{"id":4446,"date":"2021-08-04T10:59:17","date_gmt":"2021-08-04T10:59:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/?p=4446"},"modified":"2024-11-04T18:39:30","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T18:39:30","slug":"fake-google-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/fake-google-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Fake Google Reviews: How to Combat Review Spam on Google"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have you ever read reviews for a business or product, and something just felt off?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe the wording was strange, the vocabulary was wrong, or the reviewer\u2019s name looked weird.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If so, there\u2019s a good chance you stumbled across a fake Google review.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More and more people are turning to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">online reviews<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help them decide on a purchase or a local business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If reviews are meant to build credibility, how do fake reviews come into play?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Business owners usually have tons of questions when it comes to fake Google reviews, and we\u2019ve done our best to answer the most common questions here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this guide, you\u2019ll learn:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#what-are-fake-google-reviews\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Are Fake Google Reviews?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#can-you-buy-fake-google-reviews\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can You Buy Fake Google Reviews (and Should You)?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#consequences-of-buying-fake-google-reviews\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Consequences of Buying Fake Google Reviews<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#how-to-recover-from-fake-google-review-attack\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Recover from a Fake Google Review Attack<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#how-to-boost-gmb-rating\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Boost Your GMB Rating<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"what-are-fake-google-reviews\"><b>What Are Fake Google Reviews?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a nutshell, a fake Google review is written and posted by someone who didn\u2019t purchase the product or visit the business mentioned in the review.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fake Google reviews fall into 2 broad categories:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Positive reviews designed to boost a GMB rating<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Negative reviews designed to harm the business\u2019s online rating<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some businesses just starting out may decide to give themselves a little boost by having their family and friends leave positive reviews (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">without actually making a purchase<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a fake positive review.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other businesses want to hurt their competition by leaving a few negative reviews on the competition\u2019s GMB page.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a fake negative review.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it may be hard to believe, fake reviews are widespread.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightlocal.com\/learn\/fake-reviews-are-a-real-problem-8-statistics-that-show-why\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">92% of 18-34-year-old consumers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have read a fake Google review in the last 12 months!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/local-rank-tracker\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping your GMB rating up<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can have a HUGE impact on your search ranking, so you must know how fake reviews can affect your business online.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"can-you-buy-fake-google-reviews\"><b>Can You Buy Fake Google Reviews (<\/b><b><i>and Should You<\/i><\/b><b>)?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When new business owners are struggling to build momentum through their<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/local-rank-tracker\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Google reviews<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, one of the first questions that might come to mind is, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can I buy fake Google reviews<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The short answer is yes \u2014 you can buy fake Google reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The long answer addresses a second question as well \u2014 should you buy fake Google reviews?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So yes, you CAN buy fake Google reviews, but you shouldn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s take a look at the process of buying fake Google reviews and why it\u2019s an awful idea for your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How to Buy Google Reviews<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buying Google reviews is a straightforward process. For example, I searched \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">buy Google reviews<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d on Google, and the first result was a site that sells Google reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-2n6vmm-254b95ad988796e15d19935a565edd77\">\n.avia-image-container.av-2n6vmm-254b95ad988796e15d19935a565edd77 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-2n6vmm-254b95ad988796e15d19935a565edd77 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_image  avia-builder-el-first '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4449 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4449 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/1-1030x402.jpg\" alt='1' title='1'  height=\"402\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/1-1030x402.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/1-300x117.jpg 300w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/1-768x300.jpg 768w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/1-705x275.jpg 705w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/1.jpg 1279w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notice that this site claims its reviews are \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100% safe and permanent,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201c and clicking through to the site will allow you to purchase a package of your very own Google reviews.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll be able to select the timeframe of the reviews, how many stars, and you can even choose to include some of your staff\u2019s names in the reviews \u2014 they\u2019ve thought of everything, haven\u2019t they?<\/span><\/p>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-2f2b7y-f5f1f14ec0fdfd43a7745b98af9dd6da\">\n.avia-image-container.av-2f2b7y-f5f1f14ec0fdfd43a7745b98af9dd6da .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-2f2b7y-f5f1f14ec0fdfd43a7745b98af9dd6da av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4450 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4450 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2-1030x358.jpg\" alt='2' title='2'  height=\"358\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2-1030x358.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2-300x104.jpg 300w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2-768x267.jpg 768w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2-1536x533.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2-1500x521.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2-705x245.jpg 705w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/2.jpg 1590w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, you provide your Google My Business URL so the review company knows where to leave the reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s that easy!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Now you know why there are so many fake reviews floating around the internet.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The simplicity of purchasing fake Google reviews backed by the tempting claim of \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100% safe and permanent<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d appeals to new business owners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It seems like an easy way to get the wheels of momentum into motion.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How Much Does It Cost to Buy Google Reviews?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buying reviews from the site above will run you about $5\/review.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, you can buy larger packages at steep discounts for bulk reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-n1drz2-00b7741bb038590a8022a0108d313bdc\">\n.avia-image-container.av-n1drz2-00b7741bb038590a8022a0108d313bdc .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-n1drz2-00b7741bb038590a8022a0108d313bdc av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4451 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4451 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/3-1030x451.jpg\" alt='3' title='3'  height=\"451\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/3-1030x451.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/3-300x131.jpg 300w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/3-768x336.jpg 768w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/3-705x309.jpg 705w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/3.jpg 1475w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightlocal.com\/research\/local-consumer-review-survey\/?SSAID=314743&amp;SSCID=71k5_u1jp2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">87% of consumers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> read reviews for local businesses, having positive reviews on your GMB profile can make the difference between success and bankruptcy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So spending a few hundred bucks on reviews could be money well-spent, right?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep in mind that although the monetary cost of buying reviews isn\u2019t particularly high, there are plenty of other expenses that potentially come with fake Google reviews.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It could cost you:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your customers\u2019 trust<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your GMB profile<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High fines from the FTC<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s vital to know that the cost of purchasing fake Google reviews could be MUCH higher than you expected.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Are Fake Google Reviews Illegal?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may be thinking that fake Google reviews are unethical but they\u2019re not illegal, right?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/USCODE-2011-title15\/pdf\/USCODE-2011-title15-chap2-subchapI-sec45.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Title 15, paragraph 45 of US law<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, deceptive business practices are \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unlawful.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And that includes endorsements made by people who haven\u2019t used the product or purchased from the business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Translation \u2014 buying fake reviews is ILLEGAL.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s say you bought some Google reviews before you knew it was against the law.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will it land you in jail?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You won\u2019t be sent to the slammer for buying fake reviews, but you could face some hefty fines plus a pile of other consequences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The FTC (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Federal Trade Commission<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) monitors businesses and ensures they comply with these laws.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you thinking about rolling the dice because the FTC probably won\u2019t notice a small business buying a half-dozen reviews online?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In our opinion, it\u2019s not worth the risk.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"consequences-of-buying-fake-google-reviews\"><b>4 Consequences of Buying Fake Google Reviews<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While you won\u2019t end up in an FBI interrogation for buying fake Google reviews, you could face some severe consequences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are 4 potential consequences for buying Google reviews:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GMB profile suspension<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GMB profile removal<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loss of credibility with your customers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FTC fines<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While you might not face all 4 consequences, you\u2019ll most likely encounter at least 1.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, these consequences are severe enough that the possibility of getting hit with just 1 of them should be enough to keep you from purchasing fake reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Suspension<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you think Google can\u2019t tell when you\u2019ve purchased reviews, think again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and other review sites<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) are experts at identifying when users are posting fake reviews.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their primary goal is to keep <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">web content<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> relevant and accurate, so they\u2019re highly motivated to identify and remove fake content, including purchased reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they identify those reviews on your GMB profile, 2 things will most likely happen immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The fake reviews will be removed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your GMB account will be suspended.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-kma9vy-a272fbdb8aa3823a30ec01aa545eefa5\">\n.avia-image-container.av-kma9vy-a272fbdb8aa3823a30ec01aa545eefa5 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-kma9vy-a272fbdb8aa3823a30ec01aa545eefa5 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4452 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4452 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/5.jpg\" alt='5' title='5'  height=\"140\" width=\"409\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/5.jpg 409w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/5-300x103.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 409px) 100vw, 409px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no way to tell how long your suspension might last.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/business\/answer\/4569145?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">submit a request<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through your business profile appealing the suspension and notifying Google that you\u2019ve removed any issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A suspension is a temporary setback but can be crippling for a business \u2014 especially a young one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even 1 purchased review or fake review can cause your account to be suspended.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Removal<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It only gets worse from here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google is perfectly willing to remove GMB profiles that aren\u2019t in compliance with its <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/business\/answer\/3038177?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">community guidelines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, you\u2019re struggling to get your first few reviews on Google.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your business is young, and you just needed a little boost to get off the ground, so you buy three 5-star reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be aware, if Google flags your new GMB profile as spam, it may skip the suspension and remove it entirely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your original goal was to INCREASE visibility, but now you\u2019ve wiped out any chance that someone will find your business on the Local Finder.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of accomplishing your goal and increasing visibility, buying fake Google reviews can demolish your visibility on Google.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting your GMB profile removed is the worst thing that can happen to your online presence as a young local business and that\u2019s why we recommend avoiding purchasing fake reviews at all costs.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Loss of Credibility<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might not lose your account.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It might not even get suspended.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if not, does that mean you flew under the radar?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe you were one of the few that bought Google reviews and didn\u2019t have any consequences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just because you escaped the wrath of Google doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t be hit with other heavy consequences \u2014 your customers aren\u2019t stupid, and they can tell when they\u2019re reading fake reviews as opposed to real ones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightlocal.com\/learn\/fake-reviews-are-a-real-problem-8-statistics-that-show-why\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">74% of consumers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have identified a fake review in the last year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-iu7e1q-077de51edc832d514a146c42764d6ad5\">\n.avia-image-container.av-iu7e1q-077de51edc832d514a146c42764d6ad5 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-iu7e1q-077de51edc832d514a146c42764d6ad5 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4463 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4463 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fake-google-reviews-1.png\" alt='fake google reviews 1' title='fake google reviews 1'  height=\"305\" width=\"845\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fake-google-reviews-1.png 845w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fake-google-reviews-1-300x108.png 300w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fake-google-reviews-1-768x277.png 768w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fake-google-reviews-1-705x254.png 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your target audience is young, they\u2019re even better at it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, your audience will know when you\u2019re trying to hoodwink them, and they won\u2019t appreciate it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think about it, how do YOU feel when you think a business is trying to deceive?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customers who read fake reviews on your profile will:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lose trust in your company.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take their business elsewhere (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">probably to your competitors<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spread the word to others (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and not a good word<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In an attempt to GAIN customers, the tables will turn, and you\u2019ll actively drive them away with fake Google reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Fines<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s one more consequence that may come from buying fake reviews on Google \u2014 fines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Big ones.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lendza.com\/blog\/are-fake-reviews-illegal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FTC levies a fine<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of about $10,000 PER FAKE REVIEW purchased if you\u2019re discovered.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will they discover you if you just buy a couple of fake reviews?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Probably not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Is that a chance we\u2019re willing to take with our business?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No way \u2014 not in a million years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A couple of years ago, the FTC <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/news-events\/press-releases\/2019\/02\/ftc-brings-first-case-challenging-fake-paid-reviews-independent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fined one business owner $12.8 million<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for purchasing fake reviews on Amazon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might not get a $12.8 million fine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regardless, it isn\u2019t a good idea to risk your entire business for a handful of fake reviews.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the end, you\u2019re better off working hard to earn reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, we\u2019ll address how to recover from fake Google reviews on your account that you didn\u2019t purchase.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-recover-from-fake-google-review-attack\"><b>How to Recover from a Fake Google Review Attack<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if you didn\u2019t purchase fake reviews for your GMB profile, you might still find that you have several false Google reviews on your account.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And unfortunately, they probably don\u2019t include positive feedback about your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have particularly seedy competitors, you may have fallen prey to a fake review attack.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Competitors sometimes create multiple fake <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/google-rank-tracker\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google accounts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> so they can leave negative reviews on your profile.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These attacks can have significant impacts like the ones below:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce consumer confidence in your business.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lower your GMB rating and Local Finder rank.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increase the chances that customers will choose your competitor over you.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fake review attacks are a despicable technique, but unfortunately, they do occur.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ll show you exactly how to identify fake reviews, how to report them, and how to recover.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How to Identify a Fake Review<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, you have to be able to identify fake reviews.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not all <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">negative reviews<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are fake, so learning how to spot fake Google reviews is paramount to protecting your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow these steps to identify fake reviews:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scan the review\u2019s details.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Analyze the wording of the review.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check out the reviewer\u2019s profile.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for reviews with no text.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s walk you through performing each of these steps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, thoroughly read the negative review\u2019s complaints.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have a storefront, do the details match up with any customer that came in recently?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>If not, it might be fake.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re not always in the store, ask a manager or employee to recall difficult customer interactions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the review includes details that don\u2019t match up with anything your employees remember, it\u2019s probably fake.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Second, analyze the wording of the review to see if it feels fake to you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People typically get a \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gut feeling<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d when reading a fake review, but there are several things you can look out for:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strange vocabulary or grammar<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Misplaced or excessive periods, commas, or exclamation points<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Competitor endorsements<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-h601cu-6c8346b88dff1b315f354d175b526058\">\n.avia-image-container.av-h601cu-6c8346b88dff1b315f354d175b526058 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-h601cu-6c8346b88dff1b315f354d175b526058 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4453 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4453 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/6-1030x503.png\" alt='6' title='6'  height=\"503\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/6-1030x503.png 1030w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/6-300x146.png 300w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/6-768x375.png 768w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/6-705x344.png 705w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/6.png 1168w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Third, take a look at the reviewer\u2019s profile.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is it a brand new profile?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have they left reviews for other businesses?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are they leaving positive reviews for your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">competitors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, negative reviews with no text are often fake \u2014 add them to your list of reviews to dispute.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you get to the end of your analysis and decide that the review is fake, it\u2019s time to take action.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How to Dispute a Google Review<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you\u2019ve identified a fake review, you can dispute the review with Google to have it removed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s talk about how to report fake Google reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To dispute a Google review, log into your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/business\/?ppsrc=GPDA2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google My Business account<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-fwr3dq-f0a9bad7fe69414e2da05b95d3bd7267\">\n.avia-image-container.av-fwr3dq-f0a9bad7fe69414e2da05b95d3bd7267 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-fwr3dq-f0a9bad7fe69414e2da05b95d3bd7267 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4454 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4454 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-1030x409.jpg\" alt='8' title='8'  height=\"409\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-1030x409.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-300x119.jpg 300w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-768x305.jpg 768w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-1536x611.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-1500x596.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8-705x280.jpg 705w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8.jpg 1894w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, navigate to the \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reviews<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d tab on the toolbar on the left side of the screen.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-1cwn26-ccb14802b27f313487a5a952e1c828eb\">\n.avia-image-container.av-1cwn26-ccb14802b27f313487a5a952e1c828eb .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-1cwn26-ccb14802b27f313487a5a952e1c828eb av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4455 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4455 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/9.jpg\" alt='9' title='9'  height=\"832\" width=\"568\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/9.jpg 568w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/9-205x300.jpg 205w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/9-481x705.jpg 481w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you\u2019re in the reviews tab, click the three dots on the right side of the review. Then, click \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flag as inappropriate<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-cvv4jy-823364ec7ab946006b63cd049e8aa39a\">\n.avia-image-container.av-cvv4jy-823364ec7ab946006b63cd049e8aa39a .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-cvv4jy-823364ec7ab946006b63cd049e8aa39a av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4457 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4457 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/7-1030x362.jpg\" alt='7' title='7'  height=\"362\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/7-1030x362.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/7-300x106.jpg 300w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/7-768x270.jpg 768w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/7-705x248.jpg 705w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/7.jpg 1308w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google will require you to fill out a form detailing why you\u2019re flagging the review.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It isn\u2019t guaranteed that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/google-rank-tracker\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will remove any review that you flag, but it\u2019s your best and only option.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If Google needs more information to take action against a review, they\u2019ll email you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In your response, make sure you include information on why you believe the review violates Google\u2019s review guidelines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If Google chooses not to remove the review, it\u2019s time to do damage control.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What to Do if Google Doesn\u2019t Remove the Review<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we said, Google doesn\u2019t always remove the review that you believe is fake.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are 2 reasons that Google may not remove a review:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google believes the review is legitimate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is not sufficient evidence to prove the review is fake.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>However, it doesn\u2019t matter WHY Google didn\u2019t remove the review \u2014 what matters is what you do next.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this point, we recommend treating the review as if it were real.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accusing all negative reviewers of being fake doesn\u2019t make your company look good, so just treat it as an honest review.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Respond to the review.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apologize for the negative experience.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try to resolve the customer\u2019s complaint.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fix the issue that led to the complaint.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Move on.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-ae2yj2-ab311d8b2187477515757f664e127174\">\n.avia-image-container.av-ae2yj2-ab311d8b2187477515757f664e127174 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-ae2yj2-ab311d8b2187477515757f664e127174 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-9  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4456 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4456 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/10-1030x484.png\" alt='10' title='10'  height=\"484\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/10-1030x484.png 1030w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/10-300x141.png 300w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/10-768x361.png 768w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/10-705x331.png 705w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/10.png 1332w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A negative review isn\u2019t the end of the world if you respond to it correctly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make a good impression by showing new customers that you own your mistakes and treat your customers well (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">even when they leave negative reviews<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-boost-gmb-rating\"><b>How to Boost Your GMB Rating\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can\u2019t buy Google reviews, how can you get your Google My Business rating to go up?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">quick and easy<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d trick to attain an overnight 5-star average with 1,000 reviews on Google.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>It takes time and work, but, ultimately, it\u2019s worth the effort.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting a higher rating on the Local Finder is one of the keys to your local business\u2019s success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webfx.com\/blog\/seo\/local-seo-stats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">46% of Google searches<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are for local businesses, so a good GMB profile with high ratings is crucial for your success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve already mentioned how vital your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/local-rank-tracker\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GMB rating<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is for your local business rank.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now let\u2019s cover how to get more positive reviews and boost your rating.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Respond to All Reviews<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the best things you can do for your Google rating is to respond to every single review left on your profile.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Responding to reviews has 3 benefits:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shows that you value your customers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gives you a chance to make a good impression on potential customers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Helps you resolve negative reviews (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and turn them into positive ones!<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whenever you\u2019re responding to a review, think about what would positively impact you when searching for a business \u2014 what would make you want to visit them?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Typically, we don\u2019t like to read negative, nasty comments from business owners because it makes them look temperamental and mean.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead, we like reading helpful, kind, and generous responses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When someone leaves you a positive review:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thank them for their business and their kind words.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tell them you\u2019re looking forward to serving them again.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-8vg826-5940fbd17f0cd05bb014ef9604301572\">\n.avia-image-container.av-8vg826-5940fbd17f0cd05bb014ef9604301572 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-8vg826-5940fbd17f0cd05bb014ef9604301572 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-10  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4458 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4458 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/11.png\" alt='11' title='11'  height=\"341\" width=\"750\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/11.png 750w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/11-300x136.png 300w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/11-705x321.png 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When someone leaves you a negative review:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apologize for the negative experience.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offer a discount, refund, or some other token.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask how you and your team can avoid the same error in the future.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-7c9jzy-5e8292cb2d1b50499a3f11d159a946c3\">\n.avia-image-container.av-7c9jzy-5e8292cb2d1b50499a3f11d159a946c3 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-7c9jzy-5e8292cb2d1b50499a3f11d159a946c3 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-11  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4459 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4459 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/12.png\" alt='12' title='12'  height=\"277\" width=\"654\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/12.png 654w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/12-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 654px) 100vw, 654px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These types of responses will show your genuine care and concern for your customers and will encourage new visitors to give your business a try.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Ask Customers for Positive Reviews<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the main issues <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/sem-strategy\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">business<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> owners run into is that most people don\u2019t think to leave a review.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if people enjoy a positive, 5-star experience with you, they usually don\u2019t leave Google reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>To remedy this, start asking customers to leave you positive reviews on Google.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most customers will be happy to leave you a review, and it can quickly add up to lots of positive reviews for potential customers to read.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep in mind:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Only ask customers to leave you a review when you\u2019re sure they were happy with your service.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a customer had a complaint while working with you, call or email them to ask how you can improve your service in the future.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tell customers that you would appreciate a \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">positive<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d review. Emphasizing \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">positive<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d encourages the customer to contact you directly about complaints instead of leaving them as reviews.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-5ci6ge-8169f5de8fd44503d04fe94ed34baed1\">\n.avia-image-container.av-5ci6ge-8169f5de8fd44503d04fe94ed34baed1 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-5ci6ge-8169f5de8fd44503d04fe94ed34baed1 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-12  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4460 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4460 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/13-1030x204.jpg\" alt='13' title='13'  height=\"204\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/13-1030x204.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/13-300x59.jpg 300w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/13-768x152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/13-705x139.jpg 705w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/13.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><b>The fortune is in the follow-up.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following up with your customers is the most crucial step to building your GMB profile with fantastic reviews.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Track Your GMB Rank with ProRankTracker<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, you should continuously be tracking your GMB rank with rank-tracking software.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since your GMB rating has such a profound impact on your rank, keeping track of your rank can alert you whenever there are issues you need to address.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ProRankTracker<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> allows you to keep track of your business\u2019s Local Finder ranking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve made it easy \u2014 all you have to do is:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Navigate to the Add Wizard in the toolbar.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fill in your URL and keywords.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Select \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also track Google Snack Pack<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">top 3 maps<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and local finder<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">top 100 maps<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fill in your GMB information for ProRankTracker to track.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-4wo1ri-bdd35484e41081e7bd4b961cf513b350\">\n.avia-image-container.av-4wo1ri-bdd35484e41081e7bd4b961cf513b350 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-4wo1ri-bdd35484e41081e7bd4b961cf513b350 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-13  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_image '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4461 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4461 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/14-1030x454.jpg\" alt='14' title='14'  height=\"454\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/14-1030x454.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/14-300x132.jpg 300w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/14-768x338.jpg 768w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/14-1536x677.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/14-1500x661.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/14-705x311.jpg 705w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/14.jpg 1850w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After adding your GMB to ProRankTracker, you\u2019ll instantly know how your Google reviews are affecting your rank.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll also know if any fake Google reviews are hurting your business by keeping your rank low.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To check on your rank, go to the URL view.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/tracker\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ProRankTracker<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will show you if and how your GMB rank has changed recently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it\u2019s gone up, don\u2019t change anything.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it\u2019s gone down, you may want to look for recent negative reviews, and if they\u2019re fake, you can follow the steps in this article to dispute and remove them.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-1zv45a-17187391003a7d7dd3ab9519554a6b86\">\n.avia-image-container.av-1zv45a-17187391003a7d7dd3ab9519554a6b86 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-1zv45a-17187391003a7d7dd3ab9519554a6b86 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-14  el_after_av_image  avia-builder-el-last '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-4462 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-4462 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/15-1030x521.jpg\" alt='15' title='15'  height=\"521\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/15-1030x521.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/15-300x152.jpg 300w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/15-768x388.jpg 768w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/15-705x357.jpg 705w, https:\/\/proranktracker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/15.jpg 1473w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fake Google reviews are common, but it\u2019s important to remember that it isn\u2019t a sustainable strategy for your business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should never buy Google reviews \u2014 it\u2019ll only hurt your business in the long run.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you think you\u2019re being attacked with fake reviews, follow our steps to learn how to identify and report a fake Google review.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember \u2014 asking for positive reviews and providing a genuinely valuable service are the best ways to improve your GMB profile.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Track your ranks to ensure you\u2019re staying up-to-date on your profile\u2019s health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What have you done to respond to fake Google reviews?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let us know how you improve your GMB profile health in the comments below!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever read reviews for a business or product, and something just felt off? Maybe the wording was strange, the vocabulary was wrong, or the reviewer\u2019s name looked weird. If so, there\u2019s a good chance you stumbled across a fake Google review. More and more people are turning to online reviews to help them [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4447,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 4.9.10 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Thinking about buying fake Google reviews? 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