Online reviews have become one of the most important deciding factors patients use to select a practice. However, the rise of review gating poses a significant threat to the integrity of these online reviews, the ethics of those medical practices that are unknowingly review gating, and your Google Business Profile.

Our study showed that 7 out of 10 companies are review gating. 70% of the industry is reviewing gating and they are ignoring the risks involved with what they are doing, and will ultimately place blame back on the medical practice when it all comes crashing down. And by down, we mean your Google Business Profile and your revenue.

Your #1 marketing asset can come to a screeching halt in the blink of an eye.

What Is Review Gating?

It’s preventing an upset patient from leaving a review for your practice or doctors.

Said another way, review gating is not giving upset patients the same opportunity to leave online reviews that you give happy patients.

What Happens If You Get Caught Review Gating?

Google can suspend and disable your Google Business Profile and you can say bye, bye, bye—to your Google Business Profile and your pristine reputation in the community that you have worked so hard to build.

See the examples below to help you determine if you are review gating.

Google’s Terms & Conditions

Google and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have both taken firm stances against review gating, making it important for medical practices to comply with these guidelines. The below is pulled directly from Google’s terms and conditions:

“Discouraging or prohibiting negative reviews, or selectively soliciting positive reviews from customers” is directly correlated to the rise of review gating.

How Do I Know If I Am Review Gating?

Again, review gating is not giving upset patients the same opportunity to leave online reviews that you give happy patients. This can take various forms, but mainly consists of asking patients if they had a positive or negative experience and only following up with online review requests to those who provided a positive experience.

A direct example would be to send an email or text to a patient and only ask them to leave an online review if they had a positive experience.

An indirect example includes sending a survey to all patients, and based on their responses, happy patients are directed to leave an online review while unhappy patients are given a series of questions intended to distract the patient from leaving an online review by leaving only private feedback, or never being asked to leave a review.

All of the below examples show you how review gating works.

In addition to review gating, offering incentives are also not allowed for leaving a review and is in direct violation of Google’s terms and conditions.

Offering Incentives for Positive Online Reviews

Offering incentives while asking patients to leave online reviews is another form of review gating. Even if upset patients are given the same incentive as happy patients, it encourages positive feedback that does not represent the patients’ genuine experience. Consumers rely on reviews to make informed decisions, and when reviews are manipulated, it gives an inaccurate representation of a practice.

The Legal Risks of Review Gating

In addition to Google’s policies, the FTC has their own set of strict guidelines. Practices are required to present honest and authentic reviews from their patients, including both positive and negative experiences. Failure to comply with these guidelines can result in steep fines, legal action, and even permanent bans from platforms like Google.

How to Avoid Review Gating?

In order to remain compliant with Google’s and the FTC’s guidelines, consider the following tips:

Ask all patients for reviews: Don’t filter out patients based on their experience. Send surveys to everyone.

Avoid offering incentives: Never offer discounts, free services, or any type of perk in exchange for positive reviews.

Respond to negative reviews professionally: Negative reviews are an opportunity for improvement. By responding with HIPAA approved replies you can demonstrate your commitment to patient satisfaction and potentially convert unhappy patients into loyal ones.

Work with compliance partners: Work with Satisfied Patient who is an expert in online reputation management with the regulations and best practices for review management.

Transparency in Online Reviews

Rather than gaming the system through review gating, practices should focus on transparency in their online reviews. This means encouraging all reviews, including the negative ones.

Conclusion

While review gating may offer some short-term benefits, the long-term risks far outweigh any temporary gains. Practices that engage in review gating can face serious legal, financial, and reputational consequences, including losing the trust of your patients. By fostering transparency and encouraging honest feedback, practices can build a more trustworthy online reputation and ensure they comply with both Google’s review policies and FTC regulations.