False positives
It's time for you to report a business that has misleading or false reviews. These posts can be reported to Google's My Business community forum. Sometimes, the forum will locate the post and escalate it to Google. No matter who you are contacting, you must always provide accurate information. False reviews can be deceptive and even illegal.
A recent investigation conducted by CBC News uncovered a growing black market for fake reviews. Some companies paid for fake positive review purchases. Other companies were extorted to post negative reviews or provide "review-fixing” services. One investigation revealed a network involving fake reviewers that involved 1,279 North America businesses. These accounts had posted 3,574 fake comments.
Spam
Google's new ML based algorithm has slowed spam review creation but it isn’t solved. The number of spam reviews that were reported increased to historic highs in April and May. It is unclear if Google is changing its spam-removal algorithm or if it is simply responding to rising complaints.
Businesses can use Google Review Filter to avoid spammy reviews. Businesses can use this service to locate and remove reviews that are in violation of their policies. The algorithm recognizes spam reviews as ones that do not represent a genuine experience and are intended to manipulate star ratings. It considers duplicate reviews written by the same customer spam.
Fraudulent reviews
Fake Google reviews can make it difficult to find the right product. There are several ways to spot fake reviews. One way to spot fake reviews is to look through your customer base. You can check your customer database for duplicate reviews. This will show you if someone has ordered a product or purchased it. You can also view the details of each reviewer to verify that they are a real customer.
If you notice a review you don't recognize, try flagging it. Google will review all flagged feedback. It is not certain, however, that the review will be removed. It may still be up, and you could lose your online visibility.
Google: Report suspicious reviews
Google will investigate any suspicious reviews. You can do this by going to the Support tab in your Google My Business page. You can use the email option or the phone number to send your message. Send a screenshot of the review to Google. Within 24 hours, a Google representative will respond.
Google's review system is meant to be fair for both consumers and businesses, but it can also be prone to false reviews. Fake reviews can be hard to spot. A recent investigation by CBC News found a network of fake reviews. It contained at most 1,279 North America businesses, 208 fake profiles, and 3,574 false reviews.