For years, many businesses have treated Google reviews as a simple local marketing task. The goal was always the same: ask for more reviews, make the process easy, and build trust. When combined with professional web design and a solid SEO strategy, this approach helped win more clicks and generate more calls.
That still matters.
But the bigger issue I am seeing now is this: Google reviews are no longer just about visibility. They are also about compliance.
If the way you ask for reviews looks manipulated, filtered, incentivised, or unnatural, you are no longer dealing with a harmless marketing habit. You are dealing with something Google classes under fake engagement, with possible restrictions on your Business Profile if it sees policy breaches. Google says fake engagement includes paid or incentivised reviews, reviews that are not based on a real experience, and content posted from multiple accounts by or at the request of one person.
That shift matters for small local businesses, medium sized businesses, and multi-location businesses alike. I have seen this first hand: the more locations you manage, the easier it is for poor review habits to become a systemic problem rather than a one-off mistake.
Why this matters more now (and what I’m seeing)
Google has had review rules for some time, but the wider enforcement climate has become much tougher. Google’s own Business Profile restriction page now explicitly warns that businesses violating its fake engagement policy face public warning banners on their profiles.
In the UK, this sits alongside a tougher stance from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In January 2025, Google gave undertakings to the CMA to strengthen how it tackles fake reviews, and in March 2026, the CMA announced investigations into major businesses in the food delivery, car sales, and funeral sectors as part of a wider push on fake and misleading reviews.
So this is not just about whether one bad review tactic might stop working.
It is about the fact that Google and UK regulators are both putting more weight on authenticity, review integrity, and consumer trust. AI search is also pulling public business signals through faster than ever, which means anything messy, manipulated, or questionable can create a bigger problem more quickly.
What businesses have been doing (often for innocent reasons)
In my experience, a lot of businesses have not tried to mislead anyone.
They have just tried to make reviews easier.
Home improvement companies have historically offered money off future work as a thank you. Hotels have often used a tablet at reception. Some businesses have asked customers to describe the work done and include service related keywords. Others have gently steered happy customers towards leaving feedback because it felt like the simplest way to build trust.
Most of that came from good intentions.
The problem is that Google does not judge review processes on good intentions. It judges them on whether the review looks genuine and whether the request process fits policy. Google says reviews must reflect a genuine experience and that businesses must not offer incentives, selectively ask for positive reviews, or pressure users to leave ratings on the premises.
That changes the conversation. Something that once felt practical now needs to be reviewed through a compliance lens.
The review tactics that now create risk
One of the clearest examples is offering something in return for a review. That might be a voucher, a discount, a free add-on, or any other thank you that has value. Google’s policy says reviews or ratings that have been paid for, directly or in kind, are not allowed.
Another issue is asking for reviews on-site using a tablet or shared device. Google says merchants should not discourage negative reviews or selectively solicit positive reviews, and should not pressure users while on the premises. If multiple reviews are being left from one device or one internet connection, that starts to look unnatural to Google’s spam filters.
Then there is keyword prompting. This is the one that will catch a lot of agencies and business owners out. For a long time, people thought they were helping by asking customers to mention the service or staff member. But Google says businesses should not request that reviews include specific content.
There is also the issue of only asking happy customers. Many businesses do this naturally. They do not want to invite criticism, and they assume it makes sense to ask people who were pleased. But Google says businesses must not selectively ask for positive reviews.
This is where a lot of innocent habits suddenly start to look risky.
Why Google is right to tighten this up
Google is right to crack down on fake reviews. If reviews are going to influence who gets found, who gets trusted, and who gets chosen, they need to reflect real experiences.
The part many businesses may not have thought about is that stricter review rules can also make customers feel freer to be honest. If they are no longer being asked to leave a review while standing at the front desk, or while speaking to the person who just served them, the review is more likely to reflect what they really think.
That does make life harder for some sectors. Garages, hotels, clinics, and home improvement firms often used on-site convenience to get reviews. Going forward, they will need to do more follow-up after the visit. That means the process has to be more deliberate. It has to be built into the customer journey properly, rather than squeezed into the moment.
For some businesses, that will mean fewer reviews at first. But the reviews they do get should be cleaner, more credible, and more useful for AI visibility.
What this means for local SEO
Reviews still help businesses. That has not changed.
In real-world local SEO work, reviews are one of the biggest trust builders, especially for businesses that are new or have not built much visibility yet. Strong review profiles help increase trustworthiness, improve click-through behaviour, and support lead generation from local search.
That is still true.
What is changing is the method. You can no longer think only about volume. You have to think about how those reviews are collected, how natural the pattern looks, and whether the process would stand up if someone audited it.
That matters even more for businesses managing several branches or locations. One bad review collection habit rolled out across multiple locations can create repeated risk. If you manage over 50 Google Business Profiles, as we do, you start to see this clearly. Review growth is helpful, but policy risk spreads fast when the wrong process is copied across a group.
What businesses should do now
The first step is simple. Audit how you currently ask for reviews.
Look at your follow-up emails and SMS messages. Look at what staff say in person. Look at whether you are using a shared device in reception or if any offer is tied to a review. If any part of the process nudges the customer towards a specific phrase or a review written on the spot, it needs revisiting.
The better approach is a neutral follow-up process:
- Ask all customers fairly.
- Ask for an honest review, not a positive one.
- Do not offer anything in return.
- Do not ask them to mention staff or use specific keywords.
- Do not push for the review while they are still on-site.
The big question now
What we do not yet fully know is how far Google will go with older reviews. Will it retrospectively remove reviews that appear to have come from weak collection methods? Or will it focus more heavily on new reviews and patterns of behaviour?
That is what we will be watching closely over the coming months. Google has said businesses that violate fake engagement policies may face restrictions, including a warning label on the profile that stays for weeks.
The smart move is not to wait and see. The smart move is to clean up the process before it becomes a problem.
Google Review Compliance FAQs
Can I still use QR codes in my shop or office?
Yes, but they should be used to invite honest feedback. Do not pressure the customer to scan them while you are watching and ensure they are not linked to any reward or incentive.
What happens if Google flags my profile for fake engagement?
Google may remove the offending reviews, place a public “warning” banner on your profile to alert customers of suspicious activity, or suspend your ability to receive new reviews for a set period.
Is it okay to ask a customer to mention a staff member by name?
Under the 2026 guidelines, you should avoid “scripting” reviews. While a customer can choose to mention a name, you should not explicitly ask them to do so in your request templates.
How does AI search affect my reviews?
AI search engines like Gemini and Perplexity summarise your reputation based on review sentiment. If your reviews are flagged as “templated” or “unnatural,” they may be excluded from AI-generated recommendations entirely.
Google reviews now need the same care as any other compliance task
The days of treating reviews as a quick win are fading. Google reviews still support local visibility, trust, and conversions. But they now sit much closer to compliance, reputation management, and platform risk than many businesses realise.
Audit how you currently request them. Stop using tablets or incentives. Update your follow-up process. Review your Google Business Profile properly.
And if you want support with getting found in local searches, or you want an expert to check whether your review process could cause problems, get in touch with Landmark.
Contact us today to audit your local SEO strategy and secure your Business Profile.
