Topic: Google Review Policy

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

We created realpatientratings.com to provide 100% verified ratings and reviews that could be trusted by consumers and providers. Ratings and reviews provide an easily-understood way for patients to choose providers more safely.

 

Today’s online consumer looks for reviews to help them decide which goods and services to purchase.

Google, in an effort to fulfill the consumers’ need for reviews, prescribed special code to signal that review content is present. At Vizium360 / RealPatientRatings, we have always used this code as intended. We publish our ratings and reviews to member websites and realpatientratings.com. However, both ranked with “stars,” a significant advantage for important “provider + review” searches.

As with many things in life, some search engine optimization (SEO) providers began manipulating the signals to Google. There are many examples of websites ranking high on review searches that contained misleading review content. Similarly, many did not actually contain any reviews at all.

 

To prevent these and other abuses,

Google is now blocking what it sees as “self-serving” reviews. Unfortunately, at least for now, Google does not seem to distinguish between legitimate content and falsely coded content.

 

To better understand this complicated subject and its impact,

we recommend the following blog from Ryan Miller, CEO, of Etna Interactive. According to the independent analysis conducted by Etna Interactive, realpatientratings.com still outperforms other consumer review sites. Our site continues to rank with stars while other medical consumer sites have been adversely affected. Above all, Google users are looking for ratings and reviews they can actually trust. Furthermore, published by a company that holds itself to the highest standards of honesty and transparency. That company is Vizium360 / RealPatientRatings.

 

We hope you find this information useful as you consider your future ratings and reviews marketing strategy.

Sincerely,

Marie Olesen
Founder and Chief Patient Experience Officer

Ben Colman
CEO

Topic Discussed: Google Review Policy