So, you woke up, checked your Google Business Profile, and noticed something was off. Your reviews – those glowing five-star love letters from real clients – are vanishing like socks in a tumble dryer. One minute they’re there, the next they’re gone, and Google gives you nothing but a shrug and a support article written by a robot.
Welcome to Local SEO (search engine optimisation) in 2025: the post-review era, where Google is on a mission to clean house, and your hard-earned testimonials are getting swept up with the fakes. Brilliant.
Let’s break down what’s going on, why it’s happening, and most importantly, how to rebuild trust online without relying entirely on reviews that might not even show up.
What’s actually happening?
Google has gone full Terminator on spammy, duplicate, or “suspicious” reviews. We’re talking mass removals, sometimes without warning. Entire profiles losing dozens of legit reviews overnight. No appeal. No explanation. Just digital silence.
Why? Because the flood of fake reviews over the past few years – from Fiverr sellers in Bangladesh to AI (artificial intelligence) bots with names like “Jake R.” and “Sarah C.” who’ve apparently reviewed 46 car dealerships in 24 hours – finally forced Google to do something.
Unfortunately, in its noble quest to purge the fakes, the system is hitting genuine businesses. Restaurants. Dentists. Local trades. Real people getting punished for playing the game properly. Welcome to algorithmic collateral damage.
What now?
If you’re in local SEO and you’ve been relying solely on reviews to carry your credibility, it’s time for a strategy rethink. Google doesn’t owe you visibility, and it’s making that painfully clear. But that doesn’t mean you can’t win.
Here’s how to build trust and visibility without putting all your eggs in Google’s shifty, glitchy basket.
Show, don’t just tell
People want proof. If Google won’t show it, you have to. Video testimonials, before-and-after shots, case studies with names and details – real content, not lazy screenshots of review widgets that may or may not load. Embed these on your website. Stick them in your emails. Shove them into social posts. If someone’s happy with your work, show us the outcome, not just the star rating.
Leverage third-party platforms
Google’s not the only sheriff in town. Facebook reviews, Trustpilot, Feefo, even screenshots of WhatsApp messages (yes, really) can all help reinforce social proof. Just don’t fake it. Not only is that lazy, but it’s also now high-risk. Google’s review AI is aggressive, suspicious, and – let’s be honest – a bit paranoid. Give it any excuse, and it’ll ghost your profile faster than a Tinder match after you mention crypto.
Get serious about on-site content
Build authority where you control the rules: your website. Create local landing pages. Highlight real client stories. Include actual staff photos, team bios, and named testimonials. Treat your site like the primary trust asset, not just a parking space for your phone number.
Boost local signals the old-school way
Local backlinks, press mentions, sponsorships – none of these rely on flaky review feeds. They still work. They still count. And they don’t mysteriously disappear when Google’s review bot has a meltdown. Get back to basics. It’s not glamorous, but it’s stable.
Keep asking for reviews
Just because Google’s acting dodgy doesn’t mean you stop asking. Real customers, real wording, no incentives. Keep collecting. Just spread them around. Not every review has to go on your Google profile. Create a review page on your site. Turn testimonials into graphics. Own your reputation instead of hoping Google decides to display it.
This isn’t the end of local SEO. It’s just the end of blind trust in Google reviews as your one-trick credibility pony. Reviews were never the full picture. They were a shortcut. A helpful signal. And now that signal’s flickering, it’s time to turn the lights on yourself.
Show your work. Tell your stories. Control your platform. Because if Google’s not going to vouch for you, you’d better be damn good at vouching for yourself.
Need help making that happen?
At Engage Web, we help businesses build trust, rank locally, and drive leads – with or without Google’s temperamental review system. Whether you need a full SEO strategy, a smarter website, or just someone who won’t talk nonsense about “algorithms,” let’s talk.
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