Recently, a client who runs a local business in North Scottsdale asked whether it was a good idea to hire someone to post fake Google reviews. Now, this business owner didn’t just come up with this idea out of nowhere. They were called by a digital marketing agency who said this was an effective way to improve their visibility within the box at the top of Google search results that shows a map alongside a list of three local businesses (this is referred to as the Google Map Pack).
When they told me that, I just thought, “Wow.”
I realized this is a topic I should explain to our community of local small business owners to warn them about the dangers of using these kinds of tactics.
Should You Fake Google Reviews for Your Business?
You should NEVER fake Google reviews for your business. It doesn’t matter who does it, you, your friends, your relatives, and certainly not anyone you might consider hiring. There are absolutely no exceptions.
That said, because Google’s search engine rewards high review counts with greater visibility, the temptation to “cheat the system” by fabricating five-star Google reviews can be immense.
However, Google treats fake reviews as a direct attack on its search quality. When Google catches a local business submitting fake reviews about itself, it can quickly damage your business’s reputation and visibility in the search results.
So, What Exactly Happens When You Get Caught?
Google has a few different ways of handling review fraud, and none of them are good for your business.
Google can completely shut down your Google Business Profile
This is called a hard suspension, and it means your business completely disappears from the local search results section called Google Maps and the Map Pack. All the ranking history you spent years building is instantly wiped out, and getting reinstated requires a massive headache of legal paperwork and appeals.
Google might delete your real reviews too
Google isn’t perfect. So, when they notice a sudden burst of fake five-star reviews on your profile, the system may flag the whole page and wipe out your entire recent history, including the perfectly honest reviews you worked incredibly hard to earn from real clients.
Google can put an embarrassing public warning banner right on your profile
It tells everyone visiting your page that fake reviews were removed from your business, which instantly ruins your reputation with potential customers, discouraging them from ever giving you a call.
What Should You Do Instead?
The good news is that you don’t need to cheat to win in Google’s local search results section (the Map Pack). The secret isn’t using a shady marketing trick, it’s just making it incredibly easy for your happy customers to talk about you. And when that happens, you’ll likely see a steady stream of real, five-star Google reviews.
Because most people are busy, even if they love your business, they won’t think to leave a review on their own. The best practice is to set up a simple system where you text or email your clients a direct link to your Google Business Profile page immediately after you finish a job or complete a service. You can ask them for a review and give them a link while their experience with your business is fresh in their mind. This makes it easier for them and can result in a surprising number of local customers who will gladly respond.
Why Real Reviews Matter
Whether your business is located in Scottsdale Airpark, or Old Town Scottsdale, when prospective customers read detailed stories about how you arrived on time, solved their specific problem, and treated them fairly, they don’t just see a high star rating, they see a local business they can actually trust.
EMAIL US