What you need to know about Review Gating: Should you use It?

Did you know the controversial marketing tactic to get more positive reviews? Two words: Review Gating. It’s a simple but very frowned-upon strategy.

While review gating can improve patient acquisition and boost your online presence, it also purposely leaves out negative reviews. Because of this, search engines like Google labels the practice as “deceptive content.”

Review gating has become a popular tactic among businesses looking to maintain a pristine online reputation, but we’re here to tell you that you can do better.

In this article, we’ll tackle what review gating is and dive deeper into its risks including the potential penalties. You’ll also learn effective alternatives to review gating and why responding to negative reviews can grow your practice — all while complying with industry guidelines. Finally, we’ll wrap everything up by exploring marketing channels that can streamline your reputation management.

What is Review Gating?

Review gating is the practice of selectively soliciting positive reviews from happy customers while filtering out dissatisfied comments to prevent accumulating negative feedback on review sites. It’s used by businesses, and even healthcare providers, as a way to control their online reputation and maintain a high-average star rating. Because of its nature, review gating is also called review “cherry-picking.”

So what does this mean to you as a healthcare provider? Although more positive reviews on review sites can drastically improve your online reputation, it also comes with risks. But before that let’s discuss how this practice’s rise in popularity began.

The Rise in Popularity of Review Gating

As 97% of consumers began to rely more on online reviews to make purchasing decisions, so businesses had to prioritize reputation management to remain competitive. As a result, a positive online presence has become crucial for businesses across various industries – including healthcare providers looking to attract new patients.

This increased focus on online reputation management led some companies to adopt unethical practices like review gating to manipulate public opinion by presenting only favorable feedback. The result? A skewed perception that inaccurately reflects the quality of care provided by these doctors’ practices.

How Review Gating Works for Businesses

So how does review gating work? Businesses often use customer relationship management (CRM) software designed for the purpose mentioned above. These allow businesses or their marketing teams to send out surveys or requests for feedback via email or text message after providing their service. The outcome can go in either one of two ways:

1. If patients indicate they had a positive experience during the initial contact (e.g., through survey responses), they are prompted further and encouraged to leave glowing testimonials on popular review websites like Google My Business or Yelp.

2. On the other hand, if patients express dissatisfaction or report negative experiences, they are usually directed to a private feedback form where their concerns can be addressed internally without the risk of tarnishing the company’s public image.

This selective approach effectively “gates” unfavorable reviews from reaching review platforms and creates an artificially inflated perception of satisfaction among potential patients browsing these sites for healthcare providers. In the next section, we explain why engaging in review gating can do your medical practice more harm than good.

Key Takeaway: Review gating has become increasingly popular among businesses, including healthcare providers, as a way to control their online reputation and maintain a high average star rating. It involves sending out surveys or requests for feedback via email or text message after providing service and filtering out any negative responses while promoting the positive ones to create an artificially inflated perception of satisfaction.

Risks of Review Gating

Engaging in review gating poses significant risks for Doctors’ practices, as it violates guidelines found in Google My Business and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Penalties include the removal of all existing reviews, the deletion of company profiles on Google My Business, and hefty fines imposed by the FTC. Below are some of the consequences faced by companies caught engaging in review gating as well as penalties imposed on offending businesses.

1. Consequences of Companies Caught in Review Gating:

Removal of Reviews: If a business is found guilty of review gating, all their existing reviews may be removed from Google My Business or other review platforms. This can severely damage their online reputation and result in the loss of potential patients.

Deleted Company Profiles: In some cases, Google might delete an entire company profile from its platform if it violated anti-gating policies. Losing your presence on such a crucial platform could have long-lasting negative effects on your healthcare practice’s online visibility.

Fines by the FTC: The Federal Trade Commission has been known to impose substantial fines upon businesses that engage in dishonest tactics like review gating. Penalties for review gating can be as high as millions of dollars, depending on the severity of the violation.

2. Penalties Imposed On Offending Businesses

In recent years, several businesses have faced penalties for engaging in review gating practices. For instance, the FTC took action against UrthBox, a snack subscription service that was found to be selectively soliciting positive reviews from customers who received free products. The FTC imposed a penalty of $100,000 on UrthBox for its review gating practices.

This situation occurs regularly and should serve as cautionary tales for healthcare providers looking to maintain a strong online reputation without resorting to dishonest methods like review gating. As a business owner and healthcare provider, you need to be aware of the proper procedures for managing reviews to retain consumer faith and dodge sanctions from Google.

Key Takeaway: Review gating can have serious consequences for healthcare providers, including the removal of all reviews, deletion of company profiles on Google My Business, and hefty fines imposed by the FTC. Examples include UrthBox being fined $100k – a stark reminder to play it straight when trying to maintain an online reputation.

The Importance of Building Consumer Trust

To avoid violating anti-gating rules while still managing your online reputation effectively, consider alternative strategies such as collecting genuine feedback from all customers or not requesting any at all. Focus on building trust with consumers through transparency rather than attempting to manipulate public opinion through dishonest tactics like review gating.

Phil Rozek, a local search expert, provides some useful interpretations of Google’s policy against review gating. According to him, healthcare marketers should:

Avoid asking patients if they had a positive experience before soliciting reviews.
Not discourage negative feedback by making it difficult for unhappy patients to leave reviews.
Request reviews from all patients regardless of their satisfaction level with the service provided.

Maintaining an honest and transparent approach to handling patient feedback is crucial. To build trust you can:

Promptly address concerns raised in negative reviews and demonstrate commitment toward improvement.
Maintain open communication channels between the practice and its clients (e.g., social media).
Showcase authentic testimonials on your website or marketing materials without cherry-picking positive ones.

Healthcare providers should be aware of Google’s no-review-gating policy and the importance of fostering consumer trust when collecting reviews. To ensure compliance, it’s important to explore alternatives for customer evaluation collection or offering private channels for dissatisfied clients.

Alternatives to Review Gating

Instead of resorting to unethical tactics like review gating, you can leverage platforms like Birdeye which allows you to collect customer evaluations compliantly while measuring Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT). You can also offer private channels where dissatisfied clients can voice concerns outside the public view. Doing this provides valuable insight into areas that need improvement without risking your online reputation.

‣ Birdeye

Birdeye is a popular platform designed specifically for healthcare providers seeking an ethical way to gather patient feedback. Birdeye enables healthcare providers to send out automated review requests after each appointment, providing every patient the chance to express their opinion. By collecting genuine reviews from every patient rather than cherry-picking positive ones through review gating, you build trust with potential clients who appreciate transparency and honesty in their healthcare providers.

‣ Track Your Doctor

Track Your Doctor is another alternative where healthcare providers can track, respond to, and manage patient reviews from various review platforms. Track Your Doctor also allows you to get detailed insight into your online reputation and compare your ratings with similar healthcare providers in your area. Claim your profile for free and start sharing the link to your Track Your Doctor profile to get more reviews to help increase your credibility with potential patients.

‣ Private Channels

In addition to using tools like Track Your Doctor, consider providing alternative methods for unhappy patients to express their grievances privately. For example:

Create a dedicated email address or contact form on your website specifically for addressing complaints and concerns.
Promptly respond when negative feedback is received through these channels by acknowledging the issue and outlining steps taken towards resolution.
Analyze recurring themes in this private feedback as opportunities for practice improvement without tarnishing your public image on review sites.

Taking these measures not only protects your online reputation but also demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and patient satisfaction. By implementing alternatives to review gating such as Birdeye and Track Your Doctor and private channels for dissatisfied clients, healthcare providers can ensure that they are compliant with regulations while still collecting customer feedback. Additionally, by responding to negative reviews and leveraging other marketing channels, doctors’ practices can further manage their reputation and build trust among potential patients.

Key Takeaway: This article provides alternative strategies to review gating for doctors’ practices, such as leveraging platforms like Birdeye and Track Your Doctor that allow compliant customer evaluation collection and offering private channels for dissatisfied clients. With these measures in place, healthcare providers can protect their online reputation while demonstrating a commitment to patient satisfaction.

Responding to Negative Reviews and Leveraging Marketing Channels

Addressing negative reviews online demonstrates a commitment to addressing concerns and improving services. Additionally, healthcare marketers should consider leveraging other marketing channels such as social media, paid advertising, and local search optimization in conjunction with genuine customer feedback on review sites.

The Benefits of Responding to Negative Reviews

Negative reviews can be disheartening for any business owner; however, they also present an opportunity for growth. By responding professionally and empathetically to these critiques, you not only show your dedication toward improvement but also display transparency that builds trust among potential patients. When responding always:

Acknowledge the reviewer’s concerns.
Apologize if necessary.
Offer solutions or explanations where appropriate.
Maintain a professional tone throughout the response.

Utilizing Additional Marketing Channels for Reputation Management

In today’s digital landscape, it is crucial for healthcare providers to have a strong presence across multiple platforms beyond just review sites:

Social Media: Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn allow you to engage directly with your audience while sharing valuable content related to your practice.
Paid Advertising: Create targeted ad campaigns using Google Ads or Facebook Ads Manager. This allows you to reach a broader audience and increase visibility for your practice.
Local Search Optimization: Optimize your website and online presence for local search by incorporating relevant keywords, updating business listings, and creating location-specific content. This will help improve your ranking on search engines like Google when potential patients are searching for healthcare providers in their area. Learn more about local SEO strategies.

Incorporating various promotional techniques into your business plan not only assists in sustaining a good reputation but also boosts the probability of bringing new clients to your clinic.

Key Takeaway: By responding professionally and empathetically to negative reviews, healthcare providers demonstrate their commitment to improvement while also building trust with potential patients. Healthcare providers should also utilize other promotional strategies, like social media campaigns, paid promotion, and local search optimization, to help sustain a good image and draw in new clients.

FAQs

Is review gating allowed on Google?

No, review gating is not allowed on Google. According to Google’s guidelines, businesses should not selectively solicit positive reviews or discourage negative ones. Engaging in such practices can lead to penalties, including the removal of reviews and a lower ranking in search results.

What is the purpose of review sites?

The primary purpose of review sites is to provide consumers with unbiased information about products and services based on real customer experiences. These platforms help potential customers make informed decisions by reading honest feedback from others who have used the product or service before.

Why are my Google reviews marked as spam?

Google may mark your reviews as spam if they violate their content policies. Common reasons include posting fake or irrelevant content, using promotional material, and engaging in prohibited activities like harassment, impersonation, or conflict of interest.

What is a review on the Internet?

An online review refers to written feedback provided by customers about their experience with a product or service. Reviews typically appear on websites specifically designed for collecting user-generated content (e.g., Yelp) or directly associated with the business (e.g., Google My Business). They often include ratings that reflect overall satisfaction levels.

Conclusion

As healthcare marketers, it can be tempting to resort to deceptive tactics to boost your online reputation and stand out from your competitors. Although review gating is effective, it’s important to understand the risks associated with it and its potential consequences. As a healthcare provider, you must consider alternative methods of improving your online reputation without compromising patient privacy or integrity.

Track Your Doctor is dedicated to providing you with effective and convenient solutions to manage and boost your online reputation. Start claiming your profile and building your online reputation now!

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