Consumers are becoming more aware of the issue of fake reviews as they become more prevalent. While 67% of users in a recent study were concerned about fake reviews, the majority of consumers were unable to identify a bogus review.
Why there are more and more fake reviews Google rankings are influenced by reviews, and 93% of shoppers claim they read internet reviews before making a purchase. Major websites like Amazon, Google, and Yelp are taking action against review fraud as a result. It should go without saying that bogus reviews can harm the reputation of your company.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the most typical varieties of false reviews, how to get rid of them, and how to deal with their persistence so that your connections with potential clients and consumers remain solid and sincere.
Fake Review Types
- Self reviews: Some false positives in bogus reviews are made up and released by the business. Others are bogus negatives that rivals have acquired or that irate clients or former workers have posted online.
- Self-Evaluations: Some business owners fabricate reviews to enhance the image of their enterprise. They make up bogus profiles and post reviews for themselves and their rivals, respectively.
- Seller Reviews: There is always a method for someone to make money off of valuable items. Vendors are emerging all over the world who sell both positive and negative ratings to businesses as reviews gain importance.
- Revenge reviews : Former employees and unsuccessful job candidates occasionally fabricate phoney reviews to exact revenge on the business. These frequently include egregiously false statements, such as “There was a mouse in the kitchen.” Give a reimbursement or an incentive to make it right. This method is perfectly acceptable, however some individuals abuse it. Customers can make up bad experiences or lie to get businesses to give them freebies or refunds.
Consequences of FAKE reviews
Each review site (including Google, Facebook, Yelp, TripAdvisor, etc.) has a unique strategy for identifying and responding to fraud. Yelp is undoubtedly the most rigid. If a company is discovered to have posted phoney Yelp reviews, the website may:
- Apply rank sanctions.
- Please watch out for bogus reviews on listings.
- Stop using the platform to promote your business.
- Delete the entry for good.
There aren’t always zero-tolerance policies in place. Google and Facebook, for instance, do not have equivalent policies. However, there are still certain instances, including:
- Ranking Impact – Marketers have noticed patterns that indicate Google’s algorithms are exhibiting anomalous rating behaviour. From a questionable number of posts in a short period of time to low content diversity. A common belief is that Google will penalize these listings and lower their ranking in local search. But no matter how hard the platform works to keep fake reviews out, scammers continue to trick the algorithm into publishing reviews.
- Loss of Consumer Confidence – In the long run, consumer confidence is the main reason people don’t use the system. People are becoming more and more aware and more suspicious of how easy it is for companies to pay for fake reviews. A recent survey found that nearly 39% of consumers trust online reviews less than they did five years ago. The more credible your reviews, the more likely prospects will trust your business.
Reporting and Responding to Fake Reviews
Assuming you don’t create fake reviews yourself, here’s how to find and remove fake reviews posted by competitors, trolls, angry ex-customers, etc. increase. everyone has them. If you come across a fake review, there are two steps you need to take:
- Report it to the platform and request it be removed.
- Wait 3 business days to see if the platform removes the review before replying to the review publicly so that people considering your business can recognize it as fake.
Some SEO experts say that replying to reviews makes them legit and harder to remove. So before replying he recommends waiting 3 days to see if they get deleted. However, some platforms, such as Google, can take a long time to remove fake reviews. You don’t want to lose customers before the process is complete. Answer politely, factually, and concisely. The process is platform dependent. Let’s take a quick look at how each of the top review platforms manages fake reviews:
How to Remove Fake Google Reviews??
Google explicitly prohibits spam and fake content, but is fairly strict about removing reviews. Google doesn’t want companies to claim that every negative review is “fake,” so they need real evidence as to why they think it’s fake. As a result, removing reviews on Google can be a longer process than on other platforms. It is important to report and respond.
To report a review, please do so using your Google My Business account. Since there is no comment box, I can’t directly explain why I think the review is fake. Instead, use Google My Business chat and email support to make your case as needed.
How to Remove Fake Google Reviews
Google explicitly prohibits spam and fake content, but is fairly strict about removing reviews. Google doesn’t want companies to claim that all negative reviews are “fake,” so they need real evidence as to why they think they’re fake. As a result, removing reviews on Google can be a longer process than on other platforms. It is important to report and respond.
Report a review by reporting it through your Google My Business account. Since there is no comment box, I can’t directly explain why I think the review is fake. Instead, use Google My Business chat and email support to make your case as needed.
To reply publicly:
- As with valid negative reviews, be polite, professional, and concise.
- Indicates that the experience cannot be verified.
- Depending on the situation, invite an appraiser to contact you by email.
It’s important to actively manage your online reputation
Fake reviews, whether positive or negative, can damage your business. Watch out for questionable reviews written by spammers that are too vague, too one-sided, and request their removal from the platform.
Always flag fake reviews with polite replies. Please politely correct any inaccuracies and, if in doubt, provide a contact email and indicate that you would pre accurate.
CONCLUSIONS
Fake reviews are destructive to your business’s reputation. They create a negative impression upon users that discourages them from engaging with your business. By responding to and flagging fake reviews, as well as cultivating more positive reviews, you can preserve your business’s reputation.
Don’t worry — SEOGREY can help you accurately manage reviews for multiple locations. We had a tea of professionals helps you to provide positive reviews and there by removing fake reviews to promote your business online and reach widely to target audience.