Reviews are an essential factor in search result ranking. According to ReviewTrackers, customer feedback is the third most significant contributor to local pack results and is also among the top seven factors influencing local organic search rankings.
However, fake online reviews are everywhere. Nearly half of all consumers believe they encounter counterfeit reviews on Amazon.
In this article, let's first see why people are tempted to get fake Google reviews and why you should NEVER do so.
A simple answer is that collecting enough organic feedback is a struggle.
Do some keyword research around the word 'Google', and you'll soon see that "buy Google reviews" is a pretty popular topic. There are clearly a bunch of people out there who are interested in buying fake reviews.
If you're not actively asking your customers for reviews, your review collection rate is likely to be pretty low. Not only that, but the 'organic' reviews you do have are much more likely to be negative than positive.
Understandably, a low star rating can cause business panic. In response, some companies look for a quick solution by purchasing fake reviews to boost their ratings and enhance their online reputation management.
Paid Google reviews can quickly improve your ratings and online reputation. Still, this practice is fraught with significant risks and consequences. There are a whole lot of pitfalls of purchasing fake reviews.
Many countries around the world have strict laws against fake reviews or false customer testimonials. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) took action against a marketing agency that wrote fake reviews for its clients to increase their Google ranking.
By writing fake reviews or allowing fake reviews to be written, UK companies are in breach of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations and may face civil or criminal proceedings.
The rules aren't just limited to the UK, either. The Federal Trade Commission in the U.S. has similar rules and has a range of guides available that give some recommendations.
It may sound extreme, but Google customer feedback is all about giving consumers a voice and improving a business's trust and reputation. Buying fake reviews destroys all that.
Google's entire business is based on the trust it has between itself and its users. Users trust Google to provide accurate information in response to any search term. As Google regularly provides reviews and testimonials in its SERPS for most business search terms, it's really important that those reviews are accurate and genuine.
But by purchasing fake reviews for places like Google Plus or Google My Business (anywhere there is a local search result including a map), you're not only going to get found out by Google (who will very quickly bump your My Business local search box out of the search results), you're also going to get found out by your customers.
Google calls it fake engagement and imposes prohibitions and restrictions on that kind of content.
The damage to your reputation will far outweigh the perceived benefits you may have of a temporary boost in your star ratings through a fake review collection.
Fake Google reviews are really not hard to spot. They're generally poorly worded and most often don't bear any specific relevance to the company or product in question. When looking at the review profiles of these accounts, you'll usually find a wide range of reviews on a range of different products, all in a short period. You may also need to be more consistent in the reviewer's location compared to the area of the company they are reviewing.
Your customers are also pretty savvy. They'll be looking around online on a variety of different sites for reviews, and any inconsistencies will be spotted pretty quickly.
Engaging in manipulative practices such as buying reviews is the shortest way to algorithm penalties from Google. With the advancements in AI/ML, it's a piece of cake for a tech giant like Google to detect and penalize websites that do not adhere to its guidelines, including those that purchase fake reviews.
When Google catches a review manipulation case, it can significantly lower the search rankings of the offending website. This reduction in search rankings leads to decreased visibility and a drop in organic traffic, ultimately harming your business's online presence and growth potential. Hence, the SEO impact of fake reviews is extremely harmful.
In short, review fraud is a big NO. So, how can you improve your review rating and boost your online reputation?
It's time to learn what you should be doing in terms of review collection.
Basically, the solution to fixing your low review count and low star rating is simple: collect more positive reviews.
How do you do this? There are many ways, but the key to most of them is being proactive. Did you know that only 15% of customers regularly leave reviews? In a study, 68% of people were found to leave a review for a local business when asked.
The key, then, is not to buy fraudulent testimonials but perhaps to sign up for a review platform like REVIEWS.io. They make it easy to contact your past and present customers and request feedback. All the collected ratings can then be sent to Google, boosting your review tally and improving your score.
Yes, leaving and viewing Google reviews is completely free. Businesses do not need to pay to collect or display reviews on their Google My Business profiles.
To report a business for buying positive reviews:
You can also use Google's Business Redressal Complaint Form to report fake reviews and other unethical practices.
Check out the in-depth guide on Google Customer Reviews for more details.
Google reviews themselves do not directly generate money. However, they can significantly impact a business’s reputation, attract customers, and ultimately increase sales and revenue.
Yes, Google uses advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques to detect fake reviews. These systems analyze review patterns, language, and other factors to identify and remove fraudulent content.
As with all quick fixes, buying reviews on Google may give you a small short-term benefit, but the long-term consequences could be really detrimental. To solidify your online reputation, consider investing in a Review Platform. With the increase in customer confidence it brings, it'll soon pay for itself.
Want help improving your online reputation? Chat with us right now, or head over to our website to check out our platform.
