Why people think about it
Starting with zero reviews, or being overtaken by a better-rated neighbour, makes a shortcut tempting. Ads offer reviews one by one, sometimes for a few euros.
The shortcut has a flaw: it doesn’t last, and it can cost more than it brings.
What Google does about it
Google’s rules forbid reviews that are not based on a real experience and those obtained in return for payment. Its detection systems regularly remove such reviews, sometimes within hours, sometimes weeks later, and may also react at the level of the listing. A bought review can therefore disappear, taking the money spent with it.
The other risks
In the European Union, publishing or ordering fake consumer reviews is treated as an unfair commercial practice. Consumer authorities take an interest. This is not legal advice: ask a legal professional if you have any doubt.
And there is the reputation risk: a reader who spots a series of reviews that are too alike loses trust in the whole listing.
What works, and lasts
- 1
Put a direct link to your review form on your receipts, invoices and messages.
- 2
Ask your real customers, right after the service, without steering the answer.
- 3
Reply to every review, good or bad.
- 4
Keep up the pace: a few reviews every month are worth more than an isolated peak.
Create your direct link
Our tool turns your business name into a direct link and a QR code, with no account. It is the starting point of a simple review request.
Open the free toolGo further
The guide “Getting more Google reviews” details the concrete steps and message templates for asking for real reviews.
Read the guide on getting reviews