It’s no secret that Google reviews can make or break a business.
In fact, for most businesses Google reviews are the most important reviews to get.
Whether you’re a startup looking to establish yourself as a reputable company or a well-established company with a large existing customer base, having an optimized Google Business Profile and a steady stream of Google reviews can play a huge role in how your company is presented online.
Here is our guide to whether employees can leave Google reviews (both positive and negative).
Understanding Google’s Review Policy
Google’s review policy is designed to ensure that all reviews are genuine and reflect the opinions of real customers.
The policy prohibits provides guidelines to help keeps businesses in check when it comes to their reviews.
Some of Google’s polices when it comes to reviews are obvious (like don’t buy Google reviews), while others require a deeper read.
Definite give Google’s review policy a once-over, and check out our deep dive into in our guide: Google Reviews Policy: What You NEED To Know (and what you can ignore).
Can Employees Leave Google Reviews?
Technically speaking, anybody can leave a Google review of a company, whether they are a customer or employee. But just because you technically can leave a review, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Google wants you to, especially when it comes to employee reviews.
In fact, an employee writing a review for the business they currently work at (or worked at in the past) appears to fall under the “Conflict of Interest” section of Google’s Prohibited and Restricted Content guidelines.
Google’s guidelines are clear that reviews should be free from conflicts of interest, which includes reviews from current or former employees.
So the short answer is that Google does not want employees to write reviews for the businesses they work at.
Other review sites may have a different take on this, but even so: if you are an employee and you feel compelled to post a review about the business you work at on any review site it’s generally good practice to disclose that you’re an employee, regardless of the nature of your review. This can actually help build even more trust amongst readers of these reviews.
The good news for business owners is that they don’t need to have their employees post Google reviews for their businesses just to increase their rating and volume of reviews, as there are much easier and effective ways to do it (more on this below).
What Happens When An Employee Leaves A Negative Review?
Here’s the thing – a bad review isn’t always the worst thing.
Sometimes, a negative review might be exactly what the company needs to develop and change in order to prevent even more negative reviews in the future.
It all comes down to how the company deals with the negative reviews.
Google Business Profile reviews written by employees won’t be automatically deleted by the review site before they’re uploaded. It’s not common for Google to delete any reviews written by employees unless those reviews are manually reported or somehow trigger Google’s review filtering algorithm.
If an employee has left negative reviews on Google that present the company in a bad and biased light, you cannot simply delete the review and you can’t pay to remove Google reviews.
Instead, businesses can flag reviews as “inappropriate”, which will then act as a case for Google to investigate.
However, if an employee leaves a negative review on an employee-only site such as Glassdoor, there’s not much you can do about it. This is because employees have every right to leave negative reviews in a place designed for future employees.
How To Get More Google Reviews
The best way to get Google reviews? Ask for them.
But let’s be real – manually sending out emails or asking every customer for a review in person is not only insanely time-consuming, but it’s just not very effective.
Why isn’t it effective? Because most people need to be reminded at least twice in order to leave a review.
So why do some businesses have so many more reviews than their competitors?
They’re using an automated review system.
ReputationStacker is an automated review management software that helps businesses get more reviews on Google and any of the other most important review sites for your business.
ReputationStacker then automatically sends your customers an email or text message with a link to your business’s review funnel, where customers are asked to rate their experience with your service. This is a single-question survey that takes only seconds, and it directs your customers to the review sites of your choice to post a review.
By encouraging customers to leave a review (and following up with them automatically if they don’t), ReputationStacker works to boost not only the reputation of your business, but also the profitability of it.
Customers are far more likely to use a service with frequent positive online reviews – in fact, 88% of potential customers are likely to trust online reviews as much as word of mouth from friends and family.
Conclusion
While there’s nothing preventing employees from leaving reviews, it is a violation of Google’s Content Guidelines, so we advise against it… especially when it’s easy to get your actual customers to write reviews using a system like ReputationStacker.
Frequently Asked Questions About Google Reviews
Do Google Reviews Help SEO?
Yes, Google reviews can significantly impact SEO. Positive reviews boost your business’s online reputation, improving your search rankings and visibility in local searches. As potential customers view your business listing on Google Maps or in search results, a higher rating can lead to increased trust and clicks, driving more traffic to your website. Check out our full guide on How to Set Up Google Reviews For Your Business for more details.
Why Do Google Reviews Disappear?
Google reviews may disappear due to various reasons, including violations of Google’s Review Policy. This could happen if the review is flagged as spam, if the reviewer has a conflict of interest, or if the review does not adhere to community standards. Regularly monitoring you reviews can help maintain your online reputation.
How Quickly Should You Respond To A Google Review?
It’s best to respond to a Google review within 24 hours. Quickly responding to a Google review shows customers that you value their feedback and care about their experiences, whether they leave a good review or a negative review. As an added bonus, replying to Google reviews helps SEO.
How Long Does It Take for a Google Review to Show Up?
Typically, Google reviews appear within a few minutes to 24 hours after being submitted. However, they may be subject to moderation to ensure compliance with Google’s guidelines. If a review does not show up after a reasonable time, it may have been flagged or removed for violating policies.
How Long Do Google Reviews Stay Posted?
Google reviews generally remain posted indefinitely unless removed by the reviewer or flagged for violating Google’s guidelines. If you’re concerned about how long a review remains posted for, there’s a good chance you’re a business owner dealing with a negative review. It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: If you put your focus on getting more positive reviews on a consistent basis, over time they will greatly outweigh any negative reviews. Using a reputation management software like ReputationStacker can help with this.
Can You Use Google Reviews On Social Media?
Yes, you can use Google reviews on social media to showcase positive feedback. Sharing actual customer reviews can help improve your credibility and attract more interest in your business. Make sure to comply with Google’s guidelines by not misrepresenting reviews or using them in a misleading way.
Can I Put Google Reviews On My Website?
Yes, you can display Google reviews on your website. This can help improve your online reputation and provide social proof to potential customers. There are various widgets and plugins available (such as those offered by ReputationStacker) that allow you to showcase your reviews while adhering to Google’s guidelines for content display.
