Bulk Review Solicitation

[klharris08]

How is it that customer feedback companies don't run into the problem of Google not allowing soliciting reviews in bulk?

https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7411351?hl=en&ref_topic=7422769

 

[JoyHawkins]

It's a "rule" that I've literally never seen enforced. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Eoghan_Aircam]

+1, it's a published article but on the flip side, Google gives business owners posters asking customers to review them. Have never seen them penalize or enforce this policy.

FYI, I would strongly advise against doing it on Yelp. You can get your listings flagged and category search ranking penalized. Yelp advertisers will also get their campaigns shut off.

https://www.yelp-support.com/article/What-is-Yelp-s-review-solicitation-penalty?l=en_US

 

[Jon Hall]

Having run a "customer feedback" (i.e. review management) company for 5+ years, we were very cognizant of this rule and its wording, and even in the absence of known penalties, I'd still recommend adhering to its "spirit".

"Bulk" solicitation evokes this scenario: a business with 20 years of customer data wants to buttress its GMB listing by blasting its historical customer database with review requests. If successful, this seldom-reviewed business suddenly gets scores of reviews on GMB in one fell swoop. Even if there's no Google penalty per se, the result smells funny to consumers, especially a year or two down the road when all of the listing's reviews are old.

"Transactional" solicitation is a better model to follow, even if requesting reviews from past customers. Reaching out to a few at a time over time creates a natural, consistent flow of reviewers, adheres to the spirit of Google's policy, and produces a better result WRT to savvy consumers who pickup on this stuff in surprising ways.

 

[klharris08]

Thanks for the answers, the "transactional solicitation" most certainly makes the most sense.