How To Spot Fake Google Reviews

Your Quick Answer:

To spot fake Google reviews, the best way is to look for reviews that appear overly positive or overly negative. However, a negative review may be a fake review planned to spoil the business.

You can also pay attention to the language used in the review. You should know that fake reviews often use generic or vague language and may lack specific details about the experience.

Whereas real reviews often contain specific details about the product or service.

To find if a review is real or fake you can just check the reviewer’s profile. If a reviewer has only one review, it may be a red flag. However, if the reviewer has a large number of reviews on the same day, it also indicates that the reviews are fake.

You can also check the IP address of the reviewer and if multiple reviews come from the same IP address, it may be a sign of fake reviews.

If the business responds to negative reviews with generic or canned responses, it may indicate that the reviews are fake.

Contents

How To Spot Fake Google Reviews:

Try the following methods below to spot fake Google reviews:

1. Look for Overly Positive or Negative Reviews

You must know that fake reviews are often either overly positive or overly negative. If a review seems too good to be true, it probably is fake. Similarly, if a review seems overly negative, it may also be a fake review.

Step 1: First, read through the reviews.

Step 2: Now check for reviews that seem too good to be true or overly negative.

Step 3: Next be cautious of reviews that don’t seem real.

2. Pay attention to the language used in the review

Fake reviews often use generic language and may lack exact details about the experience.

However, real reviews often contain specific facts about the product or service.

Step 1: Firstly, read the reviews.

Step 2: Then look for generic language.

Step 3: Find the reviews that lack specific details and know if the reviews are fake or real.

3. Check Reviewer’s Profile

The fake reviewers often create new accounts just to leave fake reviews. Just look for reviewers with only one review or a large number of reviews on the same day.

Step 1: First, click on the reviewer’s profile.

Step 2: Find the reviewer with only one review.

These people might be the fake person who are putting fake reviews.

4. Check the IP address of the reviewer

If multiple reviews come from the same IP address, it may be a sign of fake reviews. You can’t detect this unless you manually track the IP.

Step 1: Track the IP address of the reviewer in any way (i.e. short-link & mail methods).

Step 2: Then, look for multiple reviews from the same IP address.

5. Look for patterns in the reviews

These fake reviews may have similar formatting. Now just look for the patterns in the reviews to help identify fake reviews.

Step 1: First, you must read through the reviews.

Step 2: Now, look for patterns in the formatting of the reviews.

6. Reviews with No Details

Fake reviews often lack specific details about the product or service. Now, look for reviews that lack any details about the incident.

7. Look for reviews from fake profiles

You should know that fake reviews may come from profiles with no pictures or incomplete profiles and then look for reviews from profiles that appear fake.

🔴 Steps To Follow:

Step 1: First, click on the reviewer’s profile.

Step 2: Then find the profiles with no picture or incomplete profiles.

8. Look for reviews from unusual locations

Also, if a business has reviews from all over the world, it may be a sign of fake reviews.

Step 1: You can just read through the reviews.

Step 2: Now, look for reviews from unusual locations.

9. Check for reviews from competitors

One’s competitors may leave fake negative reviews to harm the business. You just have to look for reviews from competitors.

Step 1: First, read through the reviews.

Step 2: Then also look for reviews from competitors.

Step 3: Finally, check if the reviews look biased or unfair.

10. Look for reviews with similar language

These fake reviews have similar language in formatting. Now, look for reviews with similar language to verify fake reviews.

Step 1: First of all, go through all the reviews.

Step 2: Then, look for reviews with similar language to identify if those all are fake.

11. Look for reviews with similar formatting

The fake reviews may have similar formatting. You have to look for reviews with similar formatting to help identify fake reviews.

Step 1: First of all, check all the reviews.

Step 2: Then, look for reviews with similar formatting.

12. Check the reviewer’s profile

First of all, look at the reviewer’s profile to see if they have reviewed other businesses or if all their reviews are for the same business.

If they only have one review, it could be a fake account created to leave a dishonest review.

Step 1: To check this, first open the Google Maps app or website.

Step 2: Then, search for the business you want to check the reviews for.

Step 3: Then, click on the business listing to open it.

Step 4: Scroll down to the reviews section.

Step 5: Click on the name of the reviewer whose profile you want to check.

Step 6: Check their profile to see if they have reviewed other businesses or if all their reviews are for the same business.

13. Look for keyword stuffing

If a review includes an excessive amount of keywords related to the business or service, it may be a fake review.

Step 1: First of all, read through the review carefully.

Step 2: Look for excessive use of keywords related to the business or service.

Now, if the review seems to be stuffed with keywords, it could be a fake review.

14. Grammar and Spelling Errors

The fake reviews may be written by non-native speakers or may be poorly written. So, check out for grammar and spelling errors as an indication that the review may not be genuine.

15. Review Analysis Tools

There are online tools available that can help analyze reviews and determine if they are fake or not. Some popular tools include Fakespot, ReviewMeta, and Review Skeptic.

Step 1: First of all, go to one of the review analysis tools websites (i.e. Fakespot, ReviewMeta, or Review Skeptic).

Step 2: Then, copy and paste the text of the review you want to analyze.

Read the analysis report to determine if the review is genuine or fake.

16. Look for emotional language

Genuine reviews may contain some emotional language, but fake reviews often have excessive emotional language in a go to convince the reader’s opinion.

Step 1: First, look for an excessive amount of emotional language in a review.

Step 2: If the review seems overly emotional or dramatic, it could be a fake review

17. Reviews from Non-Customers

You should know that when a reviewer claims to have used a service or product but doesn’t mention any details about their experience, it could be a fake review.

🔴 Steps To Follow:

Step 1: First check for details about the reviewer’s experience with the business or service.

Step 2: If the review doesn’t mention any details or seems generic, it could be a fake review.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What are some common Red flags to look for in fake Google reviews?

Some common red flags to look for in fake Google reviews include reviews that use excessive hard words or overly generic language, reviews from users with no profile picture or incomplete profile information, reviews that are all posted within a short period of time, and reviews that are all either extremely positive or negative.

2. How can businesses identify fake reviews on their Google business page?

Businesses can identify fake reviews on their Google business page by looking for the common red flags mentioned above. They can also use review monitoring tools or services that can help identify and flag suspicious reviews.

3. Is it possible to remove fake reviews from a Google business page?

It is possible to remove fake reviews from a Google business page. Business owners can flag a review as inappropriate or contact Google My Business support to request the removal of a review that violates Google’s review policies.

4. What steps can Google users take to ensure the authenticity of reviews before making a purchase decision?

Google users can take several steps to ensure the authenticity of reviews before making a purchase decision. They can look for reviews that provide detailed and specific information, verify the reviewer’s identity by checking their profile information and look for reviews that have been posted over a longer period of time.

Also Read: