source: SearchEngineLand |
Fake reviews are a growing problem for consumers and the local and product-search sites they rely on to make purchase decisions. We know from multiple studies that roughly 90% of internet users consult online reviews before buying.
The scale of the fake reviews problem is not precisely documented, but it’s “in the millions” across sites, according to Curtis Boyd, whose company Objection.co helps businesses identify and remove fraudulent online reviews.
Fake Review Types
According to Boyd, there are five primary sources or types of fake reviews that his company sees:
- Vendors that sell both positive and negative online reviews.
- Business owners directly or indirectly generating fake reviews for themselves (through fake profiles or vendors).
- Current employees writing positive reviews on behalf of an employer.
- Ex-employees writing negative reviews in retaliation for being terminated or laid off.
- Customers lying about or exaggerating a negative experience to obtain a refund or some other benefit (e.g., discount).
- Review clusters (e.g., friends and family) writing positive or negative reviews within a short period of one another.
Fake Google Local Guide review profile
The most common kind of inauthentic review is from a business owner, using a fake profile. After that, according to Boyd, it’s reviews generated by fake review vendors, typically operating offshore in China, India, Bangladesh or the Philippines.
Read more at SearchEngineLand