Local Search News

Google has formalised stronger enforcement against fake and/or incentivised reviews on Google Business Profile (GBP). In its documentation on Business Profile restrictions for policy violations, Google states it takes fake/incentivised reviews seriously and may apply restrictions such as: temporarily disabling new reviews/ratings, unpublishing existing reviews/ratings, and even showing a warning to consumers that fake reviews were removed, and that business owners may be notified by email when restrictions are planned. This aligns with ongoing, highly visible volatility in review counts. Google also acknowledges that reviews can be missing or delayed for several reasons, most commonly policy enforcement. Separately, the local SEO community has reported periods where review counts drop suddenly, described as a bug affecting some profiles. What this means for your business Google’s enforcement and restriction framework is global, because it’s part of GBP policy and tooling (not region-specific documentation). However, the email notifications/restriction triggers may appear first in select cases (e.g., higher-risk patterns), so not every brand will see it at the same time. What you can do Stop incentives immediately (discounts, freebies, giveaways, “review us and…”). Google explicitly treats incentivised activity as a serious violation category. Remove review gating (don’t selectively request reviews from only happy customers). Keep asks consistent and unbiased. Monitor review volume weekly so you can spot unusual drops and investigate quickly (policy removals vs. platform volatility). If you suspect a removal wave/bug, document examples and timelines for escalation, and keep internal records of review requests and campaigns.