At a time when everything can be rated with stars and reviewed online, managing your business’s reputation can often feel like balancing on a tightrope. A single negative review can have lasting repercussions, and the absence of positive ones can make even a fantastic product feel invisible.
You might be thinking, “Wouldn’t it just be easier to sprinkle in some fake 5 star reviews, you know, just to get the ball rolling?” It’s tempting — and we get it. But taking shortcuts in the world of online reputation can lead you down a very slippery, and sometimes expensive, slope.
It’s almost like cheating at poker with your friends. At first, no one notices. You’re suddenly winning a lot, and it feels good. But once they catch on — and they always do — that trust is gone, and the game will never feel the same again. The same goes for fake online reviews.
In this blog, we’ll explore why fake customer reviews can do more harm than good, how they damage hard-earned trust and what to do if you want to keep things authentic while building a stellar reputation.
• False Reviews Erode Customer Trust and Credibility
• The Impact of Fake Reviews on SEO Rankings and Online Visibility
• Financial Consequences of Fake Reviews
• Legal Implications and Regulations Surrounding Fake Reviews
• Identifying and Removing Fake Reviews From Your Business Profiles
False Reviews Erode Customer Trust and Credibility
• 49% of respondents are confident they’ve encountered fake 5 star reviews on Amazon
• 40% believe they’ve many times spotted fake comments on Facebook
• 38% of users report noticing fake Google reviews
Source: Backlinko
There’s an unspoken agreement between businesses and customers: honesty, an invisible handshake that seals the deal. Customers want to believe that the product or service they use is great and that the reviews they read validate their choice. But once they find out those glowing words aren’t real, that agreement breaks — and so does the trust.
“One of the telltale signs customers look for when identifying fake reviews is when the review seems too good to be true or lacks correct details,” said Tim Clarke, Thrive’s Senior Reputation Manager.
“Such reviews may also contain grammatical and spelling errors or give clear indications of being written by foreign bots.”
You might have yourself come across a review that felt off. Maybe it was a little too enthusiastic, or maybe the language felt robotic. When you read it, you realize it’s weird.
The original purpose of a review is to convey the experience of real people — people who have been where you are and understand what you need. When customers realize they’ve been duped, it’s a feeling of deception and also humiliation. To some, it may affect their capacity to make intelligent decisions.
And here’s the real kicker: It’s not just the fake product reviews that are questioned; your genuine 5-star reviews are suddenly under suspicion, too. In one fell swoop, you’ve thrown a shadow over everything.
More than that, fake comments can create an illusion for the business owner that there are no flaws to fix. It’s like hiding dirty dishes in the oven when unexpected guests arrive. Sure, the mess isn’t visible, but it’s still there — and eventually, someone is going to notice the smell.
When customers finally realize they are duped, they take their trust and their money elsewhere. So, addressing real feedback could actually help a business grow and improve, while fake reviews keep it stagnant.
The Impact of Fake Reviews on SEO Rankings and Online Visibility
If you think false reviews only hurt customer trust you’d be sadly mistaken. A fake review can extend its reach to your online visibility. Search engines like Google rate authenticity as one of their greatest parameters. Naturally, they are constantly updating their algorithms to detect newer patterns that form a fake review, like an influx of generic reviews or suspicious activity from fake accounts.
But there’s still hope, and the damages to SEO efforts caused by fake reviews are reversible.
When asked to confirm whether the impact on SEO can be mitigated with positive customer reviews, Clarke responded, “Yes, of course, especially on Google Maps and local searches on mobile.”
When Google or other platforms like Yelp catch on, the consequences can be steep. Your business could lose rankings, face account suspensions or even disappear from search results altogether. Imagine trying to explain to a customer why they can’t find your business online. Awkward, right?
It is worth mentioning here that not just Google catches fake Google reviews; genuine customers also have a knack for spotting fake 5 star reviews. When feedback feels too good to be true, it often raises red flags for everyone involved.
There Are Financial Consequences
“Fake it ’till you make it” just does not apply in business reviews and ratings.
The financial consequences of fake reviews can be severe, impacting both your revenue and attracting potential fines. When customers lose trust in your business due to a fake review streak, they are less likely to make purchases or use your services, resulting in lost revenue. This drop in sales can have a long-term impact, as dissatisfied customers are also unlikely to recommend your business to others.
Fake online reviews cost U.S. businesses nearly $152 billion annually due to reputation damage and the consequent loss of business.
When asked if any specific industries are more vulnerable to financial and legal repercussions from fake reviews, Clarke said, “I think all industries, but especially legal and medical fields.”
Additionally, regulatory bodies may impose hefty fines if they catch you red-handed. These fines not only hurt your finances directly but can also lead to additional costs related to rebuilding your brand’s reputation. Overall, using false reviews can lead to significant financial losses, making it a risky and ultimately detrimental strategy for your business.
Legal Implications and Regulations Surrounding Fake Reviews
As mentioned before, many jurisdictions deem fake online reviews illegal. Regulatory authorities such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States have strict guidelines prohibiting deceptive practices, including the use of fake reviews to manipulate public perception. In many cases, individuals responsible for orchestrating fake comments may also face criminal charges besides monetary fines.
FTC Chairperson Lina M. Khan believes, “Fake reviews not only waste people’s time and money but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors.” On August 24, the FTC issued a 163-page document — a final rule and Statement of Basis and Purpose (SBP) — about “Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials.” This final rule bans practices like selling fake product reviews, paying for biased reviews, undisclosed insider testimonials, false independent review sites, suppressing reviews and trading fake social media influence.
Meanwhile, platforms like Google, Yelp and Amazon have their own policies to combat fake product reviews, and they actively monitor for violations.
When businesses are caught engaging in such practices, these platforms may take severe actions, such as removing all reviews, suspending the business’s account or even banning the business from the platform altogether. These repercussions can severely damage a business’s ability to attract new customers and can lead to long-term harm to its reputation.
Adhering to the law and following ethical practices is not an option but a mandate when maintaining trust and credibility for your business. Genuine reviews from real customers are the foundation of a solid reputation, and using fake product reviews sabotages that very foundation, leading to potential legal, financial and reputational damage.
Identifying and Removing Fake Reviews From Your Business Profiles
Just like a business can buy fake positive reviews, trollers or competitors posing as customers can put false negative reviews on your account. Removing these ill-intentioned comments becomes critical to save your online image.
A strongly worded review can mislead potential customers by presenting an inaccurate picture of your product or service quality, leading to lost sales and customer trust. Essentially, fake reviews can harm your credibility and ability to attract new customers based on genuine feedback.
When asked about how a business should approach platforms when requesting the removal of fake reviews, Clarke said, “Make an official case. Generally, this includes filling out a form and getting a case number.”
Here are some strategies that can help you identify and remove fake customer reviews:
1. Keep a Close Eye on Your Reviews
Regularly check platforms like Google, Yelp and Amazon for anything that seems off. Watch for overly generic language, reviewers with little activity or an unusual influx of feedback in a short period.
2. Report Suspicious Activity
Most platforms make it easy to flag fake customer reviews. Be proactive — report them with evidence to back up your claim.
3. Focus on Authentic Feedback
Encourage real customers to leave genuine reviews. A strong base of authentic feedback will drown out any fake ones and build credibility over time.
4. Respond Thoughtfully
If you suspect a review is fake but can’t prove it, respond professionally. Ask for more details to verify the reviewer’s experience — it shows you care, even if the review isn’t real.
5. Invest in Reputation Management Tools
Tools like ReviewTrackers or Podium can help monitor your reviews and spot patterns that might indicate fraudulent activity.
By actively identifying and removing fake reviews, you can protect your business from the negative consequences of deceptive feedback and ensure that your online reputation remains trustworthy and credible.
Thrive Local: An Ethical Alternative to Fake Reviews
Paying for disingenuous and fraudulent customer feedback is one of the most prevalent forms of online fraud and poses the highest risk to your business. But you cannot just hope that your genuine customers will drop a positive review for you without you taking any proactive measures. This is where Thrive Local – the all-in-one online reputation management agency comes into the picture.
White-hat review generation services, such as those offered by Thrive Local, assist businesses in systematically collecting authentic feedback from their customers. These services employ strategies like email marketing and SMS campaigns to encourage satisfied customers to share their feedback or experiences online. For example, Thrive Local utilizes carefully structured email and SMS drip campaigns to generate continuous reviews over time.
Unlike the unethical practice of purchasing fake Google reviews, which involves paying for fabricated feedback from individuals with no genuine experience with the product or service, review-generating services comply with legal standards and foster genuine trust and credibility among potential clients.
There’s a much better and proven way to improve your ratings and garner positive reviews. To learn the ‘how’ part of it, contact us today!
