Photo by Muhammad Daudy
Online reviews are a big deal. In fact, over 90% of people say reviews have an impact on their buying decisions.
That’s why Google gives you the tools you need to manage your reviews more effectively – but misusing these tools can lead to penalties that impact your company. Worse, you could even be banned.
So, in order to take full advantage of Google’s help, let’s look at 4 things you can do (and 4 you can’t) when managing your business’s Google reviews.
What are Google’s Review Policies?
First, a quick overview.
Google’s Review policies are a comprehensive set of instructions that businesses must adhere to in order for their reviews to be visible on the platform.
However, in addition to the guidelines, there are also certain actions you’ll want to avoid. Engaging in these could lead to penalties or even the removal of your business profile page by Google. Not only that, but many companies keep an eye on their competitors — and quickly report their violations to Google. It’s also important to remember that these policies can and do change, so you’ll need to stay up-to-date.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what you CAN and CAN’T do:
You CAN… Make It Easy for People to Leave Reviews
The first thing you can do is to make it easier for your customers to leave Google reviews. There are several different ways to do this:
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- Feature reviews on your website. Consider displaying your Google reviews on your website. This helps build trust with potential customers. As an example, here’s the Smart Link Solutions reviews page.
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- Create a link to your Google review page. Google offers a simple way for businesses to create a link that takes customers directly to their Google review page. You can put this link in any email or text message that you send to customers asking for feedback. You can find our review link here. If you’d like a link to your review page, please feel free to reach out, and we’ll send you the link.
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- Embed a Google review widget on your website. There are many plugins available that allow you to embed your Google review page right there on your website.
You CAN’T… Offer Money or Gifts for Reviews
According to Google’s review policies, offering incentives for reviews is not allowed.
This includes:
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- Money
- Discounts
- Gift cards
- Any sort of physical gift
- Enter name in a drawing for a gift of any kind
There are some businesses out there that have offered these kinds of incentives in the hopes that customers would leave them positive reviews. It didn’t work out. If you’re caught doing this, your business profile could face penalties that range from suspending your account to terminating it.
Photo by Jess Bailey
You CAN… Monitor Reviews
It’s important to keep an eye on what customers are saying about your business. In which case, you can respond promptly to customer feedback, both positive and negative. You can also identify trends in customer sentiment.
For example, if several reviewers mention a particular issue (like long wait times or poor customer service), you can address that issue to improve the customer experience.
You CAN’T… Have Your Employees Post Reviews
Google prohibits businesses from having their own employees write reviews about their company. This rule is in place to maintain the integrity and authenticity of reviews on its platform.
Employee reviews, especially when positive, can be viewed as biased and a misrepresentation of the actual customer experience. Not only that, but employee reviews often give the impression that a business is attempting to manipulate its star rating.
Please keep in mind: Google owns the mapping company too, so they can see the IP address of where the review is coming from — if it matches your business address, then they’ll know it’s probably from one of your employees.
You CAN… Respond to Reviews
One of the most effective ways to engage with customers is to respond to their reviews.
Google encourages businesses to respond to all feedback, whether it’s positive or negative. After all, responding promptly to reviews shows that you value your customers’ opinions, and you’re committed to providing excellent service.
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- When you respond to a positive review, thank the reviewer and mention something specific about their experience to make your response more personal (which is much more effective than a canned or AI reply).
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- For negative reviews, acknowledge the customer’s concerns and offer solutions. Avoid getting defensive – instead, focus on how you can make things right.
If you’d like to know more about online reputation management, we discuss it in more depth here.
Photo by Brett Jordan
You CAN’T… Post Misleading Information About Your Business
Whether or not a review is positive or negative, some companies might try peppering their responses with some self-serving exaggerations, or even outright lies. Not worth it. Not only because it erodes the public’s trust if and when you get caught, but Google’s review policies also prohibit businesses from posting false information in their responses to customer reviews.
It’s just a good idea overall to respond to reviews honestly, and not misrepresent your products, services, or business practices.
You CAN… Flag/Report Fake and Inappropriate Reviews
If you come across a review that’s fake or violates Google’s review policies (like being abusive or containing spam), you have the option to flag or report it. This helps keep the review section of your business profile accurate and relevant.
Keep in mind that while Google reviews all flagged content, they may not remove it unless they deem it clearly violates their guidelines. Still, reporting inappropriate content is always worth doing, since it helps maintain the integrity of Google review pages.
You CAN’T… Buy Fake Reviews
Buying fake reviews is one of the biggest violations of Google’s review policies. Even the Federal Trade Commission is stepping in to level staggering fines at perpetrators.
Businesses are advised to stay far away from shady fake review generation services, which offer to create fake profiles to post fake reviews. When Google’s algorithms catch this kind of activity (which they certainly will), they’ll penalize your business listing.
That’s why it’s always best to stick to honest, legitimate methods of gathering customer feedback.
Maintaining Your Integrity
Google’s review policies are designed to maintain the integrity and authenticity of reviews on its platform – so those reviews continue to be helpful and relevant to customers. By following these guidelines, you can help maintain your business’s reputation.
Here at Smart Link Solutions, we offer comprehensive reputation management services that go beyond just monitoring negative online reviews – we go the extra mile by assisting in crafting responses and promptly flagging any content that violates Google’s review policies.
If you’re looking to take your online reputation to the next level, choose Smart Link Solutions.
Disclaimer: Please note that this blog post is not intended as legal advice. If you’ve got any concerns regarding Google’s policies and terms of service, please consult a lawyer.