Google’s Review Policy: What Your Auto Dealership Needs to Know

Google’s review policies ensure that customer reviews published on the Google platform are mostly authentic and useful to its readers. If reviews are flagged as fake, then Google will review and if necessary, remove them.

Here are a few Google Review Policies that your auto dealership needs to know, in order to improve your own best-practices. 

1. Dealers Can Request for Google Reviews

Google allows dealers to request reviews. This is one of the main differentiators between Google and other review sites.

2. Review Gating is not allowed

Review gating or the practice of selectively requesting only positive online reviews from your customers is prohibited by Google.  Doing otherwise is against Google’s policy. 

3. Don’t Incentivize Online Reviews

Rewarding your dealership customers in exchange for online reviews is against Google review policy. Such actions are also likely to be noticed by regulating bodies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and they can impose penalties. 

4. Avoid Customer Reviews with Restricted Content

Customer reviews with restricted content such as fake content, duplicate content, irrelevant content, conflicting content, illegal content, offensive content, etc. must not be encouraged. 

If not, you will be operating against Google’s review policy, and this may lead to Google deleting your auto dealership reviews. 

5. No one can Buy Google Reviews 

Buying Google reviews is a big ‘No.’ Instead, aim to get genuine positive reviews from your happy customers. 

6. Your Auto Dealership Can’t Ask for Google Reviews from Employees

Asking for online reviews from your customers is allowed but not from your employees. FTC doesn’t approve of it as well.

For more insights into Google’s review policies that your auto dealership should be aware of, Contact Us.