Online ratings and reviews have become one of the most popular ways of finding information about a business. Unfortunately, this system is prone to abuse. Someone with a personal grudge may leave a false or inaccurate review and a low rating. This can not only harm a business’s reputation, but it can affect its search rankings, making it harder for potential clients to find them online.

This demonstrates the importance of reputation management, which can help a business address negative ratings and reviews while also increasing its number of positive reviews and improving its average ratings. People should also understand that there may be consequences for leaving negative reviews that are meant to harm a business. This was illustrated in a recent legal case that took place in Illinois.

Attorney Wins Judgment Against Former Client

In 2016, a criminal defense attorney in DuPage County, Illinois began representing a client who was facing shoplifting charges. The case was resolved in 2017, and the client received a sentence of one year of supervision in return for pleading guilty. Two years later, when the client was eligible for expungement, he contacted the attorney and was informed that there would be an additional fee for assistance with the expungement process. The client objected to this, claiming that the attorney had said that expungement would be included as part of the services provided during the case.

In the online world, reputation is everything, and the reviews and ratings that a law firm has received are some of the key factors that can affect its reputation. Reviews can offer helpful information to prospective clients about whether an attorney can provide the services they need, and a high average rating can improve search engine optimization (SEO) by boosting a firm's position in search rankings.

However, just as positive reviews can provide benefits, negative reviews can harm a firm’s search rankings and overall reputation. Fortunately, it may be possible to have negative reviews removed, and other reputation management techniques can help a firm improve its average ratings and ensure that it maintains a positive reputation.

Flagging Reviews That Violate Google’s Guidelines

In some cases, a firm may be able to ask Google to take down reviews that are inappropriate. Typically, Google will remove a review that contains prohibited or restricted content or otherwise violates its guidelines for the types of information that users can share. Some types of reviews that Google may remove include:

Today, nearly every business has an online presence of some sort. This can range from a Google My Business listing that contains basic information about a company to a digital strategy that includes a website, social media, and pay-per-click advertising. Regardless of the extent of your firm’s digital footprint, you will want to make sure that you make a positive impression on those who find you online. This is why reputation management is crucial.

What Is Reputation Management?

Online searches are the primary way most people find information, whether they are looking for answers on a computer at home or at work or are searching for a local business on their smartphone. When a firm shows up in search results, their listing is often accompanied by reviews and star ratings that people have submitted. These ratings often play a key role in a potential customer’s decision to click through to a company’s website or contact them via phone or email.

In addition to influencing people’s decisions about who they choose to do business with, online reviews can also have a significant impact on SEO. A business with a large number of positive reviews is more likely to be displayed in search results, and negative reviews or low average ratings can result in SEO penalties that will reduce a company’s chances of being found in online searches.

If you own a business, you may have received a less-than-ideal review on your Google My Business page. There are many cases where Google will not remove a negative review, as it may not fall under any of the categories in their Prohibited and Restricted Content guidelines. However, OVC Lawyer Marketing has found there to be a number of instances where Google will be more likely to intervene and remove a review:

Spam and Fake Content

Reviews that refer to incorrect details about a business may be considered fake content. For example, a user may leave the same one-star review for multiple office locations of your law firm. Because it is unlikely that a client received the same experience at more than one of your offices, Google may remove the review from all but one of the locations.

In today’s highly competitive online landscape, businesses need to do everything they can to stand out. More people than ever are using Google and other search engines to find local businesses, and the information that is displayed in search results is a major factor that influences people’s decisions. Of the different types of information that can be displayed in search results, online reviews are often among the most important.

According to Google, 71% of consumers say they are more likely to do business with a company if it has positive reviews, and businesses which have positive reviews have 360% more clicks to their site from their business listings. As part of its efforts to help small businesses get the most out of Google, the company has created a new tool that businesses can use to generate free marketing materials.

Using the #SmallThanks Hub

With Google’s #SmallThanks Hub, any business which has a verified Google listing can create marketing materials which highlight their positive reviews and encourage people to review them on Google. The tool automatically generates images that include quotes from positive reviews or a message encouraging customers to show their support by leaving a review or sharing a photo.