Uberall’s latest “The State of Online Review Fraud” study analyses around four million local business reviews on Facebook, Google, Yelp and Tripadvisor.
Nearly 90% of online consumers consult reviews before buying something – making reviews a high-stake issue for businesses. While positive reviews help brands rank higher in search results and increase conversions, negative reviews can harm brands. But, another problem that has cropped up in recent times - review fraud.
The study found that two-thirds of consumers are concerned about review fraud. Most importantly, most people cannot spot inauthentic reviews. While Google is the top local business reviews site in the US, it also had the highest average percentage of bogus reviews across categories. Google was followed by Yelp, Tripadvisor and Facebook.
In terms of category, Locksmiths had the highest fake reviews percentage while pharmacies had the lowest rate. This article suggests businesses need to take a more systematic approach to police review fraud. Use machine learning and AI along with aggressive enforcement to bring down review frauds.
[3 minute read]
