Using AI to Detect and Remove Fake Reviews Before They Damage Your Brand

Fake reviews can leave a lasting impact on the brand you’ve curated. It doesn’t matter whether they’re positive or negative: Negative reviews can scare users from buying your products or services, while positive reviews can seem too good to be true and give the impression that your business uses fake reviews to boost your online reputation. 

With bots, spammers and other bad actors on the prowl, fake reviews are a problem for businesses of all sizes and industries. However, with artificial intelligence (AI) becoming more advanced, you can leverage AI-powered review monitoring software to manage fake reviews more efficiently and effectively. 

In this blog, we’ll talk about:

• Why Are Fake Reviews Harmful to My Brand?
• Is Manual Online Reputation Still Enough To Remove Fake Reviews? 
• AI Fake Review Detection: How Can You Leverage AI Vs. Fake Online Reviews?
• Tools for AI-Powered Review Monitoring 
• How Can Thrive Local Can Help Deal with Fake Reviews?

Why Are Fake Reviews Harmful to My Brand?

For many, one fake review may just be a minor nuisance – especially in the grand scheme of things and when you consider your core business operations. However, when it comes to protecting your brand and bottom line, you can’t afford to ignore fraudulent reviews casting a shadow on your reputation.

Many users today look for products or services they need online. While ads and other digital marketing efforts can attract attention, it doesn’t build trust the same way social proof can. They want assurance that, before they engage with a brand or business, they’re getting a good experience. 

That’s why most successful businesses leverage their online reviews. However, when you have fake reviews on your website and under your listing profiles, this can pose several risks:

Create Unrealistic Expectations

Fake negative reviews paint a picture of a bad experience that never happened. While some users can spot a fake review, those who can’t may be deterred from engaging with your brand. By leaving a fake review up, there’s no telling how many will be steered away from giving your business a chance. 

On the other hand, fake positive reviews can overhype your brand, giving users unrealistic expectations. When users engage because of these reviews, they can end up disappointed and, in turn, leave genuine negative reviews. 

Eroding Trust

Even fake positive reviews can be detrimental to your business. When customers spot positive reviews that feel fake, it casts doubt on reviews sharing the same sentiments. 

By extension, they could question whether your business uses shady tactics to generate positive reviews. This gives them a reason not to trust your brand, regardless of how put-together the rest of your online presence is, and it can be tough to rebuild trust. 

Impact Search Engine Visibility

“Fake reviews can have an effect on local searches,” said Tim Clarke, Thrive Local’s Senior Reputation Manager. “Especially like in Google Maps searches.”

Beyond customer trust, fake reviews can also hurt how search engines and review platforms see your business. These use algorithms and AI to determine review quality and authenticity. Businesses that don’t remove fake reviews may be flagged as untrustworthy. This could lead to lower rankings, less exposure and lower visibility online. 

Is Manual Online Reputation Still Enough To Remove Fake Reviews? 

In the past, fake review prevention meant checking your reviews on Yelp or Google occasionally, flagging suspicious reviews manually. Some may also rely heavily on their review platforms’ measures for detecting fraudulent reviews. 

So that begs the question: Can my business simply use manual reviews to protect my online reputation?

The short answer: not really. 

Fake reviews have become more sophisticated than ever before. Bots, fake accounts and networks of people paid to leave fake reviews make it easier to leave convincing reviews faster than a human team can realistically keep up with. It doesn’t help that the software for detecting fraudulent reviews on several platforms lacks the technology to distinguish between what’s fake and what’s authentic.

Imagine having to play whack-a-mole, but with fake reviews around the clock – that’s what it feels like when you manually monitor and remove fake reviews. The longer you have fake reviews, the more they can influence user behavior, destroy customer trust and impact your bottom line. 

However, why should you try to deal with fake reviews manually when you can leverage existing technology? With AI reputation management software, you can have software that detects fake reviews faster and more accurately than any manual process. 

AI Fake Review Detection: How Can You Leverage AI Vs. Fake Online Reviews?

AI can detect fake reviews faster and more accurately than any manual method. It essentially scans through your reviews 24/7, flagging anything shady immediately, allowing you to take action before it can potentially hurt your brand.

So, how exactly does AI fake review detection work? It involves various features. 

Machine Learning Techniques

At the heart of all AI is machine learning. While older software without AI has to have everything coded to function, AI uses data to learn patterns and make decisions without being explicitly programmed for every possible scenario. 

In the case of using AI for brand reputation, this involves looking at real and fake reviews to learn the differences. Over time, machine learning techniques allow AI to become skilled and more accurate at identifying fake reviews. This could be from unusual reviewer behavior to accounts that only post five-star ratings with generic comments, like “Great product!”

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Natural Language Processing (NLP) helps machines understand and interpret human language the way we use it in real life. When detecting fake reviews, NLP analyzes the text for factors like grammar, syntax, tone and even emotional content. Some red flags they look out for include:

• Repetitive or Generic Wording: Fake reviews often use copy-and-paste language that doesn’t sound like an authentic customer experience.
• Overly Exaggerated Tone: Reviews that are too good or too bad can raise suspicion, especially if they lack specific details to justify their claims.
• Inconsistencies in Language: For example, a reviewer claims to be a local customer but uses a language typical of another region or even another language translated poorly into English.

Behavioral Analysis

AI also pays close attention to reviewer behavior. Machine learning models analyze the patterns behind who is leaving reviews, when and where. Some red flags include:

• High-Volume Reviewing: Accounts posting dozens of reviews within a short time frame.
• Geographic Inconsistencies: Reviewers claiming to be local but posting reviews for local businesses but are located far away.
• Suspicious Timing: A sudden flood of reviews after a negative event like a PR crisis can sometimes suggest that all reviews created at the time are part of review bombing efforts.

AI Vs. Fake Online Reviews: Constant Learning and Adapting

Perhaps the biggest advantage of AI is its ability to adapt. Fake review tactics are constantly evolving, making it harder to manually spot fake reviews. However, an AI-driven review analysis powered by machine learning continuously improves. As they process more data and encounter new types of fraudulent behavior, they refine their algorithms to stay one step ahead.

Tools for AI-Powered Review Monitoring 

With fake reviews on the rise, businesses need AI-powered review monitoring tools for effective fake review prevention. These AI-driven review analysis platforms can scan, analyze and flag suspicious activity — often before it even hits your radar. Here are some AI reputation management tools and how they’re helping brands stay ahead of the curve.

Google’s Spam Detection System

Google has its own AI-driven review analysis tool built into Google Business Profiles. Using machine learning, it scans millions of Google reviews to detect suspicious patterns, inappropriate content and fake accounts. 

Google’s algorithms catch many fraudulent reviews before they ever go live or remove them shortly after being flagged. While it’s not foolproof, their review authenticity verification checks help minimize the number of fake reviews that could impact your brand and sway the decisions of users on Google Search and Maps. 

Yelp’s Recommendation Software

Yelp uses a proprietary AI fake review detection engine that automatically analyzes reviews and reviewer behavior. It looks for signs of manipulation or dishonesty, such as reviews from users with little to no profile activity, duplicate content or suspicious timing. 

If something seems off, the review authenticity verification checks may filter out a review and not show it in the main listing, though users can still find it if they dig.

How Can Thrive Local Help Mitigate Fake Reviews?

Thrive Local offers comprehensive software that simplifies online reputation management for businesses. Our AI-powered platform automatically monitors popular review sites like Google, Yelp, Facebook and industry-specific platforms to help spot and flag potentially suspicious reviews quickly. 

Thrive Local’s tools flag potential fake or fraudulent reviews quickly, allowing businesses to respond in real-time and maintain their online credibility. In addition to detecting fraudulent reviews, its data provides actionable insights to help businesses better understand their customers and improve service. 

With Thrive Local’s support, you can:

• Detect fake or spammy reviews early
• Maintain customer trust and brand reputation
• Review authenticity verification and focus on genuine customer feedback to improve services
• Avoid being penalized by search engines and review platforms for fraudulent activity

With Thrive Local doing the heavy lifting, businesses can spend less time worrying about fake reviews and more time building authentic relationships with their customers.

Thrive Local: Empowering Brands To Protect Their Online Reputation From Fake Reviews

Fake reviews can chip away at the trust your brand has curated. With AI-powered review monitoring tools like Thrive Local, you can spot fraudulent reviews early. Protect your online presence and focus on what really matters with fake review prevention solutions you can trust. 

Get in touch today to learn how Thrive Local can help protect and grow your brand.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Fake Reviews Monitoring