False positives
If you notice that a business has false or misleading reviews, it's time to take action. You can report misleading or false reviews to Google's My Business group. Sometimes, the community forum can find the post by itself and escalate it back to Google. No matter who you are contacting, you must always provide accurate information. False reviews could not only be deceptive but illegal.
CBC News has discovered a growing black market in fake reviews. Some companies paid for fake positive review purchases. Some companies have been tricked by websites that offer review-fixing services or post negative comments. One investigation found a network consisting of 1,279 North American businesses. These accounts had posted 3,574 fraudulent reviews.
Spam
Google's new ML algorithm for moderating reviews has slowed spam reviews but isn't the only solution. The number of spam reviews that were reported increased to historic highs in April and May. It's unclear whether Google is altering its spam-removal algorithm to address the increasing number of complaints.
Google Review Filter is a tool that businesses can use to filter out spammy reviews. Businesses can use the service to delete or find reviews that violate their policies. The algorithm recognizes spam reviews as ones that do not represent a genuine experience and are intended to manipulate star ratings. It will also consider duplicate reviews from the same customer spam.
Fraudulent reviews
Having a slew of fake Google reviews can be a major headache. There are a few methods to detect fake reviews. One way is to go through your customer records. 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 check out the reviewer's details to determine whether they are really a real customer.
If you notice a review you don't recognize, try flagging it. All flagged reviews will be reviewed by Google. You can't guarantee that it will be deleted. It might still be there, which could cause you to lose your online visibility.
Google can be contacted for suspicious reviews
If you notice a review that looks suspicious, you can report it to Google. 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. Attach a screenshot of your review to Google when you contact them. You should receive a response from Google within 24 hours.
Google's review system is intended to be fair to both businesses and consumers, but it is important to note that it is also prone to false reviews. Fake reviews can be difficult to spot, so it is crucial to be vigilant. A network consisting of fake reviews was discovered in a CBC News investigation. It involved at least 1,279 North American businesses, 208 fake accounts and 3,574 fake testimonials.