WhatsMyRepReputation notes
Practical guides for small business owners and agencies on Google, reviews and AI answers, with links to the original sources.
How to check your business reputation on Google in 10 minutes
Five searches, the suggestions, the stars and the AI Overview: a minute-by-minute routine and a simple way to decide what needs action.
Read article →Latest reputation notes
Google search
What Google's quality raters look for in a business's reputation
Section 3.3 of Google's rater guidelines explains how raters research reputation. What it says, what it does not, and what to take from it.
Reviews
Fake Google reviews: how to spot them and report them
How Google defines a fake review, the signs that give one away, the exact reporting steps, and what US and UK law now say.
Reviews
Review extortion and review bombing: what to do in the first 48 hours
A wave of 1-star reviews, then a demand for money. Google's advice, the report form, and a 48-hour plan.
Google search
Negative Google autocomplete: where it comes from and what you can do
Why Google suggests "scam" next to an honest business, what its policy removes, how to report, and what actually helps.
AI answers
What AI Overviews and ChatGPT say about your business, and how to check
How to see what Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Gemini tell customers about you, why one answer proves nothing, and what shapes them.
AI answers
E-E-A-T and brand mentions: what the evidence says
What Google says about E-E-A-T, what Ahrefs found about brand mentions and AI Overviews, and what to do with it.
Monitoring
What Google Alerts does not show you
Alerts tells you about new pages. Here is what it cannot see: what already ranks, suggestions, ratings and AI answers.
Monitoring
Brand monitoring for a small business with no budget
Four free tools and fifteen minutes a week: the setup, what each tool misses, and when it is worth paying.
Google search
"Scam" next to your business name in Google: what to do
"Scam" can appear in the suggestions, the results or the AI Overview. How to tell which, find the cause, and what to do in week one.
Monitoring
Social listening or reputation monitoring: which one does a small business need?
Social listening hears every conversation; reputation monitoring shows what buyers find. How they differ, what they cost, how to pick.
Google search
Can you remove negative search results about your business?
Which removal routes exist (site owner, legal, outdated content, review policies), when they work, and what to do when the page stays.
See what customers find before they do.
Run a free one-off check and get a report of what shows up about your business: Google results, suggestions, ratings and AI answers. No account. Report ready in 2-3 minutes.