What we will never do: write fake reviews, buy reviews, post reviews from staff or family without disclosure, or filter customers so only happy ones get asked. Beyond being wrong, these practices can get a listing penalized and can break federal rules.
The rules every review strategy has to follow
Reputation work has clear boundaries now, and any vendor who skips them is putting your business at risk.
The FTC rule on consumer reviews
The Federal Trade Commission's Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (16 CFR Part 465) took effect on October 21, 2024. Among other things it prohibits fake reviews, including ones attributed to people who don't exist or never used the business, and it bars buying or selling them. It also prohibits offering incentives conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment, requires insiders such as employees to disclose their connection, and forbids suppressing reviews through groundless legal threats or intimidation. The rule allows the FTC to seek civil penalties for knowing violations.
Google's review policy
Google's Maps content policy separately says businesses should not discourage negative reviews or selectively ask only for positive ones, should not offer incentives for posting reviews, and should not pressure customers to leave reviews on the premises. It also prohibits giving staff review quotas or asking for reviews that mention a specific employee. Because reviews feed directly into your map listing, this ties into how we optimize your Google Business Profile.
Asking for reviews the right way
The single most useful habit is asking every customer, every time, in the same neutral way. Not just the ones who seemed pleased.
- Send the request soon after the job is finished, while it is fresh.
- Use a direct link to your review page so it takes a few taps, not a search.
- Keep the wording neutral: ask for honest feedback, not "five stars".
- Build it into your routine, such as the invoice email or a follow-up text to customers who have agreed to hear from you.
Why gating backfires
Review gating means screening customers first and sending only the satisfied ones to Google. It violates Google's policy, and the FTC has said selectively soliciting only positive reviews can be deceptive. It also hides the complaints you most need to hear.
Responding to what customers write
Positive reviews
Thank the person by name, mention the actual work, and keep it short. Replies are public, so they also show future customers how you treat people.
Negative reviews
Reply calmly, acknowledge the problem without arguing details in public, and offer a way to talk it through offline. Never share private job or payment information.
Suspected fake reviews
If the reviewer was never a customer, flag it through the platform's reporting tools and reply briefly that you have no record of the job. Do not threaten the reviewer.
When a bad result ranks for your business name
Sometimes the issue is not a single review but what shows up when someone searches your name: an old complaint thread, an outdated directory listing with a wrong phone number, or a news story from years ago.
Crowd it out with accurate pages you control
You cannot delete other people's pages, but you can make sure your own are the most relevant results. That means a strong website, complete profiles, and pages that answer the questions people are asking. Our on-page SEO and content service handles the writing side, and local SEO and citation cleanup fixes inconsistent listings.
Correct what is wrong
Wrong addresses, old phone numbers, and duplicate listings can often be corrected or merged through the platform. We work through them one at a time and confirm each fix.
How local markets change the approach
Reputation plays out differently across the valley. Home-service businesses near our Henderson SEO office in Green Valley often win work through neighbors comparing notes, so a handful of detailed, recent reviews can matter as much as volume. Companies targeting Henderson business districts face similar expectations. In Las Vegas, restaurants and entertainment businesses hear from visitors who may never return, which makes consistent replies more important. Trades and suppliers serving the industrial parks off I-15 in North Las Vegas get fewer reviews, so each one weighs more.
Whatever the market, we report on the same thing we report on across all of our SEO services: whether calls and form inquiries are moving, not just the star count.
Questions we hear from business owners
Can you get a negative review removed?
Only if it breaks the platform's own rules, for example if it is spam, off-topic, or written by someone who was never a customer. In those cases we help you report it through the proper channel. A genuine but unfavorable review usually stays, and a calm public reply is the better tool.
Can I offer a discount to customers who leave a review?
Google's policy prohibits incentives in exchange for reviews on its platform, so we don't recommend it there. The FTC rule also bars incentives tied to a positive review. The safe approach is to ask every customer and offer nothing in return.
How fast will my rating improve?
It depends on how many customers you serve and how consistently you ask. Steady, genuine reviews tend to build over months rather than weeks. We won't promise a specific rating, because we don't control what customers write.
Do you write review responses for us?
We can draft them in your voice for you to approve, or set you up with guidelines and templates you adapt yourself. Either way, responses should sound like the owner, reference the actual job, and never reveal private customer details.
Is this legal advice?
No. We work within the FTC rule and platform policies as they are published, but for defamation, legal threats, or disputes with a reviewer, talk to a Nevada attorney. We can help you document what happened for them.