It’s no surprise to anyone, especially not to any business: online reputation has become a crucial element not to be neglected. And the exponential multiplication of content on the Internet doesn’t make “monitoring” easy!
Google reviews, in particular, play an essential role in building this reputation. When we know that 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a recommendation from a close friend, and that 8 out of 10 Internet users say that negative reviews read online have influenced them to change their mind about a purchase decision… It goes without saying that even a single fake review (especially a negative one) can heavily impact a brand’s reputation.
Problem: not all reviews are authentic and honest. Fake Google reviews are a sad reality that many businesses face. And the consequences are deleterious.
So, what is a fake Google review? How to spot them? What are the penalties for this illegal practice? How to manage and protect against them? Trustt experts answer your questions.
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Fake Google Reviews: Everything You Need to Know About This Illegal Practice
Fake Google reviews are not without consequences for the businesses concerned. Especially regarding their e-reputation when it comes to a negative fake review. But positive fake reviews, posted by “accomplices” with the aim of improving consumers’ perception of a company’s products or services, are equally punishable by law.
Fake Google Reviews: Explanation and Definition
A fake Google review is a comment left by an internet user on a Google My Business listing that does not reflect a real customer experience.
It can be a positive or negative review left by someone who has never used the company’s product or service. These reviews are often created to deceive consumers and unduly influence the company’s online reputation.
- A negative fake review is often written by competitors or by a malicious person (disappointed?), with the aim of damaging a brand’s image on the Web, and ultimately, causing a loss of customers or discouraging interested consumers.
- A positive fake review: in this case, it is rather posted by a close contact, friend or family member, a collaborator or a professional, in order to influence internet users, and encourage them to take an interest in your company and trust it.
In both cases, this practice is prohibited.
Penalties for Posting Fake Positive or Negative Reviews
Publishing fake reviews is an illegal practice that can lead to criminal sanctions.
In France, law L111-7-2 of the Consumer Code punishes this practice with a fine of up to 375,000 euros, and “imprisonment of up to” 2 years.
Google also acts in the fight against fake reviews, through continuous monitoring and checks on the reliability of posted reviews, going as far as deleting those it deems fraudulent
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How to Spot Fake Google Reviews?
Spotting fake Google reviews is not the easiest when the business or establishment generates a large number of visits or purchases. But it is possible to identify them in several ways:
- A fake review (negative or positive) is often marked by excessive language, or vague details about the product or service sold: for example, the use of superlative words, which make the product or service appear as a miracle solution (or on the contrary, a total disaster);
- The person who left the review has posted many other negative reviews or on the contrary, no previous reviews (which would suggest that it was created for the sole purpose of harming this establishment);
- Spelling or grammar mistakes that suggest an automatic translation:
- A similar negative review posting on several product pages of the same company or several establishments offering the same service;
- An extremely negative review while the company otherwise receives rather positive reviews;
- Vague and imprecise evaluations such as “good value for money, I approve”;
- If the business or company profile has received a very large number of similar reviews in a short time: suspicion is warranted!
How to react when suspecting fake reviews about your brand and products?
You suspect a fake review? You don’t know how to react? Here are the options available to you:
- If you notice a suspicious review (negative or a bit too positive), the first thing to do is to check the author’s profile to see all the other reviews they have posted. This will provide more information about the person and their activity on Google Business profiles;
- Report the review: deleting a review on a platform is only possible by its author or by the platform itself. If the review is deemed fraudulent or defamatory, it will have a chance of being removed by moderators. In the case of a review on your Google My Business page, you will need to report the review as abusive to Google, providing arguments. However, this request rarely results in the comment being removed.
- Respond to the review: this is advice that applies to all comments left, whether on your website’s article pages or on your Google page! Not only does it show that you genuinely care about customer feedback, but it also allows you to invalidate abusive statements from malicious internet users. A public response to the review you received allows you to invalidate the author’s statements. Remain polite, without directly accusing the person. Instead, invite them to provide you directly with the elements that justify their dissatisfaction, as it’s possible that it’s a genuinely dissatisfied customer!
- File a complaint: in France, the body in charge of online fraud is the Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF). It is possible to file a complaint with the high court or request an expert assessment from the DGCCRF. You can also seek help from a lawyer specializing in business law, digital law, or e-reputation.
Obtaining Authentic and Detailed Reviews
The best way to reassure internet users about the quality of your articles or the excellence of your establishment’s services is to have enough qualitative and comprehensive reviews. Not only do reviews help with your site’s SEO, but they also help internet users make decisions during their purchase.
Problem? The majority of customers who leave reviews are content with short phrases and very few details. If they are positive, that’s good, but if they provide details and complete reassuring elements, it’s even better.
This is why the Trustt solution incorporates a review module allowing internet users to leave comprehensive reviews, divided into sub-categories adapted to your company’s products or services (usage advice, effectiveness, sensory aspects, etc.)
To go further, it is also possible to integrate video reviews into your product pages, which are vectors for conversion and reassurance.
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