If it’s not on your radar for getting in front of your customers, it should be.

Now, TikTok is expanding its role in local search with the Local Explorer Program, a new initiative that rewards users for posting place-based reviews. It’s another step toward making TikTok a destination for real-time discovery, giving users more ways to surface local recommendations directly within the app.

For SEOs, understanding how this program works is key to staying ahead of how visibility is shifting across platforms.

What is the TikTok Local Explorer Program

The TikTok Local Explorer Program is for people who love sharing authentic reviews of places they’ve visited. It works similarly to Google’s Local Guide program.

Whether it’s your favorite neighborhood restaurant or a hidden gem you stumbled across while traveling, TikTok wants to hear about it. By regularly posting meaningful, location-based reviews, you can earn experience points (XP), level up through the program, and unlock special perks that give your content more visibility.

This is a community-driven feature designed to help users discover trusted local recommendations on the app. As you contribute more helpful content, TikTok rewards you with perks that help boost your presence on the platform.

Requirements

To participate in the Local Explorer Program, you must be 18 years old or older and not be using a merchant account. This feature is only available in certain regions as of right now (Oct 2025), without specification of those regions in the TikTok documentation.

To get started, you must submit location-based reviews that follow TikTok’s standards:

• You must include text in your review
• Your review should reflect your real, personal experience
• Photos aren’t required but can earn you extra experience points

There are levels within the Local Explorer Program once you start submitting reviews. You’ll start at Level 0 and work your way up by earning experience points (XP) from your approved reviews. There are six levels total:

• Level 0
• Level 1 (20 XP required)
• Level 2 (80 XP)
• Level 3 (200 XP)
• Level 4 (500 XP)
• Level 5 (1,000 XP)

The more XP you earn, the higher your level and the more benefits you unlock, such as badges, access to exclusive communities, and monthly Promote coupons (available in the U.S. starting at Level 5). Another thing to note is that TikTok approves reviews before XP is applied; they state that it usually happens within 24 hours. So, it could take a little bit for the XP to show up in your account.

More on XP

XP is how TikTok tracks your contributions in the program. You earn it by submitting location reviews, and the amount depends on the length and quality of your content.

The maximum XP you can earn per review is 25 XP, which is reached by submitting a review with at least 200 characters and including a photo.

If you submit more than one review for the same location in a single month, they’ll count the highest-earning one and give you the difference as long as it doesn’t exceed the 25 XP cap.

Once you begin earning XP, you can work your way towards Perks. These are automatically unlocked as soon as you reach a new level. At higher levels, you gain access to exclusive communities, receive profile badges, and at Level 5 earn a $2 monthly Promote coupon in the U.S.

This system is designed to reward users who consistently contribute thoughtful, helpful content. So the more value your reviews offer, the faster you level up.

Why TikTok is Even More Important for Local SEO

The Local Explorer Program is one of the strongest signals yet that TikTok is investing in being a destination for local discovery. By encouraging users to post authentic, review-style content tied to specific places, TikTok is shaping how people explore and evaluate businesses in their area. From searchable place tags to location reviews and city-based content feeds.

For SEOs, this is something to pay attention to. The content coming out of the Local Explorer Program provides valuable signals:

• What types of businesses are getting visibility
• Which creators are influencing local discovery
• What language users are using to describe places and experiences

It also creates an opportunity to work more closely with social media teams. By tracking local tags, mentions, and review activity on TikTok, you can bring that data into your broader visibility strategy.

How to Use TikTok to Your Advantage

The Local Explorer Program opens the door for SEOs to take a more proactive role in how local businesses show up on TikTok. While a social media team may be managing the content itself, the insights coming from TikTok reviews and creator activity are valuable for shaping local visibility strategies.

This is where SEO and social can work in sync. TikTok gives you real-time data on what people are engaging with, how places are being described, and which businesses are gaining traction in discovery.

• Monitor what users are saying about your business
• Use reviews from TikTok on the site
• Learn from TikTok reviews and use language from there to write more compelling headings and conversion-friendly content
• Look for content opportunities within the app through filters, others searched for, etc
• Reuse TikToks for your GBP or embed on relevant pages on the site

Explore It, Don’t Ignore It

TikTok gives us direct access to how people are discovering and talking about local businesses. You can use that to your advantage by pulling insights directly from the app to strengthen your SEO strategy.

Just like you would monitor reviews from a GBP or Yelp and use that as social proof on a website, you can do the same with TikTok reviews. Highlight them on the site! Get an overall feel of what users are saying in their reviews and use that to write more conversion-focused content to urge users to take the next step.

Aside from review monitoring, you can use TikTok search itself as a research tool. Let’s use Voodoo Donuts as an example.

You’ll notice the app displays suggested filters under the search bar. Here we see “ASMR” and “Austin” which hint at how people are engaging with the brand. These behavioral patterns can help you uncover content opportunities tied to user intent that you won’t find in traditional keyword tools. In this instance it highlights they’re looking for satisfying sound-driven videos or trying to find information about the closest location.

You can also see “Others searched for” when looking up a specific business as well. This is similar to People Also Ask and can be another way to find content opportunities within the app. So for Sofi Stadium, people are often searching for the purse policy. They want to know what it is and what the actual size of an allowed purse looks like. That’s an opportunity for Sofi to create social and website content for.

Use these search features to better understand what people want to know before visiting a location, then apply that insight to your content. Whether that’s building out an FAQ, adding information to a Google Business profile, or creating website content to address potential concerns, TikTok is giving you real-time demand data.

You can also start by embedding relevant TikToks on high-intent service or location pages or uploading to a Google Business Profile listing to boost engagement, time on page, and to build trust and create social proof with content that feels authentic and relatable.

Set Your Sights Ahead

As search behaviors continue to evolve, SEO strategies can’t rely on Google alone to stay competitive. The rise of AI-generated results has created a growing demand for content that feels personal and trustworthy. People want that human connection, and TikTok allows users to have it.

With its emphasis on real experiences and community-driven content, the Local Explorer Program is just one example of how the platform is moving further into local search. SEOs need to pay attention.

By collaborating with social teams, tracking local activity, and using TikTok data to inform your strategy, you’ll be better equipped to keep up with how people are actually discovering and choosing local businesses today.

The truth is, Google doesn’t just take your word for it when you fill out your Google Business Profile (GBP). Google loves to crowdsource information, and reviews are the best, most verifiable way for the search engine to do that. Your reviews are a direct, lagging indicator of how customers perceive your business, and they hold the key to ranking higher, converting better, and improving operations.

Julian Hooks, SEO Director at Asurion, who oversees more than 700 franchise and corporate locations, recently joined us for our Local SEO for Good event to share the strategic insights he uses every day.

We’ve taken his advice and compiled it into this helpful guide to mining your reviews for gold.

1. Identify Keyword-rich Themes (And Apply Them Everywhere)

In reviews, customers naturally describe your business in their own words, and these phrases are your high-converting keywords disguised as compliments.

The Golden Nuggets (Positive Reviews)

Your first step is to scan your positive reviews for recurring language, specifically, top adjectives, service descriptions, and value statements.

For example, a recurring phrase might be: “Same day phone repair,” “friendly and knowledgeable staff,” or “fixed my iPhone fast.”

Here’s how to apply these recurring phrases to your SEO strategy:

• On-page content: Incorporate these customer-validated phrases into your H1s, content, titles, and service blurbs. If customers rave about your “friendly service,” make sure that phrase is featured on your landing page.
• Conversion rate optimization (CRO): Use these phrases in your meta descriptions to help increase your click-through rate (CTR).
• The ranking factor debate: While some experts argue that keywords in reviews don’t matter for ranking, data from businesses with hundreds of locations suggests otherwise. Julian has seen that keywords in customer reviews do have a great impact on where you rank for specific terms. Google increasingly highlights verbatim review snippets in the local pack to justify relevance, often over service descriptions or website mentions.

“We’ve seen data across hundreds of locations showing that keywords in customer reviews do have a great impact on where you rank for specific terms. Google will often highlight those verbatim snippets to justify its relevance.” 

2. Embrace the Gift of Negative Feedback

No one likes getting a one-star review, but every negative review is an opportunity that should not go underutilized. Think of negative feedback not as criticism, but as a valuable gift for improvement.

Frequent complaints highlight operational and content opportunities. Your job is to identify and fix the issue, and then fix your reputation with the customer.

“We have to think of a negative review not as criticism, but as a valuable gift for improvement that should not go underutilized. It’s an opportunity to identify and fix both an operational problem and a content problem.”

How to turn negative feedback into improvement:

• Create FAQs: A lot of negative feedback comes down to simple miscommunication. If important details are “buried in the fine print,” and they keep showing up in reviews, you need to be more upfront. Use the complaint to create a clear, front-and-center FAQ section on your website or Google Business Profile.
• Rewrite service descriptions: If customers think they are getting one thing, but receive a different product or service, their expectations aren’t aligned. Rewrite your service descriptions and landing pages to clarify exactly what is (and isn’t) included.
• Run CRO tests: Use the pain points mentioned in negative reviews to inform your CRO testing and user experience updates on the site.

3. Scale Your Insights with AI

It is impossible to do this analysis manually for hundreds of locations, but even a local business with a few dozen reviews can effectively use AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini.

You don’t need a custom API; you can simply:

1. Use a tool like Pleper.com or BrightLocal’s Reputation Manager to scrape and download your reviews (and your competitors’).
2. Upload that Excel file into an AI tool.
3. Ask the AI to “look for themes,” “analyze sentiment,” and “tell me what we’re doing right and what we’re doing wrong”.

This will save manual hours and provide instant data on things like keyword frequency, sentiment, and even how often a specific employee’s name is mentioned (great for incentivizing staff!).

4. Don’t Stop at Google: Multi-platform Optimization

While Google is the “big dog” in search share, you can’t ignore other platforms like Yelp, Facebook, and Reddit.

As Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI search tools (like Perplexity and ChatGPT) become more prevalent, they are heavily citing reputation and citation data from multiple ecosystems. Your strategy must include:

• NAP consistency: Ensure your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) are consistent everywhere. This isn’t just a Google ranking factor; it prevents an AI from citing an old directory from ten years ago and sending a customer to the wrong place.
• Monitor all platforms: If you have no presence on Yelp or Facebook, you will come up short in these LLM-driven searches. You must monitor and optimize your presence on all relevant platforms.

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5. Master the Art of the Ask

The best way to get a keyword-rich review is to master the art of asking.

The Power of the Personal Ask

The in-person ask at the point of sale by far outperforms everything else.

“The best way to get a keyword-rich review is to master the art of the ask. The in-person ask at the point of sale will by far outperform every follow-up email, text message, or automated prompt you try.”

Customers are much more likely to leave a review if they believe they are leaving a review for the person who assisted them, not the corporation.

The Script

The employee should simply say, “I hope you had a great experience. It would be great for my career and my job here if you could leave me a review. Please just mention what I did for you or what I fixed for you.”

Why does this work? Because they are leaving John a review on his service, which makes the request feel personal and easy.

Phrasing Digital Requests for Keywords

If you are sending follow-up emails or text messages, it’s all about the questioning.

• Don’t ask, “What could we have done better?” (This tends to turn them toward something negative.)
• Instead, ask, “What did we fix for you today?” or “How did we help you today?”.

This phrasing inherently encourages the customer’s answer to include the product or service you want to rank for (e.g., “You guys fixed my cracked iPhone 3 on the same day. It was awesome.”).

A Firm Stance Against Review Gating

In the conversation, Julian was asked about using a “middle page” to filter positive reviews to Google and negative ones to an internal channel.

His advice? Do not review gate.

It is a violation of guidelines, and you must “take the give” and accept that you will sometimes get a negative review. The benefits of a natural, honest review profile far outweigh the risk of being seen as fake or violating policies.

I recently spoke at BrightonSEO San Diego, where I shared my experience from working at Google and my years helping clients improve their Google Business Profile’s performance. I explained why this shift matters and what local marketers should do about it. Here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways.

From Links to Answers

For over two decades, Google has been a gateway to the web. Searchers typed in a query and were served 10 blue links. But that model is quickly becoming outdated.

Enter AI Overviews (previously known as Search Generative Experience or SGE). These AI-generated summaries sit atop the search results, answering questions directly on the page without requiring users to click through. And it’s happening a lot more than you might think:

• 88% of informational queries now trigger an AI Overview (Source: SEMrush)
• 40%+ of local business queries are beginning to do the same (Source: LocalFalcon)
• And a staggering 69% of all searches end without a single click (Source: Similarweb)

This has massive implications. Google is no longer just curating information; it’s synthesizing it. And in doing so, it’s reshaping how consumers discover and engage with local businesses.

Your Website Isn’t Dead, But It’s Not Where the Action Starts

Let’s be clear. Your business’s website still matters. It’s a key source of structured content that Google uses to inform its large language models (LLMs) like Gemini. But when it comes to local queries, the most critical piece of your online presence is now your Google Business Profile (GBP).

Why? Because that’s what powers the Knowledge Panel, and the Knowledge Panel is fast becoming the place where decisions are made.

Whether in AI Mode or traditional search, users are increasingly interacting with the GBP interface, not your website. Clicking on the business name or image doesn’t take users to the site. It opens the GBP directly in the search results. Even photos and videos are rendered right there in the panel.

As the image above shows, clicking on the links in AI Mode will open the business knowledge panel instead of taking you to the business website.

This means your Google Business Profile isn’t just a listing anymore. It’s your new homepage.

What Local Marketers Should Do Right Now

So how do you adapt? Here are six actionable steps to future-proof your clients’ visibility in a world dominated by AI and zero-click experiences:

1. Optimize Descriptions and Services with Intent

Your Google Business Profile description and service list are no longer just for users. They’re data sources for Google’s AI.

Use clear, keyword-rich language that mirrors the way people ask questions. For example, if you’re a family law firm, don’t just say “We offer legal services.” Say, “We help with divorce filings, child custody, and adoption cases in [City Name].”

Inject your unique selling points and highlight anything that might resonate with search intent.

2. Choose the Most Specific Primary Category

This one’s easy to overlook, but it’s arguably the most impactful change you can make. Don’t settle for generic categories like “Lawyer” or “Store.” Go specific: “Personal Injury Attorney” or “Mexican Restaurant” gives Google a much clearer signal about what you do.

Once you’ve nailed the primary category, add relevant secondary categories. Avoid anything that doesn’t directly relate to your services. Irrelevant categories can dilute your authority and confuse the algorithm.

3. Reviews: Prioritize Frequency, not Just Volume

Yes, you need a lot of reviews. But you also need them to be frequent, relevant, and full of keywords.

Google’s AI models now extract intent and attributes from review content. So a review that says, “Best place for emergency dental work in Tampa!” is more valuable than one that says simply, “Great service.” Encourage customers to be specific and include photos whenever possible.

4. Complete Every Section of Your Profile

Google rewards data-rich profiles. Fill out every attribute, even if the answer is “No.” For instance, if a business isn’t woman-owned, still mark that attribute as “No” rather than leaving it blank. A complete profile sends trust signals and helps the AI understand your business more confidently.

Consistency matters too. Make sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) match exactly across your website, GBP, and directories.

5. Use Real Photos and Videos and Update Them Often

AI is now scanning visual content, not just metadata. That means every image or video you upload is another opportunity to confirm your relevance, authenticity, and location.

Showcase interior and exterior shots, team members in action, and real customers (with permission). Avoid stock photography or AI-generated images. They’re easily flagged and less trusted by the algorithm.

6. Post Regularly to Influence Conversions

Google Posts might not boost rankings, but they do improve conversions. Treat them like digital signage. Promote seasonal offers, share news, or highlight unique services.

Since users are now engaging more with your GBP than your website, this is your chance to shape their perception and nudge them toward action, whether that’s a call, a direction request, or a visit.

The Big Takeaway

Google is no longer just a search engine. It’s an answer engine. And the businesses that win in this environment are the ones who feed the machine with the best, most relevant, and most complete data.

In this new world, your Google Business Profile is the most important source of local business data for Google AI.

It’s a living, breathing representation of your business, and it might be the only thing a customer sees before they decide to call, visit, or move on.

So optimize it like your business depends on it.

Because increasingly, it does.

When a suspension occurs or a verification fails, it can feel like Google just pulled the rug out from under you. To help you stay one step ahead, our CEO, Myles Anderson, sat down with two of the industry’s sharpest minds, Joy Hawkins and Ben Fisher, at the 2025 Local SEO for Good event to get their most practical, no-nonsense Google Business Profile advice.

Here’s a breakdown of the top strategies and insider tips they shared.

Mastering Suspensions and Reinstatement

Suspensions remain one of the biggest frustrations for GBP managers, but if you prepare properly, you can be reinstated.

Be Proactive and Patient

Joy Hawkins’ advice was simple but critical:

“Have your required documents, like your business license, ready before a suspension hits.”

— Joy Hawkins, Owner/Founder, Sterling Sky

Don’t wait until panic mode sets in. Gather your documentation early, keep it updated, and store it safely.

Patience is also key. Reinstatements can take time, and Google’s new appeal process can be unforgiving. Once prompted, you may only have 60 minutes to upload all your files.

Your Suspension Reinstatement Checklist

When submitting an appeal, your goal is to provide a body of proof that your business exists and operates legitimately at its stated address.

Here’s what to include:

• Business license: The name and address must match your GBP listing exactly. There can be no variations or typos.
  
• Secretary of State entry: Provide either a link to your official record or a screenshot of it alongside the search URL.
  
• Utility bills: Only include if necessary, and make sure they match the business name.
  
• Alternative utility proof: If utilities are included in your rent, use a cell phone bill in your business name instead, but ensure it is in the exact GBP business name, not a personal name or parent company name.
  
• DBA/fictitious name: Have your DBA (Doing Business As) information handy and updated.
  
• Third-party proof: Gather supporting evidence from organizations like the Better Business Bureau or the Chamber of Commerce that can prove your business’s existence.

Verification Made Simple

Verification can be confusing, especially for service area businesses (SABs).

For Service Area Businesses (SABs)

Ben Fisher cleared up one major misconception:

“A service business doesn’t have to verify using the owner’s home address.”

—Ben Fisher, Co-Founder and Diamond Google Product Expert, Steady Demand

• Verify at a client location: You can drive to a location that matches your service area (e.g., a home you are selling if you are a realtor) and use that for verification.
• Signage is not required: If you are a service area business and your address is hidden, you do not need to show signage during video verification.

How do you handling failed video verification?

• Check the link: Google’s messaging can be poor. If you receive an email saying verification failed, click the link to view your profile; it may actually be verified.
• Request a live agent: If the automated verification fails, contact support and request a live agent to conduct the video verification. This allows you to interact and explain your situation (e.g., if you are in a new development without street signs).
• Bulk verification: If you manage ten or more storefront locations with the same business name, you should use the bulk verification process via Google’s Business Profile Help Center.

Ranking, Service Areas, and Physical Addresses

When it comes to local rankings, location still matters… a lot!

As Ben Fisher put it:

“The data is clear: having a physical address has a massive impact on your ranking radius.”

—Ben Fisher, Co-Founder and Diamond Google Product Expert, Steady Demand

Service area businesses (SABs) rank, on average, within a two-mile radius of their address. A storefront location, however, can rank anywhere from five to ten miles away.

Should SABs get a physical address?

If the potential lead generation outweighs the rent cost, SABs should invest in a staffed office. A published physical address provides a clear ranking benefit and can expand your reach fivefold.

Guidelines:

• The office must be staffed during business hours.
  
• Avoid coworking spaces as they frequently trigger filtering issues. As Joy warns, “Avoid them at all costs—they’re the landmines of local SEO.”
  
• Adding service areas to a storefront listing will not help you rank. You should never have overlapping service areas on multiple listings, as this is a cause for suspension.
  
• You cannot set your service area to be more than two hours of driving time from your verification address.
  

Resolving Missing Reviews

You’ve earned the review, but it’s not showing up. Frustrating, right? This often happens when Google’s filters remove reviews from brand-new accounts or shared Wi-Fi networks.

Here’s how to fix it:

1. Identify the cause: Reviews from new Google accounts are most likely to disappear.
   
2. Escalate to Support: Contact GBP support. Remember to reply to the first self-directed email you receive to open a path to a human agent.
   
3. Provide detailed proof: You need to help Google manually match the review to your profile. Ben explained why: “Google has to manually match up the review to your profile because reviews live in the Maps database, not the GBP database.” Provide a spreadsheet containing the reviewer’s name, the date, and the full review text.
   
4. Extract text easily: If a customer sends you a screenshot of the review, upload it to an OCR tool to quickly extract the text for your spreadsheet.
   

AI Content and NAP Consistency

Is NAP consistency still important?

Don’t sweat the small stuff. You no longer need to obsess over exact matches in punctuation or address formatting (like “Street” vs. “St”) across all directories. Google’s algorithm is smart enough to handle minor variations.

For managing citations at scale, tools like BrightLocal’s Citation Builder ensure your listings are correct where they count.

Can you use AI-generated content and images?

• AI-generated text: You can use Google’s feature to generate a description with AI inside the GBP control panel, as tests have shown there’s no negative impact on GBP ranking.
  
• AI-generated images: Proceed with caution. Google appears to be working to devalue them, and tests have shown that an initial ranking benefit was later reversed.
  
• Text on images: Adding keyword-rich text to an image and uploading it to your profile can provide a small, marginal ranking impact for long-tail queries.
  

Final Thoughts

Getting the most out of your Google Business Profile comes down to one thing: planning ahead.

Gather your documents early, keep your data clean, and build from a real, staffed address when you can. If AI tools save you time, great, but stay human at the core of your marketing.

You can see more of the videos from this year’s Local SEO for Good event on our YouTube channel.

Local SEO can mean a lot of things. For the sake of this article, it refers to organic visibility in Google Maps via the Local Pack. Or, more plainly, your Google Business Profile (GBP).

GBP is particularly relevant today because small businesses are losing organic clicks from top and mid-funnel queries to AI Overviews (AIO). For any business or marketer, fewer clicks means less data. For these small businesses, it can mean fewer leads, too.

In other words, showing up for bottom-of-funnel search queries is more important than ever. For local businesses, those queries are the ones driving prospective customers to the Local Pack.

How AIOs Impact SMBs: A Quick Look at 2025

For a lot of businesses, clicks go down as AIOs take over relevant search engine results pages (SERPs). This is true even if the business ranks well in the overviews, as the business referenced below does. While some AIO citations result in clicks, many do not.

Correlation is not causation, but this is not an isolated example. SMBs are seeing fewer clicks across the board, and it’s not difficult to guess why.

GBP is a Critical Source of Leads for SMBs

The bright side is this: GBP remains a critical source of leads for SMBs. In fact, I’ve seen about 10-15% more calls come through GBP compared to pre-AIO times.

Additionally, first-time calls to businesses with aggressive marketing packages saw their Google listings start to drive more leads than their organic website traffic (which was unusual for the businesses I work with, historically).

With the advent of AIOs, GBP has overtaken organic search for phone calls by a margin of about 12%.

Small Business Local SEO 101: Make Patterns, Not Big Changes

SMBs need an actionable and consistent approach to GBP. We’ll dive into tactics in a minute, but for now, I want to focus on the right approach: Don’t look for one “big” change to fix everything. Look for small improvements and iterate on them.

Google actually encourages this approach with on-site SEO in its SEO Starter guide. It says “…if you’re not satisfied with your results and your business strategies allow it, try iterating with the changes and see if they make a difference.”

This statement isn’t about GBP, but the same principle applies. Don’t chase the big fixes; instead, iterate on the small ones to create a positive pattern.

This includes things like:

• Posting regularly, in a natural cadence that reflects your business’s updates, events, specials, etc.
• Gathering reviews over time, naturally, and in a way that reflects customer experience
• Consistently reviewing changes to your GBP data and keeping it fresh, accurate, and updated
• Responding to reviews consistently, over time
• Responding to customer questions in the Q&A section as they are asked
• Keeping your website updated with relevant content and information

Let’s Talk Strategy: Tactics that Customers (and Google!) Love

So, what patterns should you create? And which tactics create them? The simple answer is this: Focus on the things you can control, or at least try to.

Below, I’ve listed what I consider the more important local SEO tactics for small businesses. Some of them may seem obvious; others not. But they’re all important, especially when taken as part of a larger strategy.

Keep Your Profile Updated & Accurate

This one’s pretty obvious: it’s important to keep your business information updated and accurate. Not because it’ll help you rank, but because it’s a good customer experience. (And because customers will get annoyed if your information is wrong.)

A 2023 study from BrightLocal found that 62% of consumers would not use a business if they found incorrect information about them online.

It’s also completely within your control and could impact whether or not a customer is able to find or call you. Thus, it’s worth noting.

Describe Your Business Accurately (Don’t worry about the SEO)

As a general rule of thumb, make sure your GBP accurately reflects your business as customers experience it in the real world. This means filling out every field in your profile and adding as much detail as GBP allows, including your business description.

Here are a few best practices for the description:

• DO fill out your business description with as much helpful information as possible, so customers can see what you’re about.
• DON’T use keywords in your description or try to cater to what you think Google wants.

Keep Your Photos Updated (and Helpful)

Include photos of your business storefront so customers know what it looks like from the street or parking lot. Add pictures of the inside, too, so they know what to expect when they get there.

Update images if something changes. This is especially relevant for businesses (such as restaurants) that change their menu frequently. Service-based businesses, such as law firms, may not need to update their photos as often unless something at the business location changes.

A few things to avoid:

• Stock photos
• Geo-tagging your images
• Low-quality images
• Outdated images

Show Customers What You Have to Offer

If it’s available for your business type, add products and services to your listing.

Products are detailed snapshots of what you offer; services are more like a menu of what you do.

I find the products feature particularly valuable because you can add a detailed description, image, and link to a related page on your website from the product listing. Even for service-based businesses (like law firms or dentists), “products” are a great way to give customers more information about how you can help them.

Prep for GBP Suspensions Before They Happen

Google Business Profile suspensions are a hassle. Prepare for them in advance. There are two types of suspensions: hard and soft suspensions. A soft suspension keeps you from editing your business information; a hard suspension completely removes it from SERPs.

If your listing gets suspended, you can appeal it and submit evidence for reinstatement.

Here’s a quick list of what you should have on file to make sure you can appeal your listing quickly in the unfortunate event of a suspension:

• Business registration
• Business license
• Tax certificates
• Utility bills (Internet, phone, water, etc.)

I also recommend keeping a picture of their storefront with signage on hand as well.

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews

Treat reviews like an ongoing part of your business operations and request them consistently.

The number of reviews and average star rating are important, but velocity (how often people review your business) is also important. If you can, I recommend using review management software, such as BrightLocal, GatherUp, or Podium, to request reviews.

A few best practices and notes regarding reviews:

• It’s okay if your star rating isn’t 5/5. People know you’re not perfect, and a 4.8/5 can look more authentic to customers anyway.
• Respond to reviews. Be kind and don’t get defensive. If you’re able, offer to fix the problem. If not, let the customer know you’ll do better next time.
• If a review is fake or harassment, do not respond to it; instead, report it to Google so it can be removed.
• Do not have your employees leave reviews! Only reviews from real customers count.

Perfect Your Intake (Make Every Lead Count)

It’s easy to treat your digital marketing as something separate from your business’s day-to-day operations. Once you get a lead or someone walks through the door, your Google Listing has done its job, right?

Kind of. The next step is just as important, though. When you get a lead (call, form, text), you need to make sure that prospective customers have the same helpful experience they got online. If you can, audit your intake (you’ll need call tracking for this!) and coach your team on how to work with prospective customers/clients when they reach out.

The goal is to turn leads into revenue, and that only happens when the lead converts.

Track everything really well (call Tracking, UTM codes, etc.)

Speaking of call tracking, if your business gets leads over the phone, use call tracking software on your website and your Google listing. Call data is part of your local SEO Strategy.

Set up call recording (if permitted by local laws) and pay attention to the origin of your calls.

Additionally, make sure to add UTM tracking codes to your Google listing and any links on it (appointment link, product link, website link, etc.). I won’t go into too much detail here, but this resource from Claire Carlile has everything you need to know (including a template!).

What about directory listings (other than GBP)?

“Local SEO” used to be synonymous with “directory listings,” and the general rule of thumb was this: The more, the merrier! Today, it’s more closely associated with Google Maps optimization, and it’s worth asking whether other directories are worth the time and money it takes to stay listed in them.

Not long ago, I revised my approach to these third-party listings and removed clients from many of them. Here’s what happened:

• Rankings did not go down (they went up, on average, for important terms)
• Leads did not go down (they went up, on average, for most clients)

This doesn’t mean directories don’t have their place, but syndicating your business information to 80+ listings that will never be indexed or seen by humans simply is not needed to achieve local SEO success.

When Third-party Directory Listings Really Matter

Local SEO is still SEO, so “it depends” applies even to third-party directory listings. There are a few technical instances in which directories are relevant, and not just for your ideal clients:

New Businesses

I’ve worked with some new businesses that struggle to get their Google listing verified because they are so new.

If your business falls into this category, consider getting it listed in more directories than I recommended above. Listings that come with a unique profile that Google can index are best. Syndicating your data to many publishers is one way you can show search engines that your business is, in fact, “legit” and has some semblance of an online footprint.

Website Indexation

The same goes for new websites (often associated with new businesses).

In recent years, I’ve seen new domains struggle to get indexed without the help of some third-party mentions. Directory listings are one way to encourage crawlers to engage with your site.

Of course, your website needs to include some kind of value and helpful content, too, but getting onto directory listings can help move the indexation process along.

Address Changes

Changing an address in GBP can be really easy, but it can also be tough if Google deems the change unreliable. Having additional listings (ones that are easier to update, ideally) with the new address in place can increase the likelihood of Google accepting the change quickly.

LLMs Use Listings for Business Information

Kate Herbert-Smith, Digital Learning Manager at BrightLocal

BrightLocal’s research from July 2025 found that AI has bought citations and listings back into a more prominent position. While their importance had been waning for a few years, LLMs now use them as a regular source of information for your brand.

A few of our findings:

• Yelp is used as a source in a third of all searches, and often multiple times in one search.
• LLMs use reviews from Yelp, Google Business Profile, and other sources to get additional rich information.
• LLMs also take information from social media channels.
• Businesses own websites are incredibly important sources for LLMs.
• Industry niche directories are a regular source of information.

Read the full study

Your On-site SEO Matters, Too!

Your website is part of your local SEO strategy, too. Not only because it can rank for local queries, but also because your website optimization can impact your performance in Google Maps.

It goes without saying that for your GBP to reap the benefits of an optimized and authoritative website, you need a live website to optimize. But research shows that only 40% of SMBs said they had a dedicated website for their business.

Here’s an example of how an active website can impact your local SEO:

I encountered a business not too long ago that wasn’t new, wasn’t indexed except for the home page. Additionally, Google refused to display their website on GBP (would deny the update every time). Initially, the clear problem was thin content. However, the site encountered the same issues after that was fixed.

After checking the site’s technical elements (robots.txt, internal links, etc.), I noticed unsavory backlinks in the client’s backlink profile and submitted a disavow file.

Within two weeks, the site was indexed, and the firm’s visibility in Google Maps increased by 44%. Calls followed a similar pattern:

In short, the relevance of your website impacts the relevance of your Google listing.

If you’re interested in how to structure your website for local success and how to optimize your service pages, check out my course on mastering service page optimization from BrightLocal Academy.

Conclusion

SEO is iterative, and local SEO is no exception. Don’t look for one big lever you can pull and walk away. GBP isn’t a slot machine. If you treat it like one, you’ll end up disappointed. Look for the little things you can do consistently (and well!) that pile up over time. That’s how you win.

This is a real issue that has grown significantly in recent months, so much so that Google has introduced new guidance and recommendations. While facing a sudden flood of negative reviews can feel stressful and even overwhelming, it’s important to know that you’re not alone and that there are clear, calm steps you can take to protect your Google Business Profile. Let’s look at what’s happening and how to handle it with confidence.

Understanding the Google review scam

This phenomenon, often called review bombing, is a coordinated effort in which a business receives a high volume of unearned, fraudulent 1-star ratings on Google Business Profile, often dropped all at once. Sometimes, the review includes a little text, but often, it’s just the star rating.

Source 

The unfortunate reality is that many of these campaigns are actually extortion attempts. The individuals responsible will post the negative reviews and then contact the business, claiming they can “fix” the problem and remove the reviews for a fee.

It’s crucial to understand that these attacks are not a reflection of your quality or service. They are a criminal scheme designed to panic you into paying.

If you are contacted by anyone claiming they can remove the bad reviews for money, the most important piece of advice is not to engage with them and not to pay them anything.

Paying the ransom simply encourages the criminals and makes your business a target for future attacks. Google’s platform is the only legitimate way to have fraudulent reviews removed.

New Policies & Shady Review Schemes: Is Google Helping or Hurting?

Learn more

How to confirm and identify Google review sabotage

Before raising the alarm, you need to confirm that you are dealing with a malicious attack and not an unfortunate wave of genuine complaints. Look out for these tell-tale signs of review sabotage:

• Sudden influx of negative reviews: Review ‘attacks’ often come in sharp waves. Keep an eye out for an immediate, unnatural spike in negative reviews on your Google Business Profile, particularly if they are all posted within a day or two.

If you are dealing with just one or two potentially fraudulent reviews that are not part of a coordinated attack, you should still report them.

You can find the steps for removing any fraudulent Google reviews here. 

• Phone numbers in reviews: Some fraudulent reviews may even include a phone number in the review text or even in the profile picture. This is a crucial red flag, as including contact information in a review is almost always against Google’s guidelines and is a clear indicator that the review should be removed. Under no circumstances should you call the number provided; this is just another tactic to draw you into contact with the scammer.
• Check reviewer history: Check how many reviews these Google accounts have made elsewhere. In most cases, fraudulent accounts will have none or only a few other reviews. Genuine, active reviewers typically have a broader history of activity.
• Look for red flags in the Profiles: Do the names and profile photos on Google look legitimate? Profiles with no profile picture and a generic alias as the name are often clear signs of a fake account. One person even saw someone use “John Doe” for one of the accounts. 
• Cross-check your system: Do your due diligence by checking your booking system, client records, or sales data to confirm whether these individuals had actually visited or purchased from you. This is the strongest way to verify which Google reviews are genuine and which are fraudulent.
• Trust your instincts: Do the reviews just feel wrong? If the content or tone of the reviews is inconsistent with your usual feedback, especially if you have a history of thousands of glowing reviews, it’s highly likely to be part of the attack. Some of the fake reviews have a very obvious pattern across each review. With a similar structure and generic complaints that could have been generated by AI.

Source

How to get these Google reviews removed

Dealing with a review bomb or extortion scam requires a calm, systematic approach. Focus on immediate flagging, thorough documentation, and a clear escalation path.

Step 1: Flag the reviews immediately

This is your first and most immediate action.

• Go to the negative review.
• Click the stop sign with an exclamation point next to it, and select ‘spam’.
• Ensure you are logged into Google as the manager/owner of the Google Business Profile (GBP).

Clay Seaman’s experience emphasizes the importance and speed of this initial step:

“I manage around 500 GBPs. Had this happen ONCE before about a year ago, and they mentioned in the review to pay them or more negative reviews were going to continue. I flagged those and they were removed very quickly.

On October 8, 2025 we had “10” 1 star reviews posted on one of our GBPs in a row with a lengthy specific message that looked legit but also you can see it was fake—all 10 had a similar message. Flagged all 10 on the 9th first thing. Google removed this morning first thing when I checked.”

Step 2: Document everything (build your case file)

You need evidence in case the initial flagging isn’t successful within a few days.

• Take Screenshots: Capture all suspicious Google reviews, noting the reviewer’s name, the time, and the date.
• Collect evidence: Save any emails or messages from people offering to remove the reviews for money. This evidence of a coordinated attack is vital. You can find advice from Google here on what evidence to prepare.

Step 3: Appeal/escalate to Google

If the reviews are not removed within 3 days after flagging, it’s time to escalate using Google’s dedicated tools.

• Submit a Report: Report the reviews immediately to Google using the dedicated reporting form. Provide all the requested information and attach the screenshots and files you collected in Step 2.

Step 4: Post a professional response

While you wait for Google to investigate, it’s a good idea to manage public perception.

• Post a Simple, Professional Response: Consider posting one general response to the cluster of fake reviews on your Google Business Profile. This lets your real customers know what’s happening.

Step 5: Dilute the impact and consider escalation

Here are proactive measures you can take while waiting for Google’s final decision.

• Encourage genuine reviews: To soften the blow to your overall average, gently encourage your recent, happy customers to leave an honest review on Google. A positive influx of real reviews helps dilute the impact of the fake ones.
• The Multi-layered strategy (if all else fails): If you are facing significant resistance or delays, you can consider a more aggressive approach, as advised by Local SEO specialist and spam fighter, Jason Brown:

“Flag the reviews using the tool. Go back and appeal the reviews and upload the image from the scammer. Then post for help on the forum. Finally, contact the local news stations. Once the press contacts Google, the reviews get removed prior to the story going live.”

Stay informed and prepared

The world of online reviews is always changing, and Google is constantly updating its policies to better combat these shady schemes. Understanding Google’s rules is your best defense.

For an in-depth look at the shifting landscape of review policies and the tactics being used, read this helpful BrightLocal article on shady review schemes.

By staying vigilant and handling these attacks calmly, you can successfully protect the great reputation you’ve worked hard to build on Google!

Love them or loathe them, online reviews are big business. Your star rating can play a huge part in whether someone chooses you or your biggest competitor.

But we all know reviews aren’t always fair, honest, or in some cases, even real. From glowing fake feedback to defamatory lies, the world of online reviews can get a little sticky, legally speaking. 

In this guide, we’ll break down the key legal rules and cases that every US business and review writer needs to know. 

Reviews and the law: TL;DR

The reality of reviews 

Good, bad, or fake, every online review is subject to the law.

For businesses, it’s not just about customers breaking the law; your own actions can also lead to legal headaches. Staying up-to-date on the law can help you avoid lengthy lawsuits and significant fines. 

Review site guidelines vs. the law 

Let’s start with guidelines. Yelp, Google, Facebook, and all other reputable review sites have extensive terms and conditions and review guidelines for users to follow.

These guidelines aren’t the same as the laws around US reviews. Doing something perfectly legal may get you a telling off, or even a ban from some review platforms if it’s against their own rules.

For example, there is no hard and fast rule around incentivizing for reviews, but platforms, including Yelp, are firmly against this. 

When you sign up for review platforms, you’ll often end up agreeing to their terms and conditions. This means that, in theory, if you break these, you could end up breaking contract law. Of course, what’s included in these terms can’t be illegal, but there’s more to think about than just US law. 

The big one: FTC Final Rule on Consumer Reviews and Testimonials

In October 2024, the Federal Trade Commission announced its long-awaited online reviews Final Rule, formally known as 16 CFR Part 465: Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials. 

While not the first legislation influencing online reviews, this Final Rule seeks to give clear national guidance on a previously grey area. It aims to stop the buying and selling of fake reviews, with big penalties against “knowing violators”.

This includes: 

Fake reviews and testimonials 

Reviews and testimonials are now banned if they are written by someone who;

1. Doesn’t have real experience of a business
2. Misrepresents their experience. 

This includes AI-generated fake reviews, or fake review attacks by real people aiming to damage or boost a business’s reputation unfairly. It also covers testimonials falsely attributed to celebrities.

It is now against the law to buy and sell fake reviews if the business “knew or should have known” that the reviews or testimonials are false.

Buying positive or negative reviews 

Businesses can no longer give money or other incentives if they are conditional on customers writing a positive (or negative) review. This is true whether the incentive is clear or just implied. 

This doesn’t mean that incentives are completely out of the question. Businesses are still legally allowed to reward customers for leaving a review as long as it’s unconditional on whether this review is positive or negative. However, make sure you check the individual review site’s guidelines before doing this, as platforms including Yelp are against this.

Insider reviews and testimonials 

Reviews written by someone with a vague link to the company are now prohibited. This includes reviews written by managers and officers, and any testimonial that the business should have known was written by a company insider. 

It also imposes rules on reviews solicited from immediate family members, employees, or employees’ families. Transparency is key here. If a family member or employee has a legitimate reason to leave a review, they must disclose their connection to avoid misleading consumers. 

Review suppression 

Businesses are not allowed to threaten or attempt to intimidate review writers to prevent or remove negative reviews. This includes both physical and legal threats. 

The Final Rule also bars businesses from misrepresenting the reviews shown on their website as if they represent all or most submissions, when in fact negative reviews have been hidden or suppressed. 

This doesn’t mean you need to showcase your worst review front and centre on your website. But if you claim you have a perfect five-star rating on Google and this isn’t actually true, you could be fined. 

Company-controlled review websites

The Final Rule makes it clear that businesses can’t pass off websites they own or control as independent sources of reviews or opinions if these include reviews about their own products and services. 

This applies to company-run microsites, blogs, or platforms that look like review hubs but are in fact controlled by the business being reviewed. Even if the reviews themselves are genuine, failing to disclose a link is considered deceptive and could land you a fine. 

Misuse of social media influence indicators

This is not related to online reviews, but the Final Rule also stops the buying and selling of fake indicators of social media influence (e.g., followers or views by bots or hijacked accounts). 

This is limited to cases where the buyer “knew or should have known” that these indicators were fake and misrepresented their influence. This practice can mislead consumers about a business’s popularity or credibility.

Fines and the Final Rule

Rulebreakers won’t face jail time, but instead face civil penalties (AKA fines) of up to $51,744 per violation, or per day for ongoing violations. That’s not exactly pocket change for most local businesses. 

Before the Rule, the FTC needed to jump through additional hoops to bring enforcement under Section 5 of the FTC act. Now, they can fine violators directly. 

It’s important to note that the Final Rule doesn’t replace earlier laws or cover all areas of online reviews law (which we’ll touch on below). Instead, it strengthens the toolkit for the regulators, businesses, and local marketers fighting against fake and unfair review practices. 

For those who want to dig deeper, the FTC has published the full 163-page ruling, which lays out the specifics of what is and isn’t allowed. 

Other US laws and online reviews 

While the FTC’s Final Rule on Consumer Reviews and Testimonials is a strong cover all for fake reviews and misrepresentation, it isn’t the first rule to touch the murky world of online reviews. 

Previous laws and cases already tackle some of the more pertinent issues surrounding reviews, while the Final Rule covers the gaps.

Other laws to be aware of include: 

• Defamation laws
• Anti-SLAPP rules
• The Consumer Review Fairness Act (CRFA) 2016
• Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act

We’ll cover each in brief below.

Defamation laws

When it comes to online reviews and the law, one of the biggest legal risks comes down to defamation. In the U.S., defamation is defined as “a statement that injures a third party’s reputation”. To prove defamation, it must be: 

1. A false statement pretending to be a fact
2. Published or communicated to a third person
3. Be malicious or negligent in its intent (i.e., they knew it was wrong or should have checked)
4. Caused harm to the reputation of the subject 

Opinions (“The food was bland”) are protected by the First Amendment, but false claims presented as fact (“The food was laced with arsenic”) can cross the line into defamation. 

Sharing a genuine bad experience is protected. But making up or exaggerating facts to damage a business’s reputation could land a reviewer in court. 

Anti-SLAPP rules 

SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation) have been used to intimidate or silence people through costly and baseless legal action. 

In the past, some businesses have attempted to sue customers that left negative (but perfectly truthful) reviews. Even when these cases had no real chance in court, the threat of legal proceedings can intimidate reviewers into taking down their reviews. This kind of intimidation not only harms the reviewer, but also stops other consumers getting a full picture of a business. 

The introduction of Anti-SLAPP laws aimed to stop people from using threats of lawsuits to those exercising their First Amendment rights. These laws remain in place and continue to protect free speech and public participation in honest opinions and criticisms.

Consumer Review Fairness Act

The Consumer Review Fairness Act (CRFA) 2016 is a federal law that protects consumers’ rights to share honest experiences online. It made it illegal for businesses to add clauses to contracts that prevent customers from posting honest reviews or penalize them for negative feedback. It also tackled the requirement for customers to give up intellectual property rights in reviews. 

This law meant that customers could speak freely about their experiences without being punished or fined by businesses. 

Like with the FTC Final Ruling, breaking the terms of the CRFA can lead to fines. 

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act

When it comes to online reviews, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is one of the most important laws businesses probably won’t have heard of. Essentially, it shields websites and review platforms from being held liable for content posted by users. 

This means if a customer leaves a negative review, a business cannot then sue Yelp or Google for hosting the review. If a business is unhappy with the legality of the review, it must either take the reviewer to court or attempt to get the review taken down if it’s against the site’s terms and guidelines. 

Review responses and the law 

It’s not just the practices surrounding reviews and what customers can write, but also how businesses choose to respond. Responding to reviews is a key part of managing your online reputation, but these responses are still bound by the law.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CRPA)

California’s CCPA and CRPA privacy laws protect consumers’ personal information and regulate how businesses can use it. When responding to reviews, avoid sharing any details that could identify a customer or reveal private information. 

Other states including Virginia, Connecticut, and Utah have their own privacy protections in place. Avoid the risk of a lawsuit no matter the location of your customers and never disclose personal information without consent. 

HIIPA

For healthcare businesses, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a critical consideration when responding to online reviews. 

HIPAA protects patients’ private health information, meaning you can’t share any details about a patient or their treatment in a review response, even if the patient has publicly shared their own details. Avoid mentioning appointments, treatments, diagnoses, or any other information that could identify the patient. Even thanking a patient by name can be risky. 

If a reviewer raises a serious concern, the safest approach is to address it in private by asking the reviewer to contact you directly. This way, there is no chance of breaking the rules. 

GLBA

Financial services businesses such as banks, credit unions, or lenders should be familiar with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) when responding to reviews. GLBA protects consumers’ private personal financial information, including balances, credit history, and other sensitive financial data. 

This means businesses can’t disclose any financial information in review responses, even if the original review raised specific concerns on these. Like with HIPAA compliance, the best way to tackle issues is to encourage the reviewer to get in touch privately. 

How to handle illegal reviews

Reviews sometimes cross the line into defamation, false accusations, or harassment. When this happens, it’s important for businesses to act carefully and legally. Follow our step-by-step plan to make sure things don’t get worse. 

1. Stay calm and assess the situation

Start by assessing whether the review is truly illegal or just hurtful. A review only crosses into lawbreaking if it includes defamation or involves threats or harassment. As you assess, keep in mind the Streisand Effect: could the effort to silence the review actually draw more attention to it? 

2. Document everything

Before taking action, make sure you have a full record of the review. Save screenshots, note the date and time, and capture any related correspondence with the reviewer. This evidence is essential if you escalate to the review platform or go down the legal route. 

3. Contact the review platform

Review platforms, including Yelp and Google, have procedures for reporting reviews that violate their terms of service and content guidelines.

Provide clear evidence that the review is false or illegal. Be prepared that platforms are often cautious and may only act when the violation is clear-cut.

4. Get legal advice

If you think the review may break the law, consult a lawyer who specializes in defamation to help you decide if your case has merit. Next steps may include a cease and desist letter or even pursuing a full lawsuit. 

Keep in mind that the bar is high: courts generally won’t punish opinions, so legal action tends to only be successful if you can prove the review is false. 

5. Get more reviews 

While you’re working your way through potentially lengthy legal and review platform processes, work on strengthening your overall reputation. Encourage recent customers to share their genuine experiences so that the illegal review has less visibility and effect on your overall star rating. 

Stay smart, stay legal

Online reviews are a powerful tool for businesses, but the legal landscape in the US around them is complex and constantly evolving. Between the FTC’s Final Rule on Consumer Reviews, defamation and anti-SLAPP protections, and state-specific privacy laws, it’s easy to get tangled in legal grey areas. 

The good news? Most honest reviews and responsible responses are perfectly fine. Don’t buy fake reviews or indulge in dodgy practices, and you’ll stay on the right side of the law. 

Please remember nothing here replaces professional legal advice. When in doubt, a qualified lawyer is the only person who can guide you safely through online reviews and the law. 

According to Yell Business, reviews can also help improve communication and customer service. They give your business credibility and act as social proof, even for very new businesses. Online reviews also provide other customers with valuable company information, with first-hand insights that business owners may not have thought to share.

Reviews are also becoming more prominent as a content format in their own right. Star ratings are increasingly visible in search results, with review add-ons for Google Ads and ratings in local search via Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business). Sometimes, snippets of actual reviews appear in results, making them a highly visible source of information and a frequent stop on the customer path to purchase.

In ranking terms, reviews are also important. The 2017 LocalSEO Guide ranking factors study pegged reviews as one of the most important local ranking factors. The number of good and bad reviews received was determined to play a part in local pack positioning, as was the speed and frequency of response.

Responding to reviews is a way of showing the world how much you care about the customer experience — as well as being a way to earn a few more local SEO brownie points. All reviews should be acknowledged promptly, but it’s particularly easy to succumb to temptation and respond to a negative review as soon as you see it. Before you give in to this impulse, it pays to be aware of the six core types of reviewer so you can formulate an appropriate, effective response to fit.

1. The First-time Reviewer

With only 63% of consumers having left a review for a local business, there are still plenty of shoppers out there who haven’t ever felt moved to review a business.

When you do encounter a first-time reviewer, keep in mind that if yours is the first review they’ve left, they clearly feel quite strongly about their experience (whether good or bad).

How to deal with the First-time Reviewer

You should take a first-time reviewer seriously and if good, appreciate that your service must have been outstanding to push them into leaving a review. Make sure to pass this feedback on to your team, and congratulate them on a job well done!

On the flip side, negative reviews must be delicately handled and considerable thought given to the response.  It’s unlikely that you will receive further interaction after the initial review, even when you do respond, but that shouldn’t impact how you proceed.

In the case of a negative review, ask yourself if there is any truth in the feedback and if changes need to be made internally to rectify the issue being flagged up. If valid, your response should outline the steps that will be taken to avoid this issue again in the future. And, if you disagree with the reviewer’s claims, politely and professionally provide your side of the story. This will help provide context to readers. 

2. The Serial Complainer

Serial complainers are the exact opposite of first-timers and will be prolific reviewers. They’ll have a long and storied history of leaving negative reviews and will likely review every business, product or service they use. They may well be incredibly picky and have unrealistically high standards or expectations of what they have actually paid for.

How to deal with the Serial Complainer

Tread carefully here, as the serial complainer has had lots of experience with other businesses just like yours. They are professionals at making you look bad. Your response will need to be very measured while also addressing the points made. Look at how other businesses have fared when dealing with them and avoid making the same mistakes.

Be aware that the serial complainer is very likely to continue the conversation and will respond back to your comments, often with additional complaints or disagreements. And if you can’t change their mind, don’t be too disheartened! 

3. The Direct Communicator

The direct communicator won’t mince words. They’ll get straight to the point and expect someone senior to take note. These are people who don’t direct their reviews to the world at large, but to you, the business owner.

If they’re negative, they’ll want to receive a very personal response and likely want to have the discussion on the public review site rather than over a private email conversation.

How to deal with the Direct Communicator

When dealing with a direct communicator, don’t be tempted to be similarly abrupt in your response.

Be clear but not overly wordy and don’t resort to a direct or confrontational style. Avoid making excuses too – the direct communicator values straight talk and expects swift action.

4. The Storyteller

The storyteller takes time to craft exceptionally detailed reviews.

They will share the smallest of details and paint a picture of their entire experience – typically including lots of information not directly related to the product or service being reviewed. You can recognize a storyteller by the length of the review. There’ll also be plenty of the reviewer’s own recommendations, suggestions, and advice.

How to deal with the Storyteller

If your storyteller is posting a negative account of their dealings with your business, take time to check and re-check your response before posting, as the storyteller will often be highly critical of replies which aren’t equally as thought out.

This doesn’t mean you should match the tone or length – don’t be tempted to add lots of background info if it doesn’t serve a purpose. Likewise, if they’re sarcastic and snide, don’t be tempted to match this tone, as it’ll likely backfire, and potentially damage onlookers’ opinions of your business.

5. The Sharpshooter

The sharpshooter pulls no punches. The review will be brief and to the point,  and perhaps poorly written or rushed. Don’t respond in kind to a sharpshooter or go too far the other way with a long-winded response.

How to deal with the Sharpshooter

When dealing with a review from a sharpshooter, be conscious that your reply should be concise but not short. Use succinct, clear sentences rather than wordy, elaborate ones to better reflect this type of reviewer’s communication style.

6. The Faker

Most businesses will have fallen victim to a fake review at least once. If you’re in that boat, you’ll agree that the faker is the worst kind of reviewer.

A faker has never used your business or purchased your product. Despite this, they have a grudge and delight in leaving one-star reviews with made-up complaints to damage your online reputation. They may be working on behalf of a competitor (or even be a competitor!) Do some research on them and see if they have links someone who would have beef with you. The review itself may also shed some light on this.

How to deal with the Faker

If you suspect a review is fake, check your customer records to determine if they have ever used your business.

Don’t be tempted to reply straight away if you think it’s fake. Instead, take a look at BrightLocal contributor Ben Fisher’s guide to getting fake reviews removed. In the meantime, focus on acquiring new positive, genuine reviews to push the fake one star down.

We’d love to hear your thoughts

What kinds of reviewers have you encountered and what tips do you have for responding? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.

With two days of incredible talks and presentations about what you need to know for local marketing success right now.

Whether you tuned in live or are just catching up now, we’ve rounded up the key moments and insights from the event so you can dive straight into the good stuff.

Building a Brand That Locals Love, and How That Just Might Help You Battle Against the Big Behemoths

Wil’s keynote talk inspired us to consider the real need for authentic marketing in an age of AI. He talked us through various examples of brands that do this well, and gave practical tips on how to appear in AI search results.

Wil Reynolds

Founder and CEO at Seer Interactive

“There’s a lot of different ways to win in this new future. The question is, are we going to go back to what SEO was founded on, which was low quality, sometimes spammy stuff? Or are we going to go try to win for humans? And really, I want you to think you’re not going to win by outsourcing your authenticity. So lean into that. As a local business, I think now’s the best time to be rewarded for that.”

From Google Maps to TikTok: Adapting Local Content for Every Platform

Melissa walks us through creating bespoke content for a mix of social media channels, including Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. She explains how to repurpose content and ensure everything is localized and authentically valuable for potential customers.

Melissa Popp

Content Strategy Director at RicketyRoo

“Show the things that go wrong. People love human stories. Don’t shy away from failures. They’re actually a goldmine for content. And make sure that you’re tagging every post with a location and any businesses you’re asked… You want to invite people to that conversation, whether it’s a good review or a bad review. Talk to those people about it and share with your community about that.”

Rad Ranking Roadmap for Reddit

Andrew showed us how authentic engagement on Reddit can boost both Google rankings and AI visibility.

Andrew Shotland

CEO at Local SEO Guide

“I don’t care about your website. Maybe when I go to find your phone number, fill out a form. I do, but I don’t care about your 500 blog posts you wrote about how to fix your toilet. I care about people telling me how to do things and giving me advice. And so if you can get on Facebook or Reddit or whatever and be there with the content you put on your website, I think you have a lot better chance of ranking better and a lot better chance of actually converting customers from those sites.”

The New Customer Journey: How Local Searchers Find and Choose Lawyers

Near Media’s session uncovered how consumers really search for personal injury lawyers. Reviews, response times, and knowing where people start their search can make all the difference in capturing high-intent leads.

David Mihm

Local Search Consultant at Near Media

“Law firms need an outrageous number of reviews and near-perfect ratings in order to get those initial clicks and additional considerations. And if you do happen to get a phone call from somebody who has done a search and has chosen you for their first call, you’d better respond within a couple of hours because you might lose the case if you’re more delayed than that.”

Greg Sterling

Co-Founder at Near Media

“We found a number of demographic differences… younger people are more inclined to start their lawyer search on Google. And older people are more inclined to tap into word-of-mouth referrals. That doesn’t mean that older people aren’t using Google, or that younger people aren’t using word of mouth. It just means this is sort of their go-to entry point for this kind of inquiry.”

Mike Blumenthal

Co-Founder at Near Media

“I would add that in terms of Google AIOs… it’s a function of query length, and low funnel queries are typically shorter. Google delivers the local pack where longer queries… are not as local in nature. So Google sort of makes this transition, apparently based on query length, whether they show AIOs or whether they show the local.”

Technical SEO for Local Websites and Why It Matters

Iva reminded us that technical SEO isn’t separate from local; it’s the foundation. A site that’s fast, structured, and easy for search engines to understand helps every part of your local strategy shine.

Iva Jovanovic

Freelance SEO Specialist at Self-Employed

“There’s this division in SEO of doing on-page, off-page, technical, and local. They all benefit one another, and local SEO definitely benefits from technical SEO. Technical SEO is the thing that allows the content from your website to perform to its full potential. It is what helps search engines find and get what your website is about and ultimately index your website and its content.”

GBP Problems and How to Solve Them + AMA

Joy and Ben shared practical tips for navigating Google Business Profile hurdles, from verification tricks to maximizing your ranking radius.

Joy Hawkins

Owner at Sterling Sky

“If you’re a service business, you actually don’t have to verify your business at your home address. A lot of people think you do. You can actually drive out, like if you’re a realtor, you can drive out to a home that you are selling in the neighborhood that matches your service area. And as long as you can, like start your car, open the door to the house, and then like, show your sign on the front line, you’re good to verify there.”

Ben Fisher

Founder at Steady Demand

“From the work that we’ve seen and done, we see that a service for your business on average… will rank, you know, up to about two miles a day, right? Whereas, you know, a storefront can now rank anywhere from 5 to 10 miles… So it’s a clear win if you can get a physical address, of course, you have to abide by the guidelines.”

Marketing Advice from the Best Marketer You’ve Never Heard Of

Andi’s keynote talk showed how sharp strategy and tight targeting can transform results.

Andi Jarvis

Founder and Strategy Director at Eximo Marketing

“Most marketers are terrible at this, but great positioning is like having one tennis ball and throwing it at someone. You throw a tennis ball at someone, and they’ll catch it. You throw ten tennis balls at someone, they’re not going to catch any of them… You’ve got to focus, you’ve got to remove to improve.”

A Conversation with Google

Omar reinforced that the fundamentals still matter: clear SEO, a complete GBP, and content that brings real value to customers.

Omar Riaz

Strategic Partnerships at Google

“The fundamentals of SEO are even more important now than before. Even the way people are searching is evolving, the core goal remains the same, and the goal is to help people find outstanding original content that adds unique value… Now, in the new world, where the more informed users are coming to the website, it’s really important to look beyond the click-through rates, to measure what really matters, like engagement, conversations, and building a loyal audience.”

Choose Wisely: GBP Category Strategies for Maximizing Google Maps Visibility

Elizabeth showed why GBP categories are a big deal. Use every available slot thoughtfully to give your business a stronger shot at visibility.

Elizabeth Rule

Local SEO Strategist and Account Manager at Sterling Sky

“Once we choose the best primary category, you then want to spell out all the possible secondary categories that are available… since we have nine available sections in the additional category section on GBP, you’re going to want to fill up all nine if at all possible with relevant categories. Because, remember, secondary categories were number seven on the list of local search ranking factors out of over 100 factors. So they’re still very important for local rankings.”

Mining Gold from Customer Feedback

Julian explained how to turn customer feedback into insights. He explained how to spot keyword-rich themes in reviews, use them in on-page content, and learn from negative feedback to improve operations.

Julian Hooks

Senior Manager of SEO at Asurion

“There’s a ton of value in criticism, and no one likes getting one-star reviews, but a lot of times they are very much justified… Frequent complaints highlight operational and content opportunities. You can use these to fix the issue if it’s something happening in real time in the store… Rewriting service descriptions to clarify expectations… using this for CRO tests and user experience updates to the site. If people are frustrated about something, try to fix it.”

Keeping Humans in Marketing

Leighanne encouraged using AI as a tool, not a replacement. She emphasized that true connection and trust come from human insight.

Leighanne Jones (Rayome)

SEO Manager at Beyond Blue Media

“AI can provide the foundation or the bones [of] strategy, but I don’t think it should be used as a full implementation of everything that you’re doing… writing content faster with AI doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to get you results faster. Nothing is a guarantee. So Google still follows its own ranking processes. And answer engines generally mirror Google, and we’re seeing more of that as well. So speed doesn’t guarantee visibility or success”

Local SEO: How To Make More Customers Click, Choose, and Walk Through Your Doors

Krystal and Paul wrapped up the event with data-driven insights from Uberall’s Consumer Survey Report on how consumers find and choose local businesses online.

Paul Modaley

Senior Marketing Programs Manager at Uberall

“So we ask consumers to select their three preferred ways to search local businesses…Google search in our consumer survey came out number one, followed by Google Maps and social media. AI tools back in May… things like ChatGPT… came in fourth most used at 19% and then Apple Maps just behind that.”

Krystal Taing

VP Solutions at Uberall

“One of the most interesting things that we’ve got is so much feedback about pricing, either not having pricing online that someone can access or having conflicting pricing… So if you’re a business and you have a menu, whether it’s food or services, even having a starting at price range is really important to capture those customers that are deciding between you and another business.

Conclusion

From AI to authenticity, from technical SEO to the power of reviews, Local SEO for Good 2025 delivered a wealth of insights to help local marketers stay ahead. Whether you’re refining your content strategy, tightening technical foundations, or engaging your community, these lessons set the stage for a stronger, more visible local presence in 2025 and beyond.

Catch up on all the talks from day 1 and day 2 now on our YouTube channel.

Luckily, it’s not quite as resource-draining as link building. In fact, building and managing local citations is easy to get to grips with. Though it’s not complex, the actual time taken to build citations can be a barrier, which is where listing management tools can come in handy. More on that later.

A citation is a mention of your business information shared online. Citation building is simply the process of creating more of these citations across the web.

The best kinds of mentions include your business name, address, and phone number (NAP), along with any supplementary information that may be relevant. This could be your opening hours, web address, or email, depending on where the mention is going to exist online.

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You could have built local citations without even realizing it, such as through:

• Social media profiles 
• Directory listings
• Event listings
• Review profiles 
• Articles 
• Aggregators or booking websites

Each accurate, high-quality citation is a valuable piece of your local SEO strategy.

Because of this, many purposefully set out to grow their current profile by searching for local directories, niche industry sites, social media platforms, and so on, to share their business details. This process, though time-consuming, is well worth it, which is why many businesses choose to utilize citation-building tools in order to create a robust portfolio across the web (without spending hours creating it).

How many should you aim to build?

As with links, there’s no magic number that you should target. It’s more often helpful to focus instead on consistently building as many good quality, accurate citations as possible.

The bigger your pool of high-quality, accurate, and consistent mentions, the better for your search visibility and consumer discovery.

That being said, the more citations you have, the harder they are to keep track of—dozens of citations do nothing if they all contain outdated, mismatched information. Citation tracking methods and tools come in handy for this exact reason.

Another helpful tip is to benchmark your count against your competitors. We know citations are a top local search ranking factor, so you should aim for as many local citations—if not more—as your biggest competitor. 

Overall, building and managing high-quality, accurate citations is a key building block of your local SEO strategy. Luckily, you can find a host of tools to help maximize the benefit of the process.