Have you ever come across a fake review? It’s not always obvious. You might be suspicious when you find a review page with only 5-star reviews and not a single criticism, or if a business has a sudden influx of negative reviews, all posted on the same day. Some companies use fake reviews to positively skew their online reputation - other times, fake reviews are used to bring down their competitors. A survey showed that 82% of consumers have recently come across a fake review. If you are a business owner, and you’ve received a barrage of fake reviews, you may be wondering what your options are. Here are some steps you can take to help the situation:

Verify that the review is not genuine. If the reviewer used their full name, reference it with your customer list to see if you’ve ever done business with them. Check the profile of the reviewer - was it created the same day that the review was posted? Is that review the only one they’ve posted? These details strengthen the claim that the review is fake. You want to be absolutely sure that the review isn’t real before you take further action. 

Report it to the website. Each review site has terms of service or community standards that specify how fake reviews are handled. When you spot shady reviews, flag them as soon as possible. Locate the support pages for each website to reach a service representative who can help you handle the issue. Unfortunately, fake reviews are not taken down immediately (and sometimes not at all) so you might be stuck waiting for the website to take action. A study found that Facebook receives thousands of fake reviews every month, so you can bet that those moderators have a lot of flagged reviews to sort through. In the meantime, you can try dealing with it in a few other ways: 

Respond publicly. You know that customers look for reviews when researching a business. If you can’t get the review taken down, it may be worthwhile to leave a response to it. When you are positive that this reviewer is not a customer of yours, consider making it known with a public response. It will show other consumers that this review is not to be trusted. Respond by stating that based on their name, you have never done business with that person. If they’ve made incorrect claims about your business, respond by correcting that false information and use references to prove your point. Writing in a professional tone is important when responding as a business, even if you are frustrated - refrain from using insults or strong language. 

Ask genuine customers for their reviews. Write an email to your loyal clients and ask them to share their experiences. You can include the fact that you’ve recently received several fake reviews, and you want your star rating to accurately represent your services. Customers who value your company will feel inclined to leave their positive feedback and right the wrongful review. 

Consumers place a lot of trust in reviews. Up to 82% of customers use online reviews to research a business, but 68% of them are skeptical of review authenticity. This makes managing fake reviews especially important. Some customers will read a fake review but be unaware that it’s not real. For business owners, this can have a significant negative impact on sales. 

Fake reviews can hurt your business’s reputation. To maintain a high-star rating and authentic online presence, you need a way to monitor and respond to incoming reviews. RepCo offers reputation management software that will help you stay on top. You will be notified whenever you receive reviews on Google, Yelp, or Facebook so that you can take action immediately - whether you need to flag them or respond. Our review generation process will contact customers automatically and prompt them to leave you feedback. For more information about RepCo, get in touch with us today.

If you’re like most consumers (roughly 90% of them), then you use search engines to find local businesses. You might use the search engine giant, Google, or turn to a more specific directory (like Yelp to find a restaurant). Once you find the business, you use the information in their listing to contact them - that’s known as a citation. If you tried to call this business, you probably got frustrated if the phone number was incorrect. Citation accuracy is important, which is why many businesses choose to build them manually.

A citation includes information like your location, phone number, hours of operation, email address, and links to various social media profiles. It can also contain videos or photos of your business. Where do you find your citations? The answer depends on the specific industry that your business is in. Review sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp are browsed by millions of users each month; having a claimed listing on these sites will make it easier for consumers to find you. Niche businesses should pay attention to industry-specific directories. A dentist should look to 1-800 Dentist, and a cleaner should use Angie’s List. As a business, you need to keep an eye on the websites where you have a profile and ensure that all your information remains current.

Sometimes, the most tedious tasks are the most important. Manual citation building is one of those tasks - it’s time-intensive and not the most exciting thing to do, but it allows consumers to find and contact you on different websites. By manually building your citations, you ensure that all of your listings contain the most accurate, up-to-date information. This becomes increasingly complicated for businesses with multiple locations. Some companies use automated systems to make citations for them, but these can make errors. As time consuming as manual citation building is, it’s more accurate. 

Citations are an important ranking factor - but duplicate or inaccurate citations will hurt your position in SERPs. For consumers to find your business, you need to be on the first page of results. Citations can work against you by harming your ranking due to inaccurate or repeated listings. Your rankings are dependent on how many citations you have, how accurate they are, and their quality. 

Let’s imagine what your consumers experience when they search for your business. Perhaps they found you in their search for the best dog groomer in the city - they entered their search on Yelp and scrolled through results until they found your listing. The consumer is impressed by your positive reviews and high rating, so they decide to call your business. But then they find that your phone number is out of service because it doesn’t belong to you anymore. Rather than search your name on another website, they’ll probably click back and call your competitor. Misdirecting consumers can cause damage to your reputation and reliability. When your citations contain incorrect information, it can cost you customers.

Citations don’t last forever. Some websites require that you update and reclaim your listing regularly to make certain that it’s accurate - otherwise, your citation may expire. Check their service agreements to see how often you need to manage your listing. While it may take time, the benefits of manual citation building are numerous: they help your rankings and visibility across multiple websites, increase consumer trust, and boost your website’s traffic. 

Staying on top of citation building requires diligence and patience. If you own a business and you lack the time to manage your citations, you’re not alone. RepCo can aid you in maintaining consistent online listings with our reputation management software. Get in touch with us to learn more about how we can help manage your listings and grow your business.