Fake reviews will be removed, warns Google

Now, more than ever, Google can distinguish between a real and a fake review. The search company is warning businesses, and SEO professionals, that if they try to promote a business with "fake glowing testimonies" they will be immediately taken down.

There are reputation and SEO management companies that will organize the writing and placement of fake reviews, but Google's recent spam detection algorithm changes will make getting the fakes in front of Internet users a bit more difficult.

By the same token, Google won't take down negative reviews "for simply being negative". Instead, they advise businesses to respond to such reviews and actively address customer concerns. And, because Google doesn't work with any third-party reputation management companies, any company that claims to be able to remove reviews from Google should not be believed.

For businesses that collect customer feedback on paper comment cards Google advises that they aren't used. Instead, they ask that all reviews come from first hand experience and that they "do not allow posting reviews on behalf of others." Instead, directing customers to an online source for them to leave their comments would ensure those reviews can be displayed.

Tags: fake reviews, online reviews, reputation management, review sites, search marketing, SEO