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Last month Google expanded reviews restrictions to U.S. merchants having previously been limited to only the U.K. Reviews and ratings can help consumers choose a business for their needs. That’s why Google takes fake and/or incentivized reviews and ratings on businesses very seriously.
Businesses that violate the Fake Engagement policy may be subject to certain restrictions if Google determines violative activity on your profile(s). For more information about Google's Fake Engagement policy, see the list of Prohibited and restricted content.
Potential restrictions on Business Profiles
If Google determines that a business owner has violated the Fake Engagement policy, Google might place restrictions on a Business Profile (in addition to removing the violative reviews). Examples of possible restrictions include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Business Profile will not be able to receive new reviews or ratings for set period of time
2. Business Profile’s existing reviews or ratings will be unpublished for set period of time
3. Business Profile will display a warning to let consumers know that fake reviews were removed
Google will notify business owners via email if they plan to apply a restriction to your profile.
More than ever it's important to monitor your reviews. If you see questionable reviews on your Google Business Profile it would be best to take proactive action and flag them before Google does.
Learn to identify the patterns. Look for reviews that seem out of the ordinary, such as excessive praise or criticism, or those that are very similar to others. Use Google's reporting tools to flag them. Also be on the alert for reviews that violate Google's guidelines such as those that are spam, off-topic, or misleading.
If you suspect you are being attacked by a competitor, try to gather evidence that the competitor is intentionally posting false reviews, you may be able to take legal action.
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Where can I see my REVIEWS? - If you do not have access to your GMB (Google My Business) admin area, simply do a search for 'Your Company Name' + your location. Look in the right column of the SERP (Search Engine Results Page). You will probably see your company name, logo, a map, hours and some snippets about your business.
Scroll down a bit until you see 'Reviews from the Web', then click on 'View all Google Reviews'. You will see the average stars, how many review in total, REPLY to Reviews, then scroll.
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