August 23, 2024 - As a business owner, feedback should always be welcomed, but what should you do when you get a negative review? Digital feedback can be very influential for your business, considering over 75.5 percent of consumers put their trust in online reviews.
We talked about what to do in the video up above, but now let’s debunk some common myths, as well as what it takes to remove unwanted negative reviews.
Myth 1: You Can Counteract a Negative Review with a Mass Influx of Positive Reviews
Fact: Well, this is sort of complicated. As a digital marketing company, we’d never tell you not to get five-star reviews. But if you’re trying to bury negative feedback with a mass influx of reviews in a short time span, you may do more harm than good. Review platforms, including Google, use advanced algorithms to detect suspicious activity, such as sudden spikes in positive reviews. If these reviews appear orchestrated, your site may be flagged and face penalties. However, encouraging more organic positive reviews can help overshadow bad reviews.
Myth 2: It’s Okay to Ignore Negative Reviews
Fact: Ignoring a negative review can be detrimental to your business. Even if you believe the review is inaccurate, responding shows you are attentive and engaged with customer feedback. It allows you to clarify any misunderstandings, provide your side of the story and demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction. Prospective clients will see your willingness to address issues openly, which can positively impact their perception of your business.
Myth 3: Using Keywords in Review Responses Can Impact Your Visibility
Fact: Although this used to be a larger contributing factor, research has shown cramming keywords into your responses has minimal impact on your organic ranking. Google, in particular, is especially well aware of the practice of keyword stuffing, which, over time, may cause them to lower your ranking. The main thing in all your review responses is to just keep things natural.
Review Removal Best Practices
Google, Yelp and most other review platforms have a mechanism to flag and remove inappropriate content. However, if a review doesn’t violate any community guidelines, there’s not much you can do.
Yelp also has an automated filtering system designed to detect and hide reviews that might be fake or uncredible, ensuring that users see accurate and helpful information. The downside to this: Yelp may sometimes hide authentic reviews, making it a bit more tedious to manage or remove reviews compared to Google.
You might be tempted to hire a digital marketing company that promises to eliminate negative reviews, but beware — these services often use deceptive and unethical tactics, such as generating fake positive reviews or circumventing review platforms by rerouting negative feedback through third-party sites.
Keep Your Reputation Fresh with Melon Local
Managing your online reputation takes time and patience — thankfully, that’s where we come in! Melon Local specializes in keeping your digital presence fresh through our One in a Melon approach to reputation management. Book a demo today to learn more about how we can grow together!