Google is now actively removing fake reviews (and will email you about it): what local crafts need to know

What really changed since May 2026

Imagine this. You've just got off a ladder. The customer taps you on the shoulder and says, "Nice work, mate, really neat." In the past, you'd grab your tablet, hold it under their nose, and say, "Just fill in a star rating." Done. Another review added. Everyone's happy.

As of May 2026, that trick is over. And it's no small matter. Google has implemented an AI layer across Europe that actively reads, compares, and judges. Every review that comes in goes through a filter that looks at text patterns, device location, posting speed, and the writer's tone. If that layer suspects something is amiss, the review disappears. Sometimes immediately. Sometimes after a few days. And nowadays, you receive an email about it.

This may sound dramatic. But for a painter, handyman or gardener in Oisterwijk, this is not a far-fetched topic. Reviews are literally your guide as to whether that lady from Berkel Enschot calls you or the neighbour from Moergestel. Reviews determine your position in Google Maps, your position in the regular search results, and increasingly also whether an AI assistant recommends you if someone asks how to find a good street paver in my neighbourhood.

So the update hits exactly where your new jobs are coming from. And the policy isn't the same as it was two years ago. Read through this blog, and you'll be up to speed again in ten minutes.

How AI now recognises a fake review

It's not magic, but it is clever. Google's system looks at a few things at once. First, the text itself. Reviews that sound too polished, are too enthusiastic, or use the same phrasing stand out. Three reviews within a week all starting with "super satisfied" and ending with "a must-recommend" is a red flag for AI. People don't write like that. People type with mistakes, use their own words, and aren't all the same level of euphoric on the same Tuesday.

In addition, the device is also taken into consideration. If three reviews come from the same IP address within a day, Google understands that these were not four different customers, but likely a tablet in your shop. This is no longer permitted. A review must originate from the customer's own device, in their own time, in their own location.

Furthermore, the system looks at the reviewer's history. An account that has reviewed fifteen local businesses in six weeks with no logical travel narrative would be deemed suspicious. Finally, Google also looks for so-called tone shifts. If your profile has years of four-star reviews with pleasant text, and then three five-star reviews with marketing language come in within a week, the system will notice that discrepancy.

What you need to stop doing

This is the part where many entrepreneurs get scared. Because some things on this list were simply recommended by marketing agencies until recently. Now they are forbidden, and could cost you your profile. Read on carefully.

Review gating. That's when you first ask the customer how satisfied they are, and only send the review link with a high score. Customer gives a six? Then they don't get a link. Customer gives a nine? Yes, a link. That seems innocent, but it's a form of filtering that Google is now cracking down on. It can lead to penalties.

A tablet or kiosk in your establishment. A shared device where customers can tap in a review on the spot no longer counts. In fact, it's often automatically filtered out because the IP address is shared. The same applies to a laptop on the counter.

Giving something in return for a review. No discount voucher, no freebies, no ten euro off the next bill, no loyalty points. This is called incentivisation and it's been forbidden at Google for a while, but now it's being actively tackled. Even if the customer doesn't mention it themselves in their review.

Only send happy customers a review link. You must send the link to everyone. It is not for you to decide in advance who may or may not review. If you only send to satisfied customers, an unnatural pattern of five-star reviews will emerge. And that pattern is seen as fake by AI.

To oblige a customer to state their name. Some companies ask if you can mention their name or the name of your mechanic in the review. This may seem nice to your employee, but Google sees this as coaching of the text and may remove the review.

What you are still allowed (and must) continue to do

Good news. You can still ask for reviews. Reviews are still the most important signal for local visibility. You don't need to be afraid to actively ask. You just need to be a little more conscious of how.

What is allowed, and even encouraged, is to send a review request via email or WhatsApp after the work is completed. Not during the job. Not just before the final bill where you still have room for negotiation. Rather, a day or two after completion, once the customer has had a chance to see the result. A short sentence like "Thank you for your trust, a review on Google really helps our family business" works perfectly. No pressure, no conditions, no steering.

A QR code on your invoice, on your thank-you note or in your email signature is also perfectly acceptable. The difference with a tablet in your shop is that the customer now types the review at home on their own phone. Their own device, their own time, their own words. That is exactly what Google wants to see.

And you can verbally ask for a review. If the customer says they are very satisfied themselves and you then say that a review on Google would really help us, there's nothing wrong with that. That isn't buying, that's just asking.

For some extra grip on your local visibility, we've previously written about rank higher in Google in the region and over Local Google Ads in Oisterwijk. Both go well together with a clean review strategy.

The email that Google is now sending upon deletion

Another new feature in this update is that Google will now actively email you if a review is removed from your profile. That is a big step forward. Previously, it happened silently and you would only see it if you happened to check your profile. Now you’ll receive a notification detailing the reason for the removal.

The email states which review it was, the date it was posted, and which policy it was removed for. For example, incentivised review or suspicious activity. This is useful information for you. Not because you need to appeal, but because you will learn how to handle it yourself.

If you receive an email about a deleted review, read it carefully. Was it a review from a customer you'd asked for something in return? Was it a tablet review from your old stock? Was it the neighbour's boy who gave you one star? These are all patterns you can now let go of. Your profile will actually become stronger in the long run if the old clutter is removed.

What you need to know: a deleted review will not come back on its own. A customer can repost it, but they must do so themselves, in their own words, from their own device. No reminders with copy-pasted text. No instructions on how to write it. Purely their free choice.

Practical Action Plan for Your Business

Right. Enough theory. Here's what you can do this week to keep your profile safe and strong.

Step 1. Remove the tablet or laptop from your counter that is only intended for reviews. Replace with a business card with a QR code that links to your review page.

Step 2. Stop filtering which customers get a review link. After every completed job, send the same friendly request. To everyone. A customer who isn't inclined won't respond anyway, so you have nothing to lose.

Step 3. Scrap any offer where a review yields something for the customer. No discount, no gift, no extra. Absolutely nothing. You ask for a review because your work was good, not because you're selling something.

Step 4. Update your Google Business Profile this month. Add a new photo of a completed job. Adjust your opening hours for the summer period if applicable. Publish a Google Post. Profiles that are inactive for more than thirty days will lose visibility in the new algorithm.

Step 5. Keep an eye on your emails over the next few weeks. If Google informs you that a review has been removed, read why. Adapt accordingly. Don't stress, just learn.

Step 6. Ensure your website and your Google Business Profile display the same information. The same phone number, the same address, the same opening hours. AI is checking this more and more frequently. Differences breed mistrust.

If you do this, you'll be sorted. No complicated situation, just ask honestly and keep neat records.