← All charts
Advertising and media
Review practices: what to do and what to avoid
| Practice | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Asking every customer for a review | Do it | Fair picture and steadily more reviews |
| Asking only customers you expect to be happy | Avoid | Distorts the rating; Google prohibits selective solicitation |
| Discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews | Avoid | Google prohibits it; it biases the content of reviews |
| Reviews by owners, staff or their relatives | Never | Conflict of interest; restricted by the FTC rule and platforms |
| AI-written or purchased reviews | Never | Deceptive; banned in the US and the EU, removed by platforms |
| Polite public replies to negative reviews | Do it | Shows future customers how you handle problems |
| Quoting real reviews in ads | Yes, with permission | Credible proof; keep the meaning, source and date |
| Practice | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Asking every customer for a review | Do it | Fair picture and steadily more reviews |
| Asking only customers you expect to be happy | Avoid | Distorts the rating; Google prohibits selective solicitation |
| Discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews | Avoid | Google prohibits it; it biases the content of reviews |
| Reviews by owners, staff or their relatives | Never | Conflict of interest; restricted by the FTC rule and platforms |
| AI-written or purchased reviews | Never | Deceptive; banned in the US and the EU, removed by platforms |
| Polite public replies to negative reviews | Do it | Shows future customers how you handle problems |
| Quoting real reviews in ads | Yes, with permission | Credible proof; keep the meaning, source and date |