Posts tagged #reviews
17 posts
How a UK dental practice should reply to Google reviews without breaking patient confidentiality (2026)
The NHS website no longer takes reviews, so patients judge a practice on Google. What GDC Standards allow in a public reply, why not to use the patient's name, three safe replies, and how to ask for reviews under the DMCC Act.
We read the Google ratings of 1,221 hotels and restaurants in Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon and Porto. The chains come out worst
649 hotels, restaurants and fast-food places in Madrid and Barcelona, as Google shows them. 64% of fast-food chain branches sit at 4.0 or below, against 20% of independents. 20 of 21 McDonald's branches are at 4.0 or below.
We checked the Google ratings of 1,353 hotels and B&Bs in 14 UK seaside towns. Here is what it takes to climb from 4.0
We read the Google rating of 1,353 hotels and B&Bs in 14 UK seaside towns. In Brighton half sit at 4.0 or below, in Torquay one in five. How many five-star reviews it takes to climb, and the legal way to ask for them.
Fake reviews became illegal in the UK on 6 April 2025. Here is what a garage, salon or restaurant has to change about asking for them
The DMCC Act put fake and undisclosed incentivised reviews on the UK banned list, with fines of up to 10% of turnover and the CMA enforcing directly. Most small firms have never read it. The habits it bans are common, and the legal way to ask is simpler than the old way.
How to get a fake Google review removed in the EU: the two routes, and the one most owners never use
Google's own report button works for spam and profanity. For a review that is simply false, EU businesses have a second route under the Digital Services Act, with a legal duty on Google to act. Here is how to write a notice that gets read, and what to do while you wait.
The Holiday-Season Review Plan: 8 Weeks to Enter January With the Rating You Want
December brings the year's busiest six weeks to restaurants, hotels and salons — and the most reviews. What you collect from mid-October to New Year is the rating you carry through the quiet months. A week-by-week plan, with the EU legal lines that matter.
The Review Loop: QR Code In, Widget Out — How Small Businesses Compound Their Google Rating
A QR code collects reviews at the one moment guests will write them; a widget puts those reviews where the next customer decides. Run both and each feeds the other. Here is the loop, the placements, the code, and the two mistakes that quietly break it.
How to Get More Google Reviews for Your Restaurant — the 2026 EU-Legal Playbook
Seven collection systems ranked by conversion per effort, the exact peak-season math, and the three tactics that are now illegal in the EU. A practical playbook for restaurants that want 5-8 fresh reviews per month — without risking a fine or a profile suspension.
The 2026 EU Review Law Compliance Checklist for Local Businesses
Review gating, undisclosed incentives, and hidden negatives can now cost EU businesses up to 4% of turnover. This is the plain-English checklist to get compliant in an afternoon — plus a free 60-second self-check to see where you stand.
Fake Reviews Are Now a Legal Liability in the EU: What the 2026 Crackdown Means for Your Business
Buying or faking reviews has been illegal across the EU since 2022 — but 2026 is when it got teeth. Fines reach 4% of turnover, competitors can sue, and a February 2026 court ruling just tightened the rules. Here's what every SMB must change now.
Review Velocity Now Beats Review Count: The New Local SEO Math (2026)
A business with 60 reviews and 8 new ones per month outranks a business with 400 reviews collected three years ago. Here's the math behind review velocity in 2026 — and three sustainable systems to hit 5–8 per month forever.
Google's AI Just Nuked 160 Million Reviews. Some of Yours Were Probably Real.
Google removed 160M reviews in 2025 using Gemini-based AI detection — a 600% spike in deletion rates. The catch: real reviews are getting caught in the net. Here's why, what triggers the false positives, and how to appeal.