Glossary
Google review glossary
Short, plain definitions for the words you'll meet when you manage your Google reviews. Where a term involves Google's rules, check Google's own help pages for the current wording.
Terms, A to Z-ish.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | The free listing for your business that shows in Google Search and Maps (formerly Google My Business). Reviews and your replies live here. |
| Owner response (review reply) | The public reply you post under a customer's review. Anyone reading the review sees it. |
| Response rate | The share of reviews you've replied to. 40 replies to 50 reviews is an 80% response rate. |
| Response time | How long after a review is posted you reply. Shorter is kinder to the reviewer and shows readers someone is watching. |
| Star rating (average rating) | The average of all star ratings on your profile, shown to one decimal place on Google. |
| Review gating | Asking only happy customers for reviews, or filtering unhappy ones out before they reach Google. Google's policies prohibit it. |
| Review solicitation | Asking customers to leave a review. Allowed if you ask everyone and don't offer anything in return. |
| Incentivised review | A review given in exchange for a discount, freebie or payment. Against Google's policies. |
| Fake review | A review not based on a real experience, whether from a competitor, a bot or a paid service. You can report it through your Business Profile. |
| Flagging (reporting) a review | Asking Google to review a post that may break its policies. Google decides whether to remove it. |
| House voice | In ReplyPlate, the notes you save about how your business talks and what it never promises, used for every draft. |
| Template phrase | Stock wording such as "we value your feedback" that makes a reply sound copy-pasted. The free reply checker flags these. |
| Taking it offline | Moving a complaint from public replies to a phone call or email with a named person. |
| Local SEO | Work that helps a business show up in local searches and on Maps. Reviews are one of many signals Google mentions for local ranking. |
| 口コミ (kuchikomi) | Japanese for word-of-mouth; the usual word for reviews on Google Maps in Japan. |
| 返信 (henshin) | Japanese for reply. "口コミ 返信" is how Japanese owners search for review-reply help. |
Questions
Common questions.
Does replying to reviews improve my Google ranking?
Google's Business Profile help encourages replying to reviews and lists reviews among local ranking factors. We don't know of public evidence that the reply itself moves rankings, so we don't claim it does.
Can I delete a bad review?
No, only Google can remove a review, and only if it breaks Google's policies. You can report it, and reply calmly in the meantime.
Can I ask customers for reviews?
Yes, as long as you ask everyone (not just happy customers) and don't offer anything in return.
Draft replies right on the review page.
The ReplyPlate Chrome extension writes a first draft; you read it and post it.