Here’s the story that prompted this post….
Who can write a Google Review?
You can read the story below about how a fake Houston SEO “expert” fake reviewed me and what I did to combat it below. But after you read that, you may want to bookmark this page and comback to these 3 links where Google lays out their rules for leaving reviews:
- Tips for writing great reviews.
- Maps User Contributed Content Policy.
- Prohibited and Restricted Content.
I’ve also highlighted a few of the more important policies below (the Cliff’s Notes if you will).
Prohibited and Restricted Content
Spam or Fake Content
Should not be posted just to manipulate a place’s ratings…
Prohibited and Restricted Content
Click to read on Google
We don’t allow individuals to use Google Maps to mislead others.
Maps User Contributed Content Policy
Click to read on google
Have you had a “real experience” with the company / law firm that you are reviewing?
What is “Legal” According to Google?
Look here’s the bottom line, it’s just getting to where this whole online review thing is bullcrap.
My own Clients, and friends who are attorneys routinely get spammed by fake online reviews just so some other SEO “expert’s” Client can possibly rank higher in the Maps listing than my Client.
This also happens to several of my lawyer friends every year….
And it even happend to me a few years back when this guy Ary R., a fly by night SEO “expert” in Houston hired someone to leave a fake review on my Google Business page.
I tracked him down and called him out on it.
At first he denied any wrong doing…
But he eventually came around after I hinted that there might be some legal action in his future…
How to Get 100 Google Business Reviews
First you need to read the rules…just click on the images in the first part of this article to read the rules according to Google.
Then as everyone of your friends, family, customers, law school friends, college friends anyone who has had some experience with you to write you a Google review either vouching for your character as an attorney or reviewing the experience they have had with your law firm.
Do they actually need to have been a paying client?
No. Not according to the above rules laid out by google.
Is this cheating?
I don’t know and I don’t care. Until Google actually does something to combat the obvious spam and fake ass reviews that are taking place it behooves you to game the system. Get 100 Google reviews then do the same on Yelp and Facebook and LinkedIn. It’s all bull crap. Online reviews are complete bull crap.
See also…EZ Way to get online reviews for your law firm.