Google Maps Introduces New Feature to Combat Fake Reviews

Google Maps Gemini also powers content moderation on Google Maps, helping detect fake reviews and suspicious profile edits. Read more about how these new tools keep businesses safe.

Among other changes, Google is using Gemini in its efforts to detect phony profile edits and fraudulent reviews through its AI systems for Maps and Business Profiles.

1. Gemini Discovers Fishy Profile Changes Gemini Finds Suspicious Profile Edits
2. Relying on Gemini, Google is hunting fake alterations to Business Profiles.

It can differentiate between a routine tweak, like a minor name change, and a sudden, suspect pivot, like switching a business category from a “cafe” to a “plumber.”

Google Map, Google said in its announcement

“With help from Gemini, we trained a new model that detects potentially suspicious profile edits. A business switching names from “Zoe’s Coffee House” to “Zoe’s Cafe” isn’t red-flaggy — but a business that suddenly switches its category from “cafe” to “plumber” is.”

The company says this new mechanism has prevented thousands of risky edits this year.

New tools to combat phony five-star reviews

To combat fake five-star reviews, Google will use Gemini to analyze reviews over time. It enables the system to identify new indicators of abuse, even after the review is published.

The company has debuted alerts in the US, UK, and India. These alerts notify users that suspicious five-star reviews have been taken down. Google said it would expand the alerts globally in December.

2024 in Numbers: Content Moderation

Google released solid numbers from its work in 2024:

1. More than 240 million reviews that did not comply with our policies were blocked or removed before they could be seen by most people.
2. Over 70 million potentially harmful edits to Maps listings were blocked.
3. More than 12M fake Business Profiles were removed or blocked.
4. More than 900,000 accounts that repeatedly broke rules had posting restricted.

What It Means for SEO and Local Marketers

For Search engine optimization practitioners and local marketers, there are important implications in these updates for honest review strategies and prudent Business Profile (BP) management.

And as Google sharpens its AI, tricks such as fake reviews and unauthorized changes to profiles are easier to detect. Shady companies will be punished even harder than before, and genuine relationships will benefit from this announcement as well as great customer engagement will start to trust on you from Google.

Best Practices for Local SEO

Centers can take these innovations into account:

1. Keep client review habits in line with Google’s policies.
2. All Business Profiles are claimed & managed correctly
3. Keep watch on your profile changes and inspect habits.
4. Concentrate on getting genuine customer review.
5. Report about competitors suspicious activities using Google’s tools

Looking Ahead

Google said it will continue to improve its systems. The company said it would “continue to work on the front lines and behind the scenes to keep content on Google Maps helpful and reliable.”

You can read more in its Content Trust and Safety Report.