Am I safe including Google's logo in my website for review link purposes?

[Caroline S]

I work at an SEO company with over 100 clients and we've been putting Google's logo on our "review us" pages to link to their Google listing for a very long time now. Only just recently did we come across this link about Google's permissions for logo usage. Permissions – Google

It basically says you have to have their permission before you can even think about using their logos, and we as a company don't remember ever asking Google for permission to use their logos. It seemed strange since using the Google logo for review links and similar situations seemed like something other people do and I was wondering if anyone else has any insight for what to do here. Should we stop using the logo for our review links?

Thanks!

 

[AnthonyL]

What you're doing is wrong. I've worked for a few companies, advised against it, they used the logo and didn't have Google knocking at their door. The thing is, would you want to? An agency that don't follow client or non-client's brand guidelines aren't too great at their job are they :-D

My understanding is you use a plain text URL or an icon. Get reviews on Google - Google My Business Help

Use of any 'brand' logo comes with a heap of T&C's, brand guidelines etc. I'd ask how many reviews did you get anyway from these links. Did that equate to new business? Does the benefit outweigh the potential risks?

On a positive note, I'd contact GMB on Twitter and ask. I'd tweet to them. I had a few questions and got a direct reply.

 

[Tim Colling]

It basically says you have to have their permission before you can even think about using their logos

So here's something to think about: if it's not allowed, then should you report competitors (or your clients' competitors) who ARE using Google's logo (probably without permission) on their websites?