Google Maps will shame businesses for using fake reviews

Reputation is something that businesses and brands build up over time. It’s not something that can be bought, like with fake reviews, but some try to do it anyway. The good news is that Google will now be doing something about it by calling out businesses that solicit fake reviews on Google Maps.

According to a report by Search Engine Roundtable, it seems that a business listing on Google Maps will now show a warning with a message that says, “Suspected fake reviews were recently removed from this place.” This will let users know that some of the reviews of that location might have been fake, and that maybe they should take the rest of the reviews with a pinch of salt.

In addition to calling out businesses, businesses with suspected fake reviews will also receive further restrictions. This includes not being able to receive additional ratings or reviews for a specific period of time. This is a good move on Google’s end, considering how many people rely on Google Maps.

That being said, we have to wonder if this could lead to complications. For example, sometimes a business might not solicit fake reviews, but it could be done by a competitor. Would Google be able to tell if that is the case? We suppose we’ll have to wait and see.