Welton Hong
on
Written by Welton Hong
Trust has always been the foundation of funeral service. Families make one of the most emotional purchasing decisions of their lives based largely on reputation, recommendations and increasingly, online reviews.
That makes fake reviews more than just an annoyance. They have become a business risk.
A new survey from reputation management company LocalImpact found that fake online reviews have become nearly universal for local businesses, with 72% of business owners reporting they received at least one fake review during the past year. Even more concerning, nearly four out of five believe they have been the target of a coordinated attack at some point.
For funeral homes, cremation providers and cemeteries, where a family’s confidence can be won or lost before a phone call is ever made, those findings deserve close attention.
Reputation Is Revenue
Unlike many retail businesses, funeral providers rarely get a second chance with a prospective family. Someone searching online often compares only a handful of firms before making a decision.
One suspicious one-star review can create doubt.
LocalImpact’s research found that 52% of business owners said fake reviews damaged their overall star rating, one-third reported losing potential customers, and 28% said fake reviews directly reduced revenue. Nearly nine out of 10 consumers admitted they have avoided a business after reading negative reviews.
For funeral professionals, the implications are significant.
Families already face uncertainty and emotional stress when selecting a funeral home or cemetery. If they encounter reviews alleging poor treatment, billing problems or insensitive staff — even if those reviews are fabricated — they may simply move on to another provider.
The AI Factor Makes Reviews Even More Important
Online reviews now influence more than Google’s local search rankings.
As consumers increasingly use AI-powered search tools to ask questions like “best funeral home near me” or “highest-rated cremation provider,” review quality has become another signal these systems evaluate.
LocalImpact notes that AI-generated recommendations increasingly incorporate public review data, meaning a business with a damaged online reputation may lose visibility before a consumer even reaches its website.
Not Every Fake Review Comes From a Competitor
Many funeral directors immediately assume competitors are behind fake negative reviews.
Sometimes that’s true.
The survey found many business owners suspect competitors of posting negative reviews or purchasing positive reviews for themselves. Others reported coordinated review attacks designed to rapidly lower a business’s overall rating.
But fake reviews come in many forms.
Former employees may leave reviews disguised as customers. Individuals who never interacted with the business may post fabricated complaints. AI-generated reviews have also become increasingly common, often containing polished language but few specific details.
Ironically, fake positive reviews can be just as dangerous.
Some businesses believe asking friends, family members or employees to leave glowing reviews is harmless. Google’s policies disagree.
What Google Considers a Fake Review
Google’s review policies are broader than many business owners realize.
The company defines fake or misleading reviews as any review that does not reflect a genuine customer experience. That includes reviews written by someone who never used the business, paid or incentivized reviews, reviews created from multiple accounts and reviews intended to manipulate ratings.
Perhaps most surprising to some funeral professionals is Google’s position on conflicts of interest.
Current employees, former employees, business owners and competitors are generally prohibited from reviewing the business because their relationship creates inherent bias. Even if an employee genuinely believes their employer provides excellent service, Google’s policy considers that review inappropriate because it is not an independent customer perspective.
Likewise, owners should never review their own funeral home or ask family members who were not actual clients to post testimonials.
Google’s Enforcement Is Becoming More Aggressive
Google has steadily increased its efforts to detect review manipulation.
Businesses caught engaging in fake review practices may have reviews removed, lose the ability to receive new reviews temporarily, or have warning notices displayed on their Google Business Profile indicating suspicious review activity. In some cases, Google can suspend review functionality altogether while investigating manipulation.
The regulatory environment is also tightening.
The Federal Trade Commission finalized rules prohibiting the buying and selling of fake reviews, including reviews generated by company insiders or artificial intelligence intended to deceive consumers. Violations can carry substantial financial penalties.
For funeral businesses that have spent decades building community trust, the reputational damage from being publicly associated with fake reviews could far outweigh any short-term marketing benefit.
What Funeral Providers Should Do
The lesson is not to become suspicious of every negative review. Genuine criticism can provide valuable feedback and demonstrate authenticity to prospective families.
Instead, funeral homes should focus on building a consistent stream of legitimate reviews from actual client families.
That means making review requests a routine part of aftercare, responding professionally to both positive and negative feedback, monitoring profiles regularly for suspicious activity, and documenting evidence when a review appears to come from someone who was never served.
Most importantly, owners should resist shortcuts.
Buying reviews, asking staff members to inflate ratings or encouraging anyone without firsthand experience to post testimonials may seem like harmless marketing tactics. Under Google’s policies, however, they can jeopardize years of carefully earned credibility.
Authenticity Wins
The funeral profession has always been built on trust, compassion and reputation.
Online reviews are simply today’s version of word-of-mouth referrals.
Families are remarkably good at recognizing authentic experiences, and search platforms are becoming increasingly sophisticated at identifying manufactured ones.
The safest long-term strategy is also the simplest: Provide exceptional service, invite real families to share honest feedback and let genuine experiences tell the story.
Welton Hong is the founder & CEO of Ring Ring Marketing, which has helped over 600 small businesses grow their revenue through online marketing strategies. He is also the author of “Making Your Phone Ring with Internet Marketing for Funeral Homes.” Visit ringringmarketing.com and follow the company on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and X.