Someone Reviewed My Business on Google Who Has Never Used It

Let's talk reputation management. Did you lot know that:

1. 86% of consumers read reviews for local businesses (including 95% of people betwixt the ages of eighteen-34)
2. Consumers read an average of x online reviews before feeling able to trust a local business
3. xl% of consumers only take into account reviews written within the terminal two weeks
4. 57% of consumers will only go with a concern if information technology has 4 or more stars
5. 91% of 18-34 year quondam consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
6. 89% of consumers read businesses' responses to reviews

Let that information all sink in. Reread it if you have to. Those are real stats from BrightLocal'south 2018 Local Consumer Review Survey. These statistics were specifically compiled to help local businesses develop their online reputation management strategy for 2019.

If you lot're a small-scale business concern, negative reviews on Google tin be especially devastating, and you tin't afford to ignore a bad Google review. If yous haven't been paying attention to your Google reviews, information technology'due south time to wake upwardly and take the bicycle. If you don't have fourth dimension for reputation management, well, that'southward what we are here for. But assuming you lot do, here are some tips to ensure your Google reviews are a more accurate representation of your business.

Managing Your Reputation on Google

First, I want to signal out that you should never just respond to BAD reviews. You should brand a point to respond to EVERY review, whether adept or bad, at all times, when appropriate. Fifty-fifty in the cases where zippo was said just someone left yous stars--respond. Encourage additional feedback in situations where nothing was said by prompting the reviewers with questions almost the production/services they received. All reviews (specially ones that reference your products and services) assist your local SEO rankings as well every bit providing potential leads with more information near what y'all exercise.

There are few things more frustrating than someone tainting your business's reputation, especially if they didn't do business organization with you and are pretending they did. That's called a simulated negative review, and y'all know what? You lot tin can remove information technology.

That'southward right. It's non every bit like shooting fish in a barrel equally clicking "remove," simply you do have the ability to remove any reviews that violate Google'southward policies for leaving reviews. That includes the removal of fake reviews from people who never did business concern with you. There are a few different ways to do this.

Determining if a Review is Fake

Obviously, negative reviews are not always fake. You may come across reviews that were left by legitimate customers that had a poor feel. Don't ignore these. Reply to the review on Google, and then follow-up with that unhappy customer with a telephone telephone call to ensure they feel heard and try to remedy the situation.

When yous think you may have spotted a fake Google review, here are a few things you lot can check to brand sure:

1. Are they in your CRM or point of sale software? If not, they likely aren't a customer.
2. Are they on tape for contacting customer service? If not, recommend they exercise then in your response with a direct link to contact customer service.
3. Practise they lack specific details such every bit which employee helped them? They may only not remember the name of the employee, but typically if someone has a bad experience they take note of names.
4. Have there been an influx of negative reviews in a short corporeality of fourth dimension? It could exist that a competitor or spammer is after you lot.
5. Did the reviewer recommend a competitor in their negative review? This is usually a clear indicator that a competitor is behind the review.

How to Flag and Report a Fake Google Review

There are a couple of ways to get rid of those pesky simulated reviews.

1. Go to the review on Google Maps. Click on the three vertical dots in the height correct of the review (run across image), and then click "Flag equally inappropriate." DO Non CHOOSE THIS UNLESS Y'all ARE Certain IT IS Faux. Google will penalize yous if you take an excess of reviews that you are flagging and they plough out to be legitimate.
2. If a competitor is behind the fake negative reviews, obviously the mature and professional person first step is to contact them and request that they terminate the activeness and remove the fake reviews. If they don't, y'all always have the option of reporting them to the Ameliorate Business organisation Bureau and your local Chamber of Commerce.

How to Remove Negative Google Reviews

The only way to have a negative Google review removed is if it violates Google's guidelines, such every bit:

1. Spam and fake content: Any false content intended to boost rankings falls in this category.
2. Off-topic: If the content includes irrelevant personal, social, or political commentary, it tin exist removed.
3. Restricted content
4. Illegal content
5. Sexually explicit content
6. Offensive content
7. Dangerous & derogatory content
8. Impersonation
9. Conflict of interest: You cannot review your own business, or have employees review your business or a competitors business organization.

Follow the step above to showtime flag the negative review you lot desire to be removed. Then go through the following process to contact Google about taking information technology downwardly:

1. Go to your Google My Business contour
2. Click on "Support" on the bottom left navigation panel
3. When the help box pops up, click through "Demand more than assist," then "customer reviews and photos," so "manage customer reviews," then "email back up."

Brand sure you lot've compiled enough data to support your example and send information technology off.

If you have plenty evidence to bear witness the review is slander confronting your visitor, you can fill out Google's legal removal request class.

If the complaint has been deleted, but it's withal showing up in Google search results, submit the link here in Google'south Search Panel.

Drown Out Negativity with Positivity

When information technology comes downwards to it, positive reviews take the power to drown out negative reviews. E'er be asking your happy customers to leave Google reviews almost your products and services! These positive sentiments can become a long way in convincing others to do business organization with you and they also greatly contribute to your local SEO.

In closing, always be on alert for reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp, and other review platforms. The more on top of your reputation you tin can be, the amend!

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Source: https://www.tributemedia.com/blog/how-to-deal-with-or-remove-fake-negative-google-reviews

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