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Glossary

Google review

By Sergey Sulimko, Founder1 min read

A Google review is a rating and comment left on a business listing by someone signed in to a Google account, published beside that listing in Maps and Search, and required by Google's policy to reflect a genuine experience of the business.

Two consequences follow from "genuine experience" and both are policy, not opinion. Offering anything of value in exchange for a review, or for changing or deleting one, is classified as fake and misleading content and is prohibited outright.1 And a business cannot post one about itself.

The account requirement is the quiet one. A customer who has never signed in cannot leave anything, though Google notes the account need not be a Gmail address. That single step is where most requests are lost.

Sources

  1. Google: "Tips to get more reviews" (genuine-experience requirement; incentives prohibited; signed-in account required): https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474122?hl=en (read 2026-08-23)

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