4.2 Structured data, specific typesHighVerified
Self-serving/fake review markup
Marking up reviews you wrote about yourself, or inventing ratings, is against Google policy and a fast route to a manual action. Review markup must be genuine third-party feedback.
What it is
Manufactured ratings.
Why it matters
Policy violation; manual-action risk.
How to fix it
Only mark up genuine, policy-compliant reviews.
How to find it on your site
- Check whether review markup reflects genuine, independent reviews.
- Flag self-authored or fabricated ratings.
- Remove non-compliant review markup.
- Use only authentic reviews, ideally third-party verified.
Cross-reference to ranking and citation factors
Fake or self-serving review markup risks a manual action and trust loss. Only genuine reviews belong in markup.
Impact
Medium-high; penalty risk. Direct.
Evidence
Review markup must follow policy. Google Search Central, Structured data general guidelines; Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search
Sources