Australian entrepreneur and founder of Rubix Studios. Vincent specialises in branding, multimedia, and web development with a focus on digital innovation and emerging technologies.
Table of contents
Google Reviews influence buyer decisions, with 95% of users reading reviews before a purchase. Reviews directly affect brand visibility, customer acquisition, and reputation. Positive reviews support growth, while negative or fake reviews can damage trust if not addressed correctly. Businesses must establish processes to manage reviews consistently and in alignment with brand standards.
Impact
Online review engagement continues to rise in 2025:
- 95% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase.
- 93% say reviews influence their buying decisions.
- 92% read reviews before visiting a local business.
- 85% trust reviews as much as personal recommendations.
- 68% form an opinion after reading only 1–6 reviews.
- 56% prefer businesses that actively respond to feedback.
- Products with 5+ reviews are 270% more likely to be purchased.
- 46% are suspicious of reviews that appear AI-generated.
- 30% of all reviews online are estimated to be fake.
Authenticity
A balanced review profile builds credibility. Consumers are increasingly aware of review manipulation, such as excessive five-star feedback without detail. Negative reviews, when resolved professionally, show responsibility. Businesses must not solicit or purchase false reviews. Under ACCC enforcement, misleading reviews can result in financial penalties and reputational harm.
Identifying
Fake reviews often follow identifiable patterns. Key indicators include:
- Large volume spikes without increased transaction volume
- Reviews from accounts with no prior history
- Repetitive or unnatural phrasing
- Use of corporate or templated tone
- Lack of specific details about service or experience
Types of prohibited reviews under Google policy:
- Conflict of interest (internal staff, competitors)
- Harassment or personal attacks
- Duplicate, spam, or promotional content
- Misrepresentation or impersonation
- Use of restricted, obscene, or illegal language
- Sexual, graphic, or irrelevant commentary
Response
Handling reviews requires a standardised response protocol. Ensure all client-facing teams are trained to respond within a set timeframe.
How to respond:
- Acknowledge the issue without assigning blame
- Provide a clear, brief explanation if required
- Offer to resolve offline where appropriate
- Close with appreciation for the feedback
Effective example:
Thank you for raising this. We’re reviewing your feedback and will contact you directly to resolve the matter. We appreciate the opportunity to improve.
Ineffective example:
Your feedback is inaccurate and not supported by other customers. Refunds are not applicable as per our policy.
Responses must remain neutral, informative, and avoid escalating the situation. Tone should reflect organisational professionalism.
Flagging
To request removal of a policy-violating review:
Desktop:
- Sign in to Google Business Profile
- Navigate to Reviews
- Select the 3-dot menu beside the review
- Click “Flag as inappropriate”
Mobile:
- Open Google Business app
- Go to Reviews
- Tap the 3-dot icon next to the review
- Tap “Flag review”
Google maps:
- Open Maps and locate your business
- Find the review
- Select the menu and choose “Flag as inappropriate”
Allow up to several business days for review processing.
Legal
Where reviews include false claims or breach legal standards (e.g. defamation, impersonation), submit a Google Legal Removal Request. Prepare documentation showing the breach, your business's identity, and impact. Review times vary and are not guaranteed.
Review
Businesses should maintain an internal process for generating and managing reviews. Recommended practices:
- Integrate automated follow-up messages post-sale
- Assign responsibility for weekly monitoring and response
- Use CRM-integrated review tools to track patterns
- Collect customer feedback early in the engagement to prevent escalation
- Repurpose positive reviews across social media, proposals, and advertising (with permission)
Ensure reviews are treated as operational performance data. Avoid pressuring customers for reviews, which may be seen as coercive and breach guidelines.
Customer
Develop a review culture focused on feedback and service quality. Encourage internal teams to report recurring issues from reviews. Use feedback trends to inform training and product development.
Routine engagement with reviews should be formalised through standard operating procedures. Address every review, positive or negative, to maintain credibility.
Businesses should treat Google Reviews as an extension of brand communication. Responding constructively, flagging inappropriate content, and enabling authentic review generation must form part of the standard marketing and customer success functions. Reviews are not obstacles—they are public indicators of service reliability and must be managed with consistency and professionalism.