Google will remove your reviews if you violate their policies. Worse, they might penalize your listing. The businesses that win at review collection do it within the rules. Here's how.
What Google prohibits
Important
Understanding these rules is essential. Violations can get your reviews removed or your listing penalized.
Paying for reviews. You cannot offer customers money, discounts, or rewards in exchange for reviews. This includes loyalty points, contest entries, or any other incentive tied to leaving a review.
Review gating. You cannot filter customers through a satisfaction survey and only send happy ones to leave reviews. Everyone gets the same opportunity.
Fake reviews. You cannot post reviews yourself, have employees post as customers, or hire services to generate fake reviews.
Soliciting specific ratings. You cannot ask customers to leave a 5-star review. You can ask for a review, but not a particular rating.
Selective solicitation. You cannot only ask customers you think will leave positive reviews. If you ask anyone, you should ask everyone.
What Google allows
Asking for reviews. You can absolutely ask customers to leave reviews. Just ask everyone equally.
Making it easy. You can provide direct links to your review page. You can use NFC badges, QR codes, or follow-up messages with links.
Responding to reviews. You can and should respond to all reviews, positive and negative.
Displaying reviews. You can showcase reviews on your website and marketing materials.
Timing your asks. You can time your review requests strategically—like immediately after service when satisfaction is highest.
The practical playbook
Pro Tip
Train staff to ask everyone. Not just happy customers. Everyone. If someone had a bad experience, they're going to leave a negative review anyway. At least you'll get more positive ones to balance.
Use technology that's compliant. NFC badges, QR codes, and follow-up messages should link directly to Google's review interface, not to your own gating system.
Keep your scripts neutral. "We'd really appreciate a review" is fine. "We'd really appreciate a 5-star review" is not.
Document your process. If Google ever questions your reviews, you want to show a compliant process. Keep records of your training materials and review collection methods.
Common mistakes to avoid
Review kiosks with gating. Some software asks "How was your experience?" and only shows the review link to people who select positive options. This is review gating. Don't use it.
Staff contests with review targets. Rewarding employees for getting reviews is fine. Rewarding them specifically for positive reviews creates an incentive to game the system.
"Leave us a great review" signage. Anything that implies you only want positive reviews violates the policy.
Following up only with happy customers. If you do post-service follow-ups, send them to everyone, not just people who expressed satisfaction.
When reviews get removed
Google periodically purges reviews it suspects are fake or solicited inappropriately. If you lose reviews, audit your practices.
Common triggers:
- Sudden spikes in review volume (looks artificial)
- Reviews from accounts that only leave one review (suspicious pattern)
- Similar language across multiple reviews (possible templates)
- Geographic inconsistencies (reviews from places you don't serve)
"If you're collecting reviews legitimately, some will still get filtered. That's normal. But if you lose a large percentage, something in your process might be triggering Google's systems."
The bottom line
You can dramatically increase review volume without violating any rules. Ask everyone. Make it easy. Time it well. Stay neutral.
Important
The businesses getting flagged are the ones trying to game the system. Don't be that business.
Further Reading
- Google Business Profile Review Policies — Official guidelines on what's allowed and prohibited
- Google's Prohibited and Restricted Content Policies — Detailed policy overview for all Business Profile content
- Google Review Policy 2025: What Businesses Need to Know — Birdeye's analysis of current enforcement
- Google Business Profile Guidelines 2025 — Stay compliant with the latest requirements
Dylan Allen is the CEO of Cheers, the GEO platform for local service businesses.