You love the positive reviews. And you know how to deal with the negatives calmly and politely. But what do you do if you think someone has written a false review to smear your business online?
Negative false reviews may be left by trolls, competitors, disgruntled ex-customers or even bots. On the other hand, some companies pay to artificially inflate their star ratings with a glut of positive reviews. Good or bad, fakes are more common than you might think – the largest platform, Google, reported the greatest percentage (10.7%) of fake reviews in 2024.
You’re likely to run into a fake review or ten if you’re running a business, so you need to know how to respond.
Spotting fake reviews: Tips and tricks.
Minimising the impact of false reviews starts with identifying them – and you can’t do that if you’re not monitoring reviews on key platforms. It’s worth checking regularly, scanning for negative reviews and potential fakes and responding as quickly as possible.
Human reviewers at Google manually assess the validity of suspicious reviews, playing a crucial role in identifying manipulated content.
Sometimes, a fake review is obvious. Other times, it’s about looking for clues and making a judgement call. Authentic testimonials are essential in building trust with customers, as misleading testimonials can lead to legal action and damage to a company’s reputation.
RELATED : eBook: The complete guide to online review sites.
Signs of fake reviews.
Fake reviews often exhibit certain signs, such as overly positive or negative language, similar language or phrases used in multiple reviews and a lack of detail or specifics about the product or service.
Reviews that seem too good (or bad) to be true may also be indicative of a fake review. Additionally, reviews that are posted in a short period or have an unusually large volume of reviews may be suspicious.
It is essential to be vigilant when reading online reviews and to look out for these signs of fake reviews. Consumers can also use tools to help them identify fake reviews and make informed purchasing decisions.
Here’s what to look for:
1. Read the details: fake reviews often include completely false information – they might mention a product you don’t sell or a location that doesn’t exist. If the info doesn’t match your business, you’re probably dealing with a fake (or a confused customer).
2. Check the user name and avatar: if the user has a generic or joke name and no avatar, they may not be genuine.
3. Look at their history: on most review sites, you can look back through a user’s history to see their other reviews. If your suspected faker has no other reviews, or if they have written a slew of negative reviews on a single day, that’s another data point to consider.
Once you’ve spotted a probable fake review, it’s time to respond. Here’s how:
Option 1: Flag for removal.
Review sites don’t want fake reviews on their platforms, as they undermine the credibility of their content. That’s why most platforms have a way to flag fake reviews for assessment. If the review is determined to be fake, they may remove it.
Google Reviews.
Google bans false, offensive and dangerous reviews from its review platform. Request a review removal here, and if it breaches any of Google’s content rules, it should be deleted within a few days. Remember, you can’t request removal for negative reviews – only those that are false or offensive.
RELATED: How to set up and update your Google Business Profile.
Yelp.
On Yelp, reviews can be flagged for removal if they’re false, contain offensive language or images, or seem to be posted by a competitor. To request removal, find the review in your business account, click the ‘More options’ button, and click ‘Report review’. Again, assessment and removal may take a couple of days.
Yellow Pages reviews.
Yellow Pages reviews moderates all reviews before they go live, which helps reduce the number of fakes. However, if you do find a review that you think is false, inappropriate or offensive, click the ‘Report’ button to flag it for removal.
Option 2: Respond to the review.
Unfortunately, reporting a false review doesn’t always result in removal. Sometimes, this happens because there’s no conclusive evidence showing the review is fake.
However, you still have options. First, try responding to the review. As with negative reviews, it’s crucial to be calm, polite and professional. Even if you’re dealing with a troll or bot, your other customers can see your response.
Point out the inaccuracies that make you think the review is fake – for example, if it refers to an item that’s not on your menu or a location that doesn’t exist. If there are no tangible details to refute, respond as if it’s a genuine review and ask them to get in touch.
RELATED: How to get and respond to online reviews for your small business.
Option 3: Drown out the negatives.
Another option? Flood review sites with positive reviews to drown out the fake negatives. You can encourage your customers to leave reviews – for example, by sending a follow-up email requesting a review after a purchase. The good news? This strategy is smart even if you’re not dealing with fakes.
You could add a QR code at checkout or on printed receipts, making it super easy for happy customers to leave a quick review.
RELATED: Online reputation management: Why it matters and how to get it right.
Managing reviews with Thryv.
Managing fake reviews shouldn’t eat into your day. With Thryv, you can respond, monitor and manage your reputation — all in one place.
👉 Get your free Thryv demo and take back control of your business.
