Can Buying Fake Google Reviews Hurt Your SEO?
If you’re trying to improve your SEO, you might be tempted to try different tactics to boost your ranking.
Some agencies might tell you they are going to get you more reviews on Google Maps / Google Business Profile, telling you this will improve your ranking in the map.
While reviews definitely play a role in ranking in the map and local SEO, please be wary of using manipulative tactics to artificially inflate your numbers.
Ask yourself if the risk to your reputation is worth the short-term gains you may or may not get from fake reviews.
Your Customers Aren’t Stupid
Step outside yourself for a minute, and picture if you will, looking at your competitor’s Google Business Profile, and seeing a whole run of new five-star reviews that are obviously fake. What would your reaction be?
“I can’t believe they are cheating! These are obviously fake! They got more reviews in two weeks then they did in six months, and they are all one sentence long! How dare they rig the system!”
Now imagine you’re a customer, comparing your reviews to your competitors. Do you think they can also tell the difference?
Of course they can. Your customers aren’t dumb.
They can tell when your reviews are illegitimate, and now they are going to wonder, “What else are they being disingenuous about if they have to buy fake reviews?”
Is the damage to your reputation worth the possible small gains you see in local or map rankings?
The Map Isn’t 100 Percent Connected to National Rankings
If you’ve been told that reviews on Google Maps / GBP will improve your overall rankings outside your local area, think again.
The map on the search results page isn’t a ranking of who’s the best result, but of the closest businesses to the searcher.
Think of Google Maps as a driving / transportation route app, because that’s what it is.
I know you want to rank higher in the map in as many places as possible, but think of the map as it’s own type of ranking. It’s meant to give people directions to go to a local store or location.
Every Shortcut Has a Time Limit
There are lots of loopholes that people use for SEO, ones that used to work, but now they don’t. Google figures out how people try to cheat (which is against their Quality Guidelines).
At one time, people used Private Blog Networks to inflate their backlink numbers, and then in 2014, Google started smashing those and devaluing all the links. All the fake links became worthless.
Although it was always against the Google Maps Guidelines, lots of businesses used UPS Store mailboxes, Regus virtual offices, and random storefronts as “business addresses”, and those used to work. Google has closed the loop on most of these, and they will take your Google Maps listing down once they detect it.
Buying fake reviews seems like a good idea today, but it’s like building your empire on a foundation of sand. It can get toppled at any minute, because those are not legitimate reviews.
Please do things the right way, and ask your real customers for reviews. They’ll write a much better review anyway. Seeing only a star rating or one sentence of vague praise tells your customers and your competitors that you are buying fake reviews.
Live by the Fake Review, Die by the Fake Review
Most of the time, business owners are looking to remove negative, one-star reviews from their Google Business Profile. Google doesn’t usually remove those.
But did you know your competitors can flag your reviews? Yeah, they can do that.
As of right now, the two categories they can flag your reviews as that tell Google they are fake, manipulated reviews are: Low Quality Information (review is gibberish, repetitive, or off-topic) or Not Helpful (review doesn’t tell people whether to go here or not).
Believe it or not, Google is already downgrading the fake reviews, nine times out of ten.
Characteristics of a Fake Google Review
Look for these telltale signs that a business is using fake reviews on Google Maps to try and artificially boost their rankings.
- Lots of new reviews coming much quicker than has been typical in the past.
- Reviews are only a rating, or just a few words.
- If the review does have a sentence or two, it’s obvious the reviewer has no idea what the business actually does.
- Reviews are very vague, aka “Love this store!” or “Great service”. Says nothing of any substance.
- The reviewers have never left a review before, meaning they just created this profile out of thin air to leave a review.
- Also, some reviewers only have a few reviews, but they are all over the country.
Can Google Penalize You For Fake Reviews?
It’s possible your fake reviews get removed, and you get a slap on the wrist. But it’s also possible that you could get a manual penalty, and those are much most difficult to recover from.
The Best Advice, Don’t Do It
In short, you shouldn’t tarnish your brand’s reputation by resorting to buying fake reviews. It can hurt you in SEO, it makes you look desperate, and your customers can see right through it.
What Can You Do Instead?
Reach out to your existing customers using automated text messaging. Some Customer Relationship Management systems (CRMs) will send automated texts to customers who reach a certain point in the sales cycle. You can set up triggers to send a link to the Google review once they complete the sales process.
Local Service Ads (formerly Google Guaranteed) will send customers a link to leave a Google review if you mark the client as “Booked” and add their email address. NOTE: Many businesses don’t fill out this section in Local Services Ads under “Leads” and miss an opportunity.
You can also send customers an email with a link to review your business. All of these are better solutions than buying fake reviews.
Do You Need Help With SEO?
If you’re unhappy with where you’re ranking and the amount and quality of leads you’re currently receiving, contact us here and we can take a look at your SEO and make some recommendations. There’s always things you can do to build your SEO the right way, and not take the risk of algorithmic or manual penalties from Google.
