Mini: What to Do If You’re Hit with Fake Google Reviews

Marketing From X 2 Z: Digital marketing strategy and tips to help you grow your small business

Getting “Google-bombed” with sudden, illegitimate 1-star reviews? In this quick mini episode, Mike and Liz walk through what to do right away, how to reply when a review is real (but negative), and how to rebound with a steady, ethical review flow that restores trust.

You’ll learn

• Why fake review spikes happen—and why they’re so damaging to small businesses.
• The fast triage: how to flag/report illegitimate reviews inside Google Business Profile.
• Responding to legitimate negatives: professional, calm, and clarifying (no arguments).
• How to recover momentum: a simple, ongoing process to source more real reviews.
• Relevancy tips that help good reviews rise: use plain-language keywords and, when appropriate, photos.

Quick steps you can do today

• Report obvious fakes from your GBP dashboard (flag, explain how it violates guidelines).
• Reply to any real negative review with empathy, facts, and next steps.
• Activate a review routine: ask recent happy customers, make it easy, never incentivize.
• Coach lightly: suggest they mention what you did and the result; photos help relevancy.

Key takeaway

Don’t panic. Flag the fakes, handle real feedback with grace, and outpace the noise with a steady stream of honest reviews.