Google says a mix of reviews is more trustworthy

Posted by Edith MacLeod on 1 Dec, 2021
View comments Content
Google’s help document updated to say all reviews are valued.

Reviews.

Google has added a section to its Business Profile help page saying that all reviews, positive and negative, are valued.  It says reviews are useful for potential customers and a variety builds trust.

“Value all reviews: Reviews are useful for potential customers when they’re honest and objective. Customers find a mix of positive and negative reviews more trustworthy. You can always respond to a review to show the customers that you care and provide additional context. If the review doesn't follow our posting guidelines, you can request to remove it.

We know Google takes reviews into account and a negative one can cause anxiety about the possible effect on rankings. This addition should alleviate some of the concern.

Things can go wrong for any business and the mark of a good organisation is how it handles complaints. A prompt response and solution where possible goes a long way to build trust and confidence with those potential customers considering your business. (See our blog post on How to handle negative complaints).

This is something most businesses know anyway, but it’s helpful to see Google acknowledging this in its documentation.

Recent articles

Google launches new personalisation options in Search
Posted by Edith MacLeod on 27 November 2023
Google adds small business filter to Search and Maps
Posted by Edith MacLeod on 21 November 2023
Google releases Nov 2023 reviews update
Posted by Edith MacLeod on 9 November 2023
Interactive content: engaging your audience in the digital age
Posted by Brian Shelton on 8 November 2023
Google releases November 2023 core update
Posted by Edith MacLeod on 3 November 2023