The process will differ between businesses, but the basic steps are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Verify that the review is fake.<\/li><li>Determine if the review violates the rules.<\/li><li>Report the fake review through the official channels.<\/li><li>If the review stays up, decide on the best course of action.<br><br><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Are You Sure the Review is a Fake One?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When we say \u2018fake negative reviews\u2019, we\u2019re talking about reviews that are either:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Written by someone who was never a customer, client, or associate of the business; or<\/li><li>Making claims about the business that aren\u2019t true.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It does a business no good to conflate bad reviews with fake ones. Do your research before alleging a review isn\u2019t genuine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a very small customer or client base, it\u2019s easier to tell if a review is coming from someone the business has never dealt with. Otherwise, some tell-tale signs of a fake review include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Review was authored by a brand-new profile with no other reviews and a sparse profile<\/li><li>Tone is overly aggressive or threatening and clearly meant to provoke<\/li><li>Language includes industry jargon that actual customers or clients rarely use<br><br><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Does the Review Break the Rules?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Suppose the review comes from someone <em>you <\/em>know has <em>never <\/em>dealt with the business. What next?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can tell that to Google or Yelp. Trouble is, <em>they<\/em> don\u2019t know who your customers are. Should they take your word for it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People don\u2019t even need to be customers to leave a valid review; they just need a customer <em>experience<\/em>. That can mean reaching out to the business by phone or email, or dropping by the premises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s seldom possible to get a fake review removed simply because the reviewer wasn\u2019t a customer. The most promising route to taking down fake reviews is to report them for violating the site\u2019s terms of use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/contributionpolicy\/answer\/7400114?hl=en&amp;ref_topic=7422769\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yelp-support.com\/article\/When-should-I-report-a-review?l=en_GB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Yelp<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/communitystandards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a>, and other sites each have their own separate community guidelines. In general, the following behaviour is usually grounds to report a review:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Demonstrably false information<\/li><li>Current or former employees reviewing their employer<\/li><li>Business owners or their employees reviewing a competitor to manipulate rankings<\/li><li>People posting the same content repeatedly, or reviewing the same business from multiple accounts<\/li><li>People claiming to represent an individual, company or organization without permission<\/li><li>Obscene or offensive language that goes beyond \u2018colourful\u2019<\/li><li>Threats, harassment, bullying, or discrimination<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you believe the review in question violates the site\u2019s rules, proceed to step 3; otherwise, skip to step 4.<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Will Google\/Yelp\/Facebook Remove the Review?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t call out the reviewer as a phony in public. Go through the website\u2019s official reporting channels. While awaiting a verdict, decide how to proceed if the review stays up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To report a review on Yelp:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Locate the review in the Reviews section of your Yelp for Business Owners account.<\/li><li>Click the button with the three dots, then click Report Review.<\/li><li>Submit your report.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To report a review on Facebook:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Locate the review in the Reviews section of your Page.<\/li><li>Click the button with the three dots, then click Report Post.<\/li><li>Submit your report.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To report a Google review:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Locate the review on your Google My Business page.<\/li><li>Move your cursor over the review and click the flag icon that appears.<\/li><li>Submit your review.<br><br><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Should You Respond to a Fake Review?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s never a good idea to ignore fake negative reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>51% of customers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewtrackers.com\/customers-expect-responses-negativereviews\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expect businesses to respond to negative reviews<\/a> within seven days. Posting a response gives you an opportunity to demonstrate you\u2019re responsive to customers, even if they have nothing nice to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>How <\/em>best to respond to negative fake reviews can be tricky. It\u2019s not smart to accuse the person outright, because it makes the business owner look petty and defensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A better tactic? Take the high ground. Write a courteous, professional response. The most important thing is for customers to see that the business is willing to acknowledge negativity and do something about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If there\u2019s a <em>clear <\/em>sign the review is fake (talking about products or services you don\u2019t have, or an experience that couldn\u2019t have happened), there are subtle ways to address the discrepancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t say, \u201c<em>We don\u2019t sell ice cream, liar.<\/em>\u201d Say, \u201c<em>We\u2019re sorry to hear you had a bad experience, but you may be confusing us with another restaurant, as we don\u2019t have ice cream on our menu.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t say, \u201c<em>You never once used our service and we know it.<\/em>\u201d Say, \u201c<em>We\u2019d like to investigate, but have no record of a client with your name. Please provide more information about your experience<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bad reviews hurt; fake reviews can hurt even more. But don\u2019t give into frustration. The worst thing you can do is fight fire with fire, responding inappropriately or threateningly to someone who\u2019s trying to bring you down.<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dealing with Fake Reviews<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve helped various clients navigate the process of dealing with fake reviews, and it\u2019s never fun. But with a solid plan and a clear head, you <em>can <\/em>minimize the damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As always, the best way to overcome negative reviews is to surround them with positive ones. Don\u2019t forget to let your happy customers know how much you appreciate their feedback.<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/discovery-form\/\"><strong>Find Out What Else We Do<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re reading this, chances are you\u2019re in damage control-mode. Your business has been hit with a fake negative review on Google, Yelp, or another online platform, and you want to deal with it ASAP. Preferably by wiping it off the face of the Internet. Fake negative reviews are all too common. It\u2019s trivially easy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11062,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,6,63],"tags":[116],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Fake-negative-review.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Amanda Turner","author_link":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/author\/amanda\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11061"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11061"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11064,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11061\/revisions\/11064"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafficsoda.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}