Google Places Review Guidelines

More clients are asking us what are Google’s review guidelines are for companies. So we decided to come up with some Google Review Posting Guidelines to help you understand Google’s Review process. Great reviews come in different shapes and sizes. If you’re not sure where to begin, here are a few tips to help you get started:

Google Review Posting Guidelines

  • Be Informative
    Your review should be specific and relevant to the company (place) you are reviewing and describe what other customers are likely to experience. Describe why you liked or disliked about the place. Highlight what makes that company special and try to share something unique.
  • Be Authentic
    People read company reviews to learn about real experiences from real customers, so be authentic. Keep your reviews to your own, direct experience with a company. Try to describe your experience as accurately as possible.
  • Be Respectful
    We don’t expect that every interaction you have with a business will be perfect. Sometimes, you’ll want to share negative feedback. Even if you’re frustrated, be sure your criticism is constructive.
  • Be Thoughtful
    People will pay more attention to what you say when you write your review thoughtfully. Keep it readable and don’t use excessive capitalization or punctuation. Use good grammar, check your spelling, and definitely don’t use profanity.

Dishonest Reviews

Reviews are only valuable when they are honest and unbiased. Google understands that even if well-intentioned, a “conflict of interest” in a review can undermine the trust in a review. Google forbids companies to offer, or for users to accept money (or product), to write positive reviews about a business, or to write negative reviews about a competitor. Google is aware of this practice and has algorithms set up to catch these reviews. Sometimes Google’s algorithms may flag and remove legitimate reviews in an effort to combat abuse so keep this in mind. Bottom-line…..companies should not go out and solicit positive reviews from customers in exchange for some sort of compensation.

Removal Of A Review

If you see an inappropriate review posted by a reviewer, you can use the Flag As Inappropriate link next to a review to report it as inappropriate. Google will then check if the review violates their review guidelines. Google does state that they do not arbitrate disputes between reviewer and company and more often than not, Google will leave the review up on their website. If a company receives a review that they do not agree with for their business, Google encourages the business to use Business Owner Responses to reconcile the situation with the reviewer. This means that the company must be vigilant and take a proactive approach in monitoring and managing its online reputation. Two or three bad reviews will skew your results and companies will choose an alternative service. Know what people are saying about you!

What You Can Do To Get Google Reviews

  • Inform – Tell your clients that you are on Google Places and that a review of your performance will help in providing the best product/service and customer service possible.
  • Educate – Tell your client’s about Google’s guidelines for their review service to help guide them in giving the review.
  • Repetition – Send out multiple emails and marketing material asking your customer base to review your performance. Everyone is busy so your customer may not pay attention to your review request until the 3rd or 4th try.
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