Google Maps Reviews: Everything you need to know

Google Maps customer reviews are highly influential in building a perception of your business. A couple of positive reviews can quickly establish credibility and trustworthiness, while a single negative review may cause the potential consumer to reconsider.

This article supplies guides on how Google Maps reviews operate, what is permitted, how you can nurture good reviews, and how to mitigate or disagree with fraudulent or illegitimate reviews.

Let’s ensure that all reviews advance your business.

How Google Maps Reviews Work

Google Maps reviews are customer reviews that appear in the reviews section of your Google Business Profile.

Reviews significantly impact how customers discover your business, their trust in your business, and whether they choose your business over a competing one. 

Where reviews appear

On Google Search

When a person searches for a business, the profile will appear, along with a star rating and a total reviews badge.

The user can click on the reviews to view more details and filter through them.

On Google Maps

Your rating appears on the map’s place card and in a dedicated “Reviews” tab, which displays customer comments, photos, and star ratings.

On Reviewer Profiles

Each review is also visible on the reviewer’s public Google profile under “Your contributions.”

On Third-Party Sites

Business operators and third-party sites can use Google’s embeddable widgets or the Google Maps Platform to showcase Google reviews on their own sites, aiding in building credibility & attracting customers. 

Who can leave a review

Anyone with a Google account can write a review. This includes:

• Your actual customers who visited your location or used your service
• People who found you on Google Maps but may not have visited
• Google Local Guides (users who contribute regularly and earn badges)

Reviews don’t require verification that someone was actually a customer, which is both a strength and a weakness of the system.

Rating vs Review text vs photos

Editing, deleting & sharing your review

Review moderation & filtering

Google uses a combination of AI and human reviewers to moderate content. The system:

• Scans every review instantly for policy violations
• Detects suspicious patterns (bulk posting, similar language, unusual timing)
• Filters out spam before it goes live
• Removes reviews that violate policies after user reports

In 2023, Google blocked over 170 million fake reviews, a 45% increase from the previous year, showing ongoing improvement in detection and removal systems.

Google’s Review policies & guidelines

Google’s guidelines are stringent in what is (and is not) acceptable in reviews. Knowing these policies protects your business and helps you report violations accurately. 

What’s prohibited or restricted

Google enforces strict review policies to keep feedback authentic and safe. Here’s what’s not allowed:

1. Fake or Misleading Content

• Reviews should reveal a legitimate, first-hand experience.
• Those who indirectly post reviews, such as by posting duplicate or automated reviews, or reviews on behalf of a business, employee, or competitor, are not allowed.

2. Incentives & Conflicts of Interest

• It’s against the rules to be offered or accept any money, gifts, or discounts for a review.
• Reviewing your own place of business or that of a competitor is considered a conflict of interest.
• Review gating (i.e., only asking happy customers to review) is against the rules.

3. Irrelevant or Promotional Content

• Reviews must be on-topic and based on the actual business or services received.
• Off-topic comments, political opinions, spam, or promotional links are not permitted.

4. Privacy & Safety

• Don’t share personal details, such as names, phone numbers, or addresses.
• Illegal content, hate speech, threats, or harassment are strictly forbidden.

5. Offensive or Explicit Material

• No obscene, graphic, or sexually explicit content.
• Content promoting regulated or restricted goods (alcohol, tobacco, gambling, weapons, etc.) is not allowed.

Google’s recent policy updates

Google has implemented several significant policy updates across its product portfolio throughout 2025, reflecting its commitment to user safety, privacy, content quality, and regulatory compliance. Here is an accurate breakdown of the most important updates:

Search & Algorithm Changes

• March Core Update: Rolled out March 13–27. Focused on content value, user intent, and spam prevention. 
• June Core Update: A mobile-heavy upgrade with stronger mobile indexing and penalties for thin content.
• August Spam Update: Began August 26 and ran ~27 days globally, targeting manipulative SEO and spam practices.

Advertising & Platform Policies

• April 14: Updated the “Unfair Advantage” policy in Google Ads so that the same business may run multiple ads in different slots. 
• June 2025: Clarified third-party policy for manager-account links and advertiser verification.
• June: Updated healthcare & medicines policy, removing blanket bans on certain supplements outside the US/Canada.

Privacy & Ad Ecosystem

• February 16: Updated publisher and ad-platform policies to better reflect privacy-enhancing tech and ad transparency. 

What Google does when rules are violated

When a user or business violates Google’s review policies and guidelines, Google employs a range of enforcement actions depending on the severity and frequency of the violation. 

For Violating Content (Reviews, Photos, etc.)

• Content Removal: The first and most common enforcement action will be the removal of specific content that violates policies (e.g., a fake review, a photo containing hate speech, or an off-topic post).
• Content Rejection: New content a user or business submitted may be automatically rejected, and therefore not published in the first place.

For Violating Users

• Feature Limits: Repeated violators can lose access to posting or editing reviews.
• Account Suspension: Serious or repeated abuse may result in the complete suspension or termination of your account.

Benefits of Google Maps Reviews

Reviews are your digital storefront. They determine whether customers trust you enough to walk through your door or click to your website. Nearly 90% of users check reviews and photos on Google Maps before visiting a local business.

Trust, credibility & social proof

Customer reviews provide instant social proof that builds trust:

• 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
• Businesses with reviews earn 270% more clicks than those without
• A single negative review can cost you approximately 30 customers

When your profile has fresh, positive feedback, it indicates that your business is reliable and well-maintained.

Impact on local SEO & maps ranking

Google considers reviews to be part of the “prominence” signal in local searches; therefore, more/positive reviews increase your odds of ranking higher in Google Maps and the Local-3-Pack. 

Having good reviews also means your profile appears more often in search results, increasing your visibility.

Click-through rate (CTR) & conversions

A higher star rating and more reviews make people more likely to click your listing and contact you. Star ratings in search results increase CTR by up to 20-35%. 

Displaying reviews on your website can boost conversions by 270%. Once they click, they’re more likely to become customers because reviews reduce perceived risk.

Business visibility & survival in rating filters

Some search filters allow users to select businesses by rating (for example, “4 stars & up”). With many reviews, you remain qualified to receive those filters, potentially eliminating your competitors from visibility altogether.  

Additionally, businesses with lower ratings or few reviews risk being overshadowed by competitors in search results or being filtered out of them. Good review volume helps avoid that problem and keeps your listing competitive.

Google Maps vs Google Business Profile Reviews

Google Maps and Google Business Profile Reviews refer to the same customer feedback but are accessed and managed differently. 

How to get more (and better) reviews

Gaining genuine Google reviews requires an innovative and consistent approach, rather than shortcuts or tactics that violate Google’s rules. It’s about creating real customer experiences worth sharing and making it easy for people to leave honest feedback. 

1. Ask at the right moment

Prompt a review when the customer has been recently satisfied with your service.

A natural request, such as a thank-you email, will increase the number of reviews you can ask without sounding insincere. 

Be thoughtful in crafting your email to help the request feel more personal and genuine. 

2. Make it easy to review

Share your direct Google review link or QR code in multiple places: emails, receipts, website, or post-service messages. 

Make sure the process is as simple as possible; one-click review options or QR codes significantly reduce friction. The easier it is, the more likely customers will leave feedback.

3. Ask every customer, not just happy ones

This means not participating in Review Gating. Review gating is when you only ask happy customers to leave a review. This not only violates Google’s policies but also diminishes authenticity.

You should request all customers to share their experience, regardless of whether it is positive or constructive. This helps to build authenticity with your reviews and gives a plus and minus of your profile.

4. Respond to reviews consistently

Always thank the reviewer, positive or negative, for providing feedback. If there was an issue, address that too; you want the customer to know you value their opinion and that your business strives for improvement. 

Responding to reviews more quickly indicates to Google that your business is active, which can positively influence your local ranking. 

5. Deliver a review-worthy experience

You won’t just magically get reviews; they will appear as a byproduct of a business that genuinely cares about providing exceptional service to its clients. Strive to deliver an experience the client believes is deserving of a review, and if you achieve this, the reviews will come.

6. Use follow-ups respectfully

If you have customers who’ve agreed to leave a review but haven’t gotten around to it yet, a polite nudge can be a good idea. Don’t be too pushy, though. 

You should never provide a freebie or discount in exchange for a review. This is a violation of Google’s rules and can result in trouble.

7. How the review process works.

Be sure your customers know exactly what to do when it comes to leaving a review. Clear instructions and step-by-step guides are a good option – don’t shy away from a little bit of flair to help them along. 

WiserReview helps you collect, manage, and display Google reviews easily, with a simple automated system and a user-friendly tool to embed the reviews. 

You can also use WiserReview to track and respond to all reviews across all locations, ensuring your customers’ and online presence are relevant.

Google Maps Fake Reviews

Fake reviews damage everyone: honest businesses, consumers, and the platform itself. Understanding fake reviews helps you protect your reputation.

What counts as a “fake review”

A “fake review” on Google Maps refers to any content that does not accurately reflect a genuine experience and is not based on firsthand customer information, or it is posted to manipulate a business’s rating artificially. 

Here are key categories for identifying fake reviews: 

• Non-existent experience: Reviews written by individuals who never visited or could not have had the experience of using the service or buying the product. 
• Conflicts of interest: Reviews from the business’s owner/employees/public relations (PR) family or friends, when not intended to be editorial. 
• Incentivised Review: Reviews for money, a discount, a free item, or a service. 
• Competitor sabotage: Reviews are used to sabotage a competitor by posting a false, negative review.
• Manipulation tactics: Posting numerous reviews using multiple accounts or technical tools to inflate or deflate a business’s rating.
• Off-topic content: Reviews that contain lies, harassment, or content completely unrelated to the business experience.

How to detect fake reviews on your listing

54% of buyers won’t purchase a product if they think the consumer feedback is fake. So, lets check for these signs of fake or suspicious reviews:

• Unusual profiles: No photo, generic names, or users posting many reviews in different places quickly.
• Vague language: Brief or basic responses without any specifics about the experience. 
• Review jumps: An immediate influx of 5-star or 1-star reviews. 
• Identical wording: Multiple reviews with the exact phrase or format. 
• Extreme tone: An overly positive or negative review without an explanation. 
• Irrelevant content: Comments about unrelated topics, jobs, or other businesses. 

Genuine reviews typically include precise details about fundamental customer interactions.

Steps to fix or remove fake reviews

To address or remove fake reviews, you must follow Google’s official reporting process and employ additional reputation management strategies. 

1. Document everything

Screenshot the fake review immediately. Note the reviewer’s profile details.

Record the date and time it appeared. Gather evidence proving it’s fake (no matching customer records, impossible claims)

2. Report the Review via Google Business Profile

• Log in: Open your Google Business Profile Manager account.
• Locate: Look for the review you believe is fake.
• Flag: Click on the three-dot menu (⋮) at the top right of the review, and select Report review or Flag as inappropriate.
• Categorize: Select the reason that best fits the violation of the policy (i.e., “Spam”, “Conflict of interest”).

3. Check Status and Appeal

• Monitor: Use the Reviews Management Tool to track the review’s status. You can use “Wiserreview” to fully manage your reviews. 
• Appeal: If Google initially finds “no policy violation,” you can submit a one-time appeal through the same tool to request a second look.

4. Respond Professionally (Optional but Recommended)

• Draft a brief response: Acknowledge the feedback and state that you have no record of their visit, inviting them to contact you directly. This demonstrates to potential customers that you are proactive, but the review may not be legitimate.

5. Drown out the fakes

• Focus on obtaining more genuine, positive reviews to push the fake reviews lower on the profile page, or to be invisible altogether.

Google Maps Reviews API

If you want to display or analyze Google Maps reviews on your website or app, you’ll need to use the right APIs. 

Official Google APIs (Places API, Place Details)

Google’s Places API and Place Details API are both under the Google Maps Platform. These are designed to help developers easily bridge real-world location information to apps/websites. Accessing the APIs will require a Google Cloud Project along with an API key.

Places API

• Let’s you search for places, businesses, or landmarks using text, nearby search, or autocomplete.
• Supports features like place photos and query predictions.
• Works on a pay-as-you-go model based on requested data fields.

Place Details

• Provides detailed data about a specific place using a unique Place ID.
• Returns fields such as name, address, phone, rating, reviews, hours, and website.
• The Place Details API supports field masks, enabling you to specify only the fields you need, thereby minimizing costs and increasing speed.

In short, these Google Map review APIs together enable developers to display ratings/reviews, show place information, and create experiences based on maps – all while being fully compliant with Google’s terms and policies.

Third-party APIs / services

Third-party APIs are services provided by external companies that enable developers to integrate specific functionalities or data into their own applications without having to build them from scratch. 

This saves development time and cost, enabling applications to leverage specialized, external expertise. Many third-party tools fill the gaps left by the official Google APIs (such as limitations on review counts). 

Common challenges & pitfalls

Even with best practices, managing Google Maps reviews presents ongoing challenges.

Review suppression/hiding issues

Sometimes, legitimate reviews do not appear due to being filtered by Google (for example, due to duplicate content or flagged behavior), which can negatively impact the business, as it may have no reviews. 

Negative reviews & reputation risk

Even just one negative review can deter potential customers and erode trust in your business. How you respond to negative feedback is extremely important – ignoring it is likely to do even more damage to your brand.

Competitive manipulation / fake reviews

There’s a risk of fake positive reviews to inflate your rating or fake negative reviews to undermine the competition, and that’s simply unacceptable.

Over-reliance on reviews

Relying solely on reviews can put you at risk. Reaching for more and more reviews without actually improving your customer service can set you up for trouble, too, as customer expectations shift and Google’s review policy changes.

Wrap up

Google Maps reviews are the lifeblood of any local business – they influence how customers find, trust, and choose to deal with you over your competitors.

 By understanding how reviews work, what Google will and won’t allow, and how to get legitimate reviews, you can really give yourself a leg up on the competition.

And with WiserReview, you can take that a step further – with automated review requests, centralised review management, and all sorts of other valuable tools to help turn your reviews into trust signals and business growth drivers.