Nightmare “competitors from hell”, while most businesses won’t have problem with this, some unfortunately have competitors who practice unethical and illegal tactics to undermine others and steal customers. This sometimes includes posting fake reviews to harm your reputation and lower your ratings.
With over 90% of consumers checking online reviews before making a decision, these “evil” competitors exploit the fact that negative feedback can drive potential customers away. Some are trying to redirect customers to their own business, while others may act for personal grudges or jealousy.
These fake reviews are often very extreme, with goal to scare customers away from your business. They might accuse you of pest control issues, make false claims about food poisoning, lie about the quality of your products, or simply badmouth your service with attempt to destroy your reputation and lower star rankings. Sometimes it’s as simple as trying to get more star ratings and clicks, sort of “black hat SEO” strategy.
First Steps to Take When You Suspect a Competitor Has Posted a Fake Review
If you believe that negative review was posted by a competitor, there are several steps you should take before reporting and attempting to have it removed:
- Document the evidence, take a screenshot of the review and collect any relevant information. Investigate the avatar (image search) and username to get more clues.
- Search for patterns, check if the same username has left other reviews.
- Check other platforms, look across other review networks to see if similar fake reviews appeared. Competitors like this often engage in “review bombing,” posting multiple fake reviews across various platforms to lower your rankings.
- See if other competitors encounter the same problem, find if other businesses in your industry have received similar fake reviews.
After you collected all the evidence you can move to the next step and report the review to the network for removal.
How to Report a Competitor’s Fake Review for Removal
Next step, you should report the review you suspect was written by a competitor to the review network. Each review network has its own rules. Research their community guidelines to understand the proper way for reporting a fake review. Often, this involves clicking a “flag” or “report” button next to the review and writing and explanation. In some cases, you may need to create an account to complete the reporting process. In the past we write a detailed post on how to report and remove fake reviews.
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How to Identify Which Competitor Posted Fake Reviews Through Research
Unfortunately, review networks do not disclose the email or account information of the individuals who post reviews. That’s why, it’s up to you to investigate and try to get a clue on who may have posted the fake review.
Follow these steps in your investigation:
- Collect evidence, gather all available evidence related to the fake review, including screenshots and any identifiable information such as user name, avatar, location.
- Conduct reverse engineering, search for the username and perform a reverse image search on the avatar. The person posting fake reviews always use a false email and account, but they might also accidentally use an old or recycled account due to carelessness.
- Check for patterns, investigate if other competitors have received negative reviews from the same source. This can help narrow down potential suspects and rule out those who are not involved and suffer from fake reviews as well.
- Analyze review trends, pay attention to competitors with an unusually high number of positive reviews that seem overly self promotional and unnatural. Competitors who participate in unethical behavior often not only post negative reviews about rivals but also inflate their own reputation with fake positive reviews. If you notice a competitor with an unnatural amount of positive reviews that appear fake, it could be a red flag.
By thoroughly researching, you may be able to identify the source of the fake reviews and address it more effectively.
Leveraging Technology to Identify Competitors Posting Fake Reviews
One of the most effective technologies for identifying competitors who might be posting fake reviews is reverse IP trackers, or visitor tracking software. Tools like LeadForensics can track the IP addresses visiting your website and match them to specific companies. If a competitor is visiting your site too often, it could be a red flag.
Even bigger indicator if a competitor visited to your website around the same time when fake reviews was posted. While this doesn’t provide a real proof, it can help narrow down potential suspects and give you additional insights for investigation.
Collaborate with Other Competitors Facing Similar Review Issues
Talking to other competitors about the issue can be beneficial. They may deal with the same problem, know exactly who is the offender, offer valuable insights and tips, and might have already taken action.
For example, I worked with a limo service on the East Coast that faced a similar situation with a “difficult” competitor. The client reached out to other limo companies in the area, and they confirmed they had experienced the same issue. They shared that the problem was caused by someone they knew well, who had a history of not “playing by the rules” and spreading false information and rumors, even before the internet era. What was particularly useful, was the advices the other business owners provided, they shared strategies for dealing with this individual.
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Conclusion
Dealing with competitors who post fake reviews can be challenging. It’s hard to proof and take legal action. But by taking systematic steps, you can address and minimize their impact. Start by documenting and analyzing the evidence, then report fake reviews to the networks and use technology to track suspicious activities. Discuss with other competitors facing similar issues who can give advice.
Another way is to hire a reputation management company, such as ours. These firms have the expertise and tools required to handle and remove reviews efficiently. With their experience in managing online reputations, they can help you address and resolve issues related to fake and fraudulent content more effectively.
