Reputation and Reviews FAQFive questions on reputation and reviews, answered.

Ask satisfied customers at the right moment—after a positive experience. Make it easy with direct links to your review page. Send follow-up emails or texts with review requests. Train staff to ask for reviews. Respond to all existing reviews to show engagement. Never offer incentives for reviews as this violates guidelines.

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Respond promptly, professionally, and empathetically. Acknowledge the issue, apologize for their experience, offer to resolve offline, and provide contact information. Never be defensive or argumentative. A thoughtful response can turn a negative into a positive by showing you care about customer satisfaction.

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You can only remove reviews that violate Google’s policies (fake, spam, off-topic, conflicts of interest). Flag inappropriate reviews through Google Business Profile. For legitimate negative reviews, your best approach is responding professionally and generating more positive reviews to improve your overall rating.

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Yes, especially for local SEO. Review quantity, quality (rating), velocity (how often you get new reviews), and diversity (across platforms) all impact local rankings. Reviews also influence click-through rates from search results and are a key trust signal for potential customers.

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Set up Google Alerts for your brand name. Use reputation management tools to track reviews across platforms. Monitor social media mentions. Regularly check Google Business Profile, Yelp, industry-specific review sites, and social platforms. Respond to mentions promptly and address issues before they escalate.

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