What is review gating, and why doesn't AyanaSEO do it?
Review gating is the practice of filtering who leaves a public review — sending happy customers to Google while diverting unhappy ones to a private form. It's prohibited by Google's review policy and, since 2024, by the FTC's fake-review rule (16 CFR Part 465). AyanaSEO deliberately doesn't do it: your review link sends every customer to the same public Google review page.
Gating is tempting because it inflates your rating — but it's banned precisely because it deceives future customers, and enforcement can mean removed reviews, listing penalties, or FTC action. It's a real risk, not a technicality.
The compliant approach is simple and just as effective over time: ask every customer (not only the ones you expect to be happy) and send them all the same public link. A steady flow of genuine reviews, plus thoughtful replies to the occasional negative one, builds a rating customers and Google trust.
That's why AyanaSEO's Reputation tools are built without a star gate or private intercept — one public link for everyone, plus AI-drafted replies you send yourself.
Related
Back to Reputation guides or the Help Center.
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