Local SEO Reviews I 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A business owner wants to flag a fake Google review from a competitor. What is the correct first step?
- Reply publicly accusing the reviewer of being fake
- Click 'Report review' in Google Business Profile (Correct answer)
- Contact the reviewer directly via phone
- Delete the review from the GBP dashboard
Correct answer: Click 'Report review' in Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile has a built-in 'Report review' option that sends the review for evaluation by Google's team.
Question 2: Which type of review content most violates Google's review policies?
- A 3-star review with no written comment
- A review mentioning a competitor's business name
- A review written by a current employee about their employer (Correct answer)
- A review that mentions a specific staff member by name
Correct answer: A review written by a current employee about their employer
Google prohibits reviews from current or former employees about their own employer as they represent a conflict of interest.
Question 3: What does a high 'review velocity' signal to Google's local ranking algorithm?
- The business is paying for reviews
- The business has consistent and growing customer engagement (Correct answer)
- The reviews are likely fake and should be filtered
- The business category is highly competitive
Correct answer: The business has consistent and growing customer engagement
Consistent review velocity signals ongoing customer activity, which positively influences local search prominence.
Question 4: A dental practice received a 1-star review but the reviewer claims to have visited a different location. What is the best action?
- Report the review to Google as being for the wrong location (Correct answer)
- Reply asking them to change their rating
- Ignore the review since it doesn't apply
- Ask your staff to leave positive reviews to dilute it
Correct answer: Report the review to Google as being for the wrong location
Google allows businesses to report reviews flagged as being posted on the wrong location listing.
Question 5: Which star rating threshold does research consistently show drives the highest local consumer trust?
- Exactly 5.0 stars
- Between 4.2 and 4.5 stars (Correct answer)
- Between 3.5 and 4.0 stars
- Any rating above 3.0 stars
Correct answer: Between 4.2 and 4.5 stars
Studies show consumers trust ratings between 4.2–4.5 more than perfect 5.0 scores, which can appear fabricated.
Question 6: What is the recommended maximum response time for a negative Google review?
- 24–48 hours (Correct answer)
- 1 week
- 30 days
- Immediately, within 1 hour
Correct answer: 24–48 hours
Best practice is to respond to negative reviews within 24–48 hours to show responsiveness and care.
Question 7: A local restaurant receives reviews on Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. Which platform's reviews directly influence Google local pack rankings?
- Yelp reviews
- TripAdvisor reviews
- Google reviews (Correct answer)
- All three equally
Correct answer: Google reviews
Only Google reviews have a direct impact on Google local pack rankings; third-party reviews may influence E-E-A-T signals indirectly.
Local SEO Reviews I 2
A business owner wants to flag a fake Google review from a competitor.
What is the correct first step?