Google has updated its Google My Business review guidelines with more specific information about conflicts of interest.
According to Google’s new review guidelines, posting negative reviews about a current or former employer is considered a conflict of interest.
Moreover, since these types of reviews are now against Google’s guidelines, businesses can request to have them removed. So if some disgruntled employees are messing with your review score, you can get those troublesome reviews wiped out.
These guidelines are now in line with Google’s review policies, which suggest not reviewing your own business or employer. Although that’s slightly different from the most recent update, which specifies negative reviews are not allowed.
Does that mean positive reviews about a current or former employer are perfectly fine? Technically both are conflicts of interest, but who’s going to report a positive review?
Another distinct difference between the old and new guidelines is that former employees are now prohibited from leaving reviews of their ex-employer. The older guidelines stated that reviews are only a conflict of interest when left by current employees.
The bottom line is reviews of employers are not allowed, whether the person currently works there or not. Those wanting to leave reviews of their employer, negative or positive, would be better off doing so on a site like Glassdoor.
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