How to Sue for Reputation Damage With Google Reviews

In today's online world, failing to remove a fake Google review can place your business name and reputation at serious risk. Fake Google reviews can lead to negative publicity, loss of potential customers, decreased profits, and other consequences.

Businesses can remove fake Google reviews in four ways:

1. Ask the original author to remove the negative review,
2. Flag the negative review to Google for Terms of Service violations,
3. Pursue legal action against the person who posted the review, and
4. Use online reputation direction and search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to bolster your concern's reputation.

If your business has recently been hit with a bad review, do not worry. Whether information technology is a disgruntled customer, competitor, a vengeful one-time employee, or an anonymous online troll, negative reviews happen to every business at some point. What is important is that you follow the best practices of how to respond to bad reviews and conform to go them removed every bit quickly as possible.

At Minc Law, we accept worked with hundreds of businesses to remove negative and imitation online reviews from consumer review websites. When it comes to removing imitation Google reviews, we know what works and what does non. Below, nosotros cover four proven methods to remove faux Google reviews that actually work.

Identifying Fake Google Reviews

The starting time stride in removing faux and negative reviews is learning how to identify them. Beneath, we cover the types of individuals who usually leave imitation reviews, why they practice, and how you tin spot them.

Who is Usually Behind False Google Reviews?

The purpose of faux Google reviews is to dispense casual readers into assertive a certain viewpoint virtually the business in question that is false. Many individuals can be motivated to go out faux reviews, such as:

• Competitors in your industry,
• Actual consumers who had a negative experience, or
• Third-parties who are attempting to verbal revenge or take an unrelated grudge against the business owner.

Why Exercise People Leave Fake Reviews on Google?

There are 2 chief types of faux reviews on Google:

1. A fake review where the reviewer was non an actual customer and posted a review that does not reflect a genuine marketplace interaction, and
2. A false review where the reviewer was in fact a real customer simply posted a review with malicious intent or an ulterior motive.

The first type of simulated Google review typically falls into 1 of 2 categories: (ane) the review was written by a competitor or ex-employee, with the purpose of taking your concern'southward reputation down a notch, or (ii) the review was written by a third-political party who for some reason has a grudge against your business. Maybe the reviewer did not similar how you advertise your business concern, maybe a friend or family member of the reviewer previously engaged your business organization, or maybe the reviewer was merely trying to gain an edge in an otherwise competitive concern landscape.

The second type of fake Google review typically occurs where a real customer did feel a genuine marketplace interaction with your business but described a situation in their review that does not match up with what actually took place – often with malicious intent in mind. This tin take the form of a reviewer creating multiple online aliases and accounts, pretending an interaction was worse than it was, and describing interactions that never actually happened.

This second type of fake review is by and large posted in 2 key situations: (1) for purposes of extorting your business, or (2) when yous are merely flat out dealing with a malicious person and you did not practise anything wrong.

How Tin You Identify a Fake Google Review?

As a business, information technology is imperative that yous pay close attention to your online presence and take a good idea of which reviews are real and which are completely fabricated. What makes a review suspicious varies from instance to case, so the all-time communication is to trust your intuition.

Learning to spot a fake review takes some exercise, just the methods are relatively simple.

First, compare the review to your business records and customer database. Tin you match the username, transaction, or negative experience to any record you accept on file? If the review does non seem to reverberate a real experience at your office, it is the first cerise flag.

And so, take a closer expect at the reviewer's account itself.

• Was the profile created on the same day as the review?
• Has the reviewer made any other reviews likewise the review of your business?
• Is the username or profile photograph suspicious (such as a play on words or a photo taken from a stock photo site)?

If it looks like an business relationship was created on the same solar day as (or for the purposes of) writing the review anonymously, information technology could be a sign of a false review.

Minc Law Tip: Sometimes simulated reviewers employ stock images equally their profile pictures. You can acquit a contrary prototype search on Google. But upload, drag and drop, or search Google Images with a URL to find out where the moving picture came from.

Suspicious timing could be another indicator of false reviews. They may offset popping up at regular intervals, or mayhap your business suddenly goes from a majority of five-star ratings to an influx of negative reviews.

The timing of individual reviews can also be revealing; was the review published at a time of twenty-four hours when your customers are likely asleep? If so, the review may have been published every bit a professional hit job hired from overseas in some other fourth dimension zone.

Finally, the language of reviews could reveal inauthenticity. Perhaps the review uses:

• Poor grammar,
• Inflammatory rhetoric,
• Inaccurate descriptions of your service or production, and/or
• Direct or indirect promotions of your competitor(s).

If whatever of these utilise to the review's linguistic communication, information technology could exist simulated.

How False Google Reviews Tin Impact Your Business

Google reviews increase your business's visibility and contribute to a positive business reputation. Beneath, we discuss how positive Google reviews improve your local SEO ranking—and how big of an touch on false Google reviews tin have on your business organisation.

How Do Google Reviews Assist With Your Local SEO Ranking?

When an individual is looking for a business nearby—like a restaurant or an car shop, for example—they typically open Google and type "[business blazon] near me." Google then uses a complex combination of the user'south location, search history, and local business organisation data to suggest businesses to the user.

Challenge and updating your business'due south Google My Business organization profile can help your business concern rank better in Google's search algorithm. And responding professionally to Google reviews about your business also shows Google (and potential customers) that you lot value feedback.

Because of the nature of the algorithm, positive reviews about your business contribute to the quality of your Google search rankings.

How Big of a Problem Are Fake Google Reviews For Business Owners?

Well-nigh everyone consults reviews before using a business. In fact, roughly 90% of worldwide consumers prefer to read reviews earlier buying a product. And 79% of consumers trust an online review as much as a personal recommendation.

Just at that place are a lot of review platforms out there—how does Google stack up when consumers are searching out online reviews?

The answer: Google is extremely popular. It is the most-used review platform, with 59% of consumers using it to read reviews. The importance of online reviews (and Google reviews), and the effect they can have on a business's success and longevity, cannot be overstated.

Then if your business is being bombarded with faux Google reviews, it is safe to say that you are facing a significant trouble.

How Can Simulated Google Reviews Damage Your Business'due south Reputation?

The consequences of fake negative Google reviews may seem straightforward at first; they hurt web users' opinions of your business organisation.

However, the ways a false review tin can damage your business vary. Nosotros list five common means below.

1. Decreased Foot Traffic & Customers

If consumers read negative reviews nigh your business concern, they usually do not know whether the review is faux or not. Their stance of your business organization will exist affected past these negative reviews—and in turn, you will see fewer new customers deciding to take a take chances on your company.

2. Loss Of Reputation in the Public Eye

With enough negative reviews, the general sentiment about your business worsens. Potential customers and the general public can lose trust in your visitor'south product, service, and fifty-fifty integrity.

3. Loss of Advertisement & Sponsorships

With your loss of public reputation, your visitor may lose advertisers or sponsors equally well. Other companies will not want to invest in a company that is seeing fewer sales and interactions with potential customers, since the return on investment (ROI) would almost likely be much less than they would adopt.

four. Reviewers May Feel More than Comfortable Leaving Negative Reviews of the Business

As they say, once it rains, it pours—and unfortunately, this aphorism holds truthful when information technology comes to reviews. Once a negative review or two is published, other reviewers may experience inclined to pile on and add their own negative experience—embellished or not.

v. Lower Employee Morale & Difficulty Retaining Quality Employees & Talent

It stands to reason that if your business is seeing less customer traffic and experiencing negative public opinion, your employees will have less pride in their place of employment. It may even become hard to hire and retain top talent if they see questionable reviews virtually your company online.

six. Damaged Ceo Reputation

Today, a CEO'south reputation is directly related to the company's prototype as a whole—and business leaders are increasingly held under a microscope.

Negative reviews revealing or fabricating a misstep by a high-profile CEO tin can consequence in loss of revenue, public blowback, and a damaged brand image.

7. Decreased Bottom Line & Having to Shut the Concern's Doors for Good

With the loss of sales, foot traffic, and advertizement deals, a business that has been bombarded past fake negative reviews faces the real take chances of losing enough acquirement to get broke or out of business organisation entirely.

How to Remove Fake Google Reviews & Damaging Content

If a reviewer is determined to leave a fake Google review for your business, they may use i of several methods. For instance, they may:

• Post as multiple people and postal service multiple reviews;
• Leave a one-star review with no text;
• Mail statements that are blatantly imitation; or
• Leave a review made up of mixed noun truths and falsities.

Whatever form the review takes, y'all accept options to fight back. Beneath, nosotros cover the 4 ways strategies you lot can utilise to remove faux reviews.

What Steps Tin can Y'all Take to Remove Fake Google Reviews?

Bold the situation involves a real client of your business, the best solution in nearly situations should hopefully be obvious: customer service. A happy customer never leaves a bad Google review, afterwards all.

But if reaching out to the reviewer personally does not work, you tin can also attempt flagging and reporting the review to Google. We comprehend both options in more particular beneath.

Choice #ane: Have Original Author Remove the Review

Co-ordinate to a ReviewTrackers' study, roughly 52% of customers wait to hear dorsum from a business within 7 days after posting their review. Therefore, as a general rule, businesses should reply to a review within 24-48 hours of posting.

Ordinarily, the reason a person posts a complaint online is that they desire their voice to exist heard. Sometimes letting the person know that their complaints have been heard and the problem is beingness addressed is all that is needed.

It is important to too offering solutions. Is the customer but seeking an apology? What near a refund? Asking the client what will resolve the situation is important.

If possible, we recommend opting for a call rather than a written message. Turning an impersonal situation into a personal i helps clinch consumers their complaints are beingness taken seriously. If a phone call is not possible, you lot should still offering a direct line of communication (eastward.grand., video message, text, or a direct message over social media).

However, in most cases, nosotros usually advise clients that responding to a negative review on the review site where it was posted should be a measure of last resort. This action should be reserved for extremely harmful reviews or ones that y'all are certain there is no other way to remove or resolve.

Responding to a review in the wrong way can exercise more than harm than practiced—non to mention bring more unwanted and unnecessary attention to the review. Responding to a review can also encourage more bad reviews and decrease the chances that the website will remove the review for a term of service violation.

And finally, a bad response can put you in hot h2o legally if you say the wrong thing. Responses can be especially troublesome for professionals such every bit doctors and lawyers, who have strict confidentiality obligations.

Proceed in listen that if you are a medical professional person, you may not be able to publicly reply to the author without violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or other professional privilege obligations. For further data, we recommend reading attorney Andrew Stebbins' article explaining how medical providers tin can respond to negative medical reviews.

Google Review Removal Tip: Google's Contributed Content Policy prohibits the offering or credence of money in exchange for reviews. Make sure not to cross over into this territory by offering customers money to post adept reviews.

Option #2: Flag and Report the Review

Flagging a fake Google review is the outset footstep towards having Google remove false online reviews. Think of it equally sending a signal to Google to alert them, "Hey! Something is not quite right here. Please come take a await!"

But earlier pulling the trigger, ever make certain you check Google'due south review guidelines first to determine what Google considers an inappropriate review. Google'southward policies prohibit the following types of reviews:

• Spam and fake content;
• Off-topic content (such as posts unrelated to the location or business in question);
• Restricted content (such every bit links or contact information for where consumers can buy illegal goods or services)
• Illegal, sexually explicit, and/or terrorist content;
• Offensive and obscene language and gestures;
• Dangerous and derogatory content (such as harassment or threats of physical violence/damage);
• Brand impersonations (such equally trademark infringement, unfair contest, and deceptive trade practices by other businesses); and
• Conflicts of interest (such as reviews written by the business's possessor, electric current or former employees, or competitors).

Once you lot have identified an appropriate violation, the next pace is to flag the review. Local business owners and companies can flag reviews in ii different ways: by flagging the review via Google Maps or through managing ane's Google My Business reviews. We comprehend each pick below.

Flag Simulated Google Reviews in Google Maps or Your Google My Business'due south Review Profile

To flag a defamatory or fake review about your business organization, simply Google your business or visit Google Maps to find your business concern listing. Then:

• Observe the review in question that you desire to flag,
• Locate the flag or three vertical dots adjacent to a review,
• Click the flag or iii dots, and
• Flag the review as inappropriate.

After flagging the review equally inappropriate, y'all volition be directed to a folio to 'Report a policy violation.' There, you tin identify the nature of the violation, make full out your electronic mail address, and submit the asking.

Later flagging the review as inappropriate and selecting which Google policy information technology violates, you will receive a follow-upwards email letting you know they are looking into it.

In our experience, we have generally plant that this method of flagging reviews but has success in the most obvious of cases. Nevertheless, if you wish to remove Google reviews in a comprehensive way, it is of import to practise all of your options that tin potentially atomic number 82 to removal.

Flag the Review From Within Your Google My Concern Account

If you are a business concern owner, you can too flag Google reviews through your Google My Business concern Account. In our experience, reporting reviews through your Google My Business account has historically proven more than effective than the flagging option in a higher place. All y'all need to practice is:

• Log in to your Google My Business account,
• Open the location you'd similar to manage (for companies and businesses with more than than one location),
• Select 'Reviews' from the menu bar,
• Place the imitation review in question, and
• Click the iii vertical dots and flag the review as inappropriate.

After flagging a review, the review in question will be escalated to a Google Business review team of specialists to be analyzed. Flagged reviews are Non assessed or analyzed past artificial intelligence or auto-detect filters.

Google's review flagging process ordinarily takes 72 hours earlier any activity is taken regarding the review. You will likewise receive an email confirming this.

As opposed to flagging a Google review via Google Maps or a business organisation's public review profile, we have generally found that most people have better success rates having reviews removed through this method.

Simply e'er remember, removing Google reviews is a process—one in which patience is truly a virtue.

Contact Google Small Business Support Directly

In a perfect world, every negative and fake online review would be removed immediately later on existence flagged, and every legitimate review would remain online. But this dream is far from the reality of Google's review policy and removal landscape.

Should your flagging of a negative or fake online review go unnoticed or unanswered, it is time to contact Google Small Business Back up directly by phone or e-mail to talk over information technology with them farther.

To report imitation or malicious reviews to Google directly (via your business contour), do the following:

• Login to your Google My Business concern account,
• Click on 'Reviews' in your bill of fare bar,
• Locate the 'Support' bar on the left side of the page (a pop-up Support bar will announced),
• Select 'Need More than Help', and then 'Customer Reviews and Photos,'
• Select 'Review Removal Bug' and then 'Contact Support,'
• Select your method of contact – either electronic mail or phone,
• Fill up out your contact information,
• Paste the text of the inappropriate and fake online review and select 'Automatically include a screenshot,' and
• Include the Google Maps link of the review.

You volition generally hear back from Google within 24 to 48 hours or sooner. You lot will and then have the opportunity to speak with a support specialist and brand your case.

However, your phone call will likely exist with the same department that already decided the review should remain online. And then it is essential that y'all come prepared with potent documentation and show.

Because of the delicacy of this task, nosotros recommend hiring an experienced net defamation attorney to help y'all, equally they tin can help identify the correct process for reporting reviews, better sift through relevant content policy guidelines, and explain why the review in question is fake and why they violate Google'southward review policies.

Documentation & Preservation of Evidence is Essential For Making Certain a Review is Removed

Throughout this process, brand sure to document all show that is relevant to the review you are seeking to accept removed. In our experience, Google does not preserve copies of reviews.

Keep an extremely detailed log of the communication y'all had with the customer, the flagging of the review, reporting, and disputing process. This way, you will exist able to check upwardly on and dispute the review with certainty.

Documenting bear witness is also important if y'all eventually take legal action. When it comes to preserving evidence of the reviews themselves, we suggest taking the below 3 steps:

Step 1: Locate the Google review

Step 2: Click on the account holder's proper noun

Pace iii: Screenshot and Copy the URL

Make certain to timestamp all screenshots and compile all testify into a chronological timeline. Preservation and documentation of evidence are essential for filing a defamation lawsuit.

Google Review Reporting Tip: In today's twenty-four hours and historic period, Twitter is used for virtually everything. Google is no different. Tweeting at Google Pocket-sized Business Back up ( @GoogleSmallBiz ) is likewise an effective way to go their attention and escalate the thing and review in question.

How Do You Deal With Fake Google Reviews If Google Refuses to Remove Them?

If Google will not piece of work with you, your final options are to pursue litigation or implement a comprehensive online reputation management strategy.

Pursue Legal Action

Filing a defamation lawsuit over a review is a serious decision that should simply be sought every bit a last resort after y'all have wearied other options.

But whether the fake reviewer is known or anonymous, pursuing litigation (such as a John Doe lawsuit) tin can be an effective tool to accept a negative review removed. Almost of the fourth dimension, legal disputes involving fake and defamatory reviews are resolved without ever having to get to trial.

However, there are certain risks and issues involved with pursuing legal action that must exist carefully weighed and considered. In that location is ever a risk it will be a contentious lawsuit, where a plethora of defamation defenses may be asserted, the evidence is picked apart, and principled stances are tested. Not to mention the omnipresent take a chance of the Streisand Outcome.

Information technology is incredibly important to work with an chaser who has experience with these types of procedures.

Utilise Online Reputation Management & SEO For Review Removal

In some situations, removing an unwanted review may non exist possible—or worth it. Reputation management and SEO campaigns are usually the final remaining pick to have negative online reviews removed.

• Online reputation management (ORM) is the procedure or combination of strategies, techniques, and tools that people and businesses tin use to create positive content, acquire positive reviews, and boost their online reputations.
• Search engine optimization (SEO) involves using tools and techniques to brand changes to websites and online content to help them rank ameliorate on Google. Ideally, whatever good ORM campaign includes a sound focus on SEO techniques and strategies.

Reputation management drowns out negative reviews by creating positive content and data about a business. Eventually, the bad review may no longer be visible—effectively removing information technology. This procedure involves a mix of creating positive and noun content through ORM, then making sure it ranks well in search results using SEO.

Proactively creating a positive reputation for your business name online is the commencement line of defense against bad reviews. It as well makes the job of getting bad reviews removed easier when they do happen considering information technology makes your business look more apparent.

For further information on online reputation management, we recommend reading our article explaining mutual online reputation management costs.

When Tin can You lot Sue Someone For a Fake Google Review?

Generally, you tin can sue for a fake Google review when it rises to the legal definition of defamation, extortion, or harassment. If you have a valid defamation claim, you have the option to file a lawsuit confronting the defamer.

To sue for a bad review, the review must be:

• Defamatory or legally actionable;
• Trying to harass or extort your visitor; or
• In violation of a review platform's Terms of Service.

You cannot sue the review platform for a simulated Google review because they are protected past Department 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Instead, your best option is generally to sue the reviewer and/or poster themselves.

Tin You lot Sue Over a Wordless One-Star Imitation Google Review?

In about cases, one-star reviews are considered expressions of opinion. But non always. Since defamation must comprise a false statement of fact, a wordless review is generally not actionable as defamation per se, and would have to take into business relationship other external facts that brand the review actionable. These types of claims are referred to equally defamation per quod or unsaid defamation. Yet, whether yous can sue for a one-star review is dependent on many specific factors.

If your business experiences a series of seemingly continued one-star reviews, for example, you lot may be able to sue the poster.

What Can You Exercise About Negative Faux Google Reviews Posted Past a Competing Business?

If you accept reason to believe the fake Google review in question was posted by an manufacture competitor, you can try sending them a finish and desist letter. If that does non work, you may be able to file a defamation lawsuit against them if there are numerous causes of action, such every bit:

• False advertising claims
• Injurious falsehood (business disparagement)
• Unfair/deceptive trade practices

What is Considered Online Defamation?

Online defamation, also known equally "internet defamation," refers to a false statement published on the cyberspace. In order to be considered defamation, information technology must accept been published with at least a level of negligible intent and damaged its subject's reputation.

In the instance of online reviews, they may enter into the realm of online defamation if they use simulated statements of facts to cause damage to their target company's reputation and/or business.

We Can Assist You Remove Simulated Google Business Reviews & Damaging Content

If you are in business organisation long enough, y'all are likely to run across fake online reviews. It is just the name of the game. How you answer to fake reviews and approach their removal is what will separate your business from competitors and enable your business to stand the exam of fourth dimension in your industry.

While in that location are steps that you can take to protect your business against faux Google reviews, we do Non recommend clients going at this lonely. Reporting fake and negative online reviews to Google should be done with the assistance of experienced net attorneys who take proven success removing fake Google business organisation reviews and comprehensive knowledge of Google's content policies and guidelines.

★★★★★

"Very Happy, removed origin mail service and google search resultes as advertised."

A, May 21, 2021

At Minc Law, our practice is dedicated to removing fake online reviews and other defamatory internet content. We know what it takes to non merely remove fake online reviews—simply put an end to the online attacks for good and help your business put its best digital footprint forward.

If you are ready to speak with an internet defamation attorney, y'all tin reach the Minc Law team by calling us at (216) 373-7706, or by contacting us via Chat, email, or our online contact form.

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Source: https://www.minclaw.com/how-to-remove-and-report-fake-google-reviews/

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