What Are the Twrms and Conditons for Google Reviews
Google is the number one site where consumers go to read and write reviews. To find out if your business is worth a visit, many prospective customers turn to Google reviews. In this blog, we share everything you need to know nigh Google review policies. Go along in listen that Google tin update the policies and guidelines at any time. We updated this blog in October 2021 to include the well-nigh up-to-date information.
Please note: this blog post is not comprehensive, nor is it legal communication. Review Google's policies and terms of service thoroughly, and consult with a lawyer if you have questions.
Google Review Policy: What Business Owners Can and Can't Do to Get More Reviews
Google review policies are located nether the Maps User Contributed Content Policy since reviews are submitted and edited using the Google Maps tool. Many of these policies are explicit about what is allowed in a business concern review, who can make them, and what businesses tin can do if they don't meet these policies.
In general, Google review policies are simple; the reviews should be honest and polite. However, since Google reviews are often cursory, in that location is room for interpretation. Here is a breakdown of the essential policies and guidelines for Google reviews. We'll discuss these and others in more item later in the postal service.
- Can I ask customers for reviews? Yes, you can ask customers to submit reviews, but Google review guidelines forestall "soliciting reviews from customers in bulk."
- Can I finish customers from writing bad reviews? No, Google review policies expressly forestall "selectively solicit(ing) positive reviews from customers."
- Tin can I pay customers for reviews?No, Google and most other review sites land in their terms of service that paying for reviews is not allowed.
- Can employees postal service reviews? No, the Google review policy prohibits reviewing your own business organisation as it causes a conflict of interest.
- Volition Google delete a fake review? Google uses automated spam detection to remove reviews that are probable spam. However, if you find a review that violates Google's policies, you should flag the review.
- What are the consequences of not post-obit Google review policies? Google can remove reviews and ban users or businesses from their services.
Featured Resource: Google Review Link Generator
Go your Google Review Link + Google Review Resources for Business concern Owners
Can I Enquire For Google Reviews?
Yeah, information technology is within the Google review policies to ask for reviews or "solicit reviews." In fact, this is often the all-time way—after all, your happy customers don't know you're looking for reviews unless you tell them. However, there are some rules virtually asking for reviews.
In the Format Specific Criteria section of Google's review guidelines, you'll find the following under Text Reviews and Captions:
"Don't solicit reviews from customers in bulk."
When asking for Google reviews , it'south all-time to ask with a goal or purpose in listen. This means you should be witting of who you lot are messaging, why, and how frequently. For example, you might use automated messaging to ask a customer to write a review subsequently they've used your product or service for a set amount of fourth dimension. Though this message is automatic and will salvage you fourth dimension, it is non necessarily soliciting reviews "in majority."
If yous are agile on social media, you might also ask for reviews there. Though this is a request any of your followers could see, yous haven't sent the request directly to them, so this is unlikely to exist considered "soliciting in majority." You lot might use a similar strategy at a kiosk in your store or use your Google review URL at the bottom of receipts. If you lot're unsure how this Google review guideline applies to your strategy, consider consulting with a legal expert, or enquire the Google Community .
How to Ask for Google Reviews
Though it's unwise to solicit Google reviews from customers in bulk, there are a few strategies you lot tin utilize to bespeak customers in the right direction. Start, as previously mentioned, have a reason and purpose in listen. Second, exist honest nearly what a review ways for your business organization. Finally, make it as piece of cake equally possible for a customer to leave a review.
To ask for a Google review while however working within Google guidelines, consider the following:
- If you lot regularly sit downwards with customers, you lot might ask for a review when you meet.
- When yous follow up to ask nigh your customer'south experience with your business organisation, suggest that they put their thoughts in a review.
- Emphasize that reviews help other customers find what they're looking for and assistance your business ameliorate.
- Inquire for a review on your social media, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or somewhere else.
- Apply a chalkboard, bill of fare, or another expanse customers are sure to see and advise that customers review their experience in your shop.
- When yous send your products, utilise a note or sticker to ask for a Google review.
- Make sure it is easy to get out a review. Apply the Google Review Link Generator to get your link, and so customers don't have to hunt downwards your Google listing.
Featured Resource: Google Review Link Generator
Get your Google Review Link + Google Review Resources for Business organization Owners
Can I Ask Only Happy Customers to Submit a Google Review?
No, you cannot ask merely happy customers to submit a Google review. Google updated its review policies in 2018 to prevent the practice of "review gating." The policy itself states:
"Don't discourage or prohibit negative reviews or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers."
This means all of your customers should have equal opportunities to leave a review. While this prospect can be intimidating, recollect to answer to negative reviews and resolve bug your customers run into. Customers can update their reviews at whatsoever time, and you lot can flag abusive reviews (which we will cover later in the postal service).
How Do I Respond to a Negative Review?
All of your customers should have an equal opportunity to leave a review if they choose. Nevertheless, an unhappy client's priority might be to resolve a problem, not to leave a review. As you solicit reviews from your customers, you might also provide a contact number as an option to talk with someone before leaving a negative review. This mode, you can avoid negative reviews without breaking Google's review guidelines.
If you exercise run into a negative review on Google—yous almost certainly volition at some point—remember that fifty-fifty negative reviews can serve a purpose. Sometimes, the reviewer is just non the right customer. For example, someone looking for a cozy, traditional sit-downwardly restaurant might not like a trendy new fusion eatery. They might leave a negative review, but they weren't the eating house'due south target audience. Or, a negative review might point out a trouble you're non aware of, which gives you lot a run a risk to set up it.
Endeavor not to take negative reviews personally. Respond to the review, and thank the client for taking the time to write a review. If the customer noted a problem, address it. Answer to reasonable reviews and inform the reviewer that you've solved the problem, or explain the problem further. If a review isn't reasonable, or information technology is especially scathing, don't engage on an emotional level. Your calm response will show even more composure and patience next to an angry and unreasonable review.
Tin I Offer Rewards or Money For Google Reviews?
No, you cannot offer money or other rewards for Google reviews. Google and virtually other review sites prohibit the use of money, discounts, gifts, or other rewards for reviews. For Google'south review policies, the verbal wording is quite simple;
"Don't offering or accept money in exchange for reviews."
Though this doesn't mention giveaways or gifts, Google has taken action confronting businesses that incentivize reviews this way. It's probably all-time to exist cautious here, or whatever reviews you incentive might be removed. The best request y'all can brand to your customers is an honest one. Explain, briefly, that reviews are vital to your concern and yous value your customers' input. For many people, the prospect of helping someone, especially someone who provided a good experience, is a greater reward than a discount or gift card.
While you might still use rewards to gather reviews or testimonials for your site or promotional documents, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules on reviews and testimonials explain at that place should be a disclaimer for these reviews.
Can I Ask Employees to Review My Business?
No, y'all cannot ask employees to review your business organisation. This falls under the Conflict of Interest section of the Google review policies. Specifically, this Google review guideline states;
"Maps user contributed content is most valuable when information technology is honest and unbiased. Examples of disallowed practices include, but are non express to:
- Reviewing your ain business concern.
- Posting content well-nigh a current or onetime employment experience.
- Posting content about a competitor to manipulate their ratings."
While your electric current or quondam employees might offer valuable insights about your business concern, they don't correspond a typical customer, so their input isn't suitable for a Google review. Moreover, a current or sometime employee is likely biased. The FTC calls this a "material relationship" and too forbids these types of reviews .
What If a "Customer" Posts a Fake Review?
In some cases, yous may find that someone posted a review that is completely imitation or goes confronting the Google review policies. This is considered a fake review and is prohibited. You can begin by flagging the review as inappropriate. This will bring the review to Google's attention, just it may take them several days to respond. Follow these steps to flag a review:
- Log into Google My Business.
- Select the location (if applicable)
- In the carte du jour, select "Reviews"
- Find the review in question. Click the iii-dot menu, then select "Flag as inappropriate."
After you flag the review, you should also reply and calmly state that the review is faux and refute whatsoever faux claims. While this probably won't go the review removed, it will show other customers that they should non trust the review. If you have reason to believe the reviewer has written false reviews for other businesses, collect your evidence and entreatment direct to Google review moderators.
Google does take an automatic spam detection process to limit the number of spam reviews that get published. However, it is not always perfect and may miss some or may even remove legitimate reviews. In either case, be certain to monitor your Google reviews regularly.
Featured Resources: Google Review Link Generator
Get your Google Review Link + Google Review Resources for Business organization Owners
What if a Review is Abusive?
If a review is abusive or otherwise inappropriate, you should flag it.
Google has a long list of content that is non allowed in a review or anywhere else. This includes content alluding to illegal activities or content that is especially offensive or inappropriate. Some of these review guidelines include:
We will remove content that contains obscene, profane, or offensive language or gestures.
Nosotros don't have content that is illegal or depicts illegal action.
Google Maps is a place for safe communications between users. For this reason, we don't let merchants or consumers to post dangerous or derogatory content…
Keep in mind reviews might be harsh or even unnecessarily barbarous without being abusive or obscene. However, if a reviewer uses offensive language, sexual language, threats, slurs, calls for violence, or alludes to illegal activity, y'all should flag it. Since it is clear in the content of the review that it is inappropriate, these are more than likely to be removed than fake reviews.
Can I Re-create Google Reviews to My Own Site?
No, you cannot use Google reviews on your own site. The reviews posted to Google are considered the intellectual property of Google and the original affiche. This means copying them for your advertisements or marketing products is copyright infringement. This is true for most, if non all, other review sites also.
Copying and pasting content that someone else has written violates U.S. copyright laws in general. This rule is too outlined nether the general Terms of Service for Google Maps . It states under the Prohibited Content section:
When using Google Maps/Google Earth, yous may not (or let those acting on your behalf to):
redistribute or sell any office of Google Maps/Google Earth or create a new product or service based on Google Maps/Google World…
copy the content…
Google makes some exceptions for developers, embedding Maps into other websites, educational purposes, and sure other uses, only makes no exceptions that mention reviews. Even if Google allowed copying and pasting reviews, the content besides belongs to the original affiche, who might disapprove of their review being used in other materials.
How Do I Get More than Google Reviews?
Now that you know what y'all can and can't do to get reviews according to Google's review policies, here are a few tips to help stay inside these review guidelines.
- When request for Google reviews, make an honest request and land your customers' input is valuable.
- It's helpful to arrange review requests around item events, such every bit when a client uses a product or service for a particular amount of fourth dimension or mayhap when they make a repeat purchase or visit.
- Use your Google review link so customers can post reviews in but one click, and they don't take to hunt for your business.
- Apply your Google review link liberally; at the bottom of your receipts, on a chalkboard in your store, in your emails, on your website, or other locations, peculiarly if you prioritized getting more Google reviews.
- Don't panic because of bad reviews. Respond to bad reviews calmly and unemotionally. Try to change reasonable customers' minds, and let unreasonable customers' reviews go.
- Use automation tools to save time, but remember not to violate the "in bulk" rule mentioned above.
Featured Resource: Google Review Link Generator
Get your Google Review Link + Google Review Resources for Concern Owners
What Will Happen If I Don't Follow Google Review Guidelines?
Yous may be wondering what the consequences are for non following Google review policies. Though Google doesn't want to remove or alienate users, information technology can't maintain the customs it wants when users violate its policies. Businesses that violate Google review policies and solicit reviews or mail fake reviews take had their reviews removed . Since it is hard to tell which reviews are genuine and false, this can mean having all or most reviews removed. Though Google hosts millions of reviews, and it would seem difficult to sort through real and fake reviews, the company uses algorithms and red flags to weed out 18-carat reviews from fakes.
Google has as well removed and banned users who repeatedly violate terms of service and customs guidelines. For businesses, this ways removal from Google maps and local listings and potentially deactivating other Google services like Gmail. Since Google is the biggest search engine in the earth, being banned from the company's services can be devastating for both individual users and businesses.
How Exercise I Get Reviews to Use on My Website?
So what's the best way to go most collecting reviews to use in your marketing? We've covered that you can't simply copy and paste Google reviews onto your website. Instead, nosotros recommend using a testimonial and review tool like Boast to become more reviews for your site or marketing materials. Remember, as you gather reviews for your site, you simply have to follow FTC rules, which are generally less strict than the terms of services on nearly review sites. If you determine to continue collecting reviews through Google, you must follow the Google review policies or face the consequences.
Posted in: Online Reviews
Source: https://boast.io/google-review-policy-what-business-owners-can-and-cant-do-to-get-more-google-reviews/
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