Local businesses: the numbers, the rules, the AI picture.

• Google Business Profile guidelines

  Google's guidelines say a profile must represent the business as it is known in the real world. The name must match your signage and branding, without taglines, service descriptions, hours or location details. Categories should describe what the business is, using the most specific category and as few as needed. Service-area businesses should hide the address and keep the area within roughly two hours' drive. P.O. boxes and virtual offices are not eligible, and menus must show the full offering. Violations can lead to suspension.

  What it means: Use the exact name on your sign, not 'Best Pizza Near Me'. Pick the specific primary category, add secondary ones only where true, and keep the address and phone consistent with the website. If you work from home and visit customers, set a service area and hide the address. Do not use a redirecting tracking number as the main number. Post the full menu or price list in the profile, not a link to a third-party ordering site.

  [6] support.google.com

• Google prohibited and restricted content policy for reviews (fake engagement, incentives, review gating)

  Google removes reviews that do not reflect a genuine experience, including paid or in-kind reviews and reviews posted after any incentive such as a discount or free product. Businesses may not discourage negative reviews, selectively ask only happy customers, require staff to hit review quotas, pressure customers to review on the premises or request specific content. Reviews with a conflict of interest, such as from employees or relatives, are not allowed. Businesses can encourage genuine reviews.

  What it means: Ask every customer, the same way, with the same Google review link or QR code. Do not offer a discount, entry or freebie for a review, and do not hand a tablet across the counter to pressure customers. Do not screen happy from unhappy customers before asking. Reply to negative reviews on the platform and flag policy-violating reviews. You cannot remove a review yourself, and offering an incentive to remove one is itself prohibited.

  [7] support.google.com

• FTC Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (16 CFR Part 465)

  The rule, effective October 21, 2024, prohibits writing, selling or buying fake or false consumer reviews and testimonials, and buying or misusing fake social media indicators such as followers. It prohibits review suppression through intimidation, unfounded legal threats or false accusations. Reviews from employees, agents or their relatives must disclose the relationship. Incentives are not banned but cannot depend on the review being positive or negative. Courts can impose civil penalties for knowing violations.

  What it means: Never buy reviews or have staff write them. Do not threaten customers with a lawsuit to take a review down. If a family member or employee reviews, they must disclose it, and you should not request it. Replying to a review is fine, but do not make accusations you know are false. Sort or display reviews neutrally and do not hide the negative ones on your own site. In the UK, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act bans fake and concealed-incentive reviews from April 6, 2025, with fines of up to 10% of global turnover according to a CMS law-firm summary, so check the CMA guidance if you trade there.

  [8] ftc.gov

• FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255) for influencers, gifted products and review requests

  The FTC says endorsements must reflect honest opinions and any material connection, such as free products, payment or family ties, must be disclosed clearly where viewers will see it. Rewards must not be conditional on positive reviews. Asking only customers you expect to be happy for reviews can be misleading if it skews the overall rating, and delaying or removing only the negative ones gives a biased picture. Responsibility for disclosure sits with both the influencer and the brand.

  What it means: If you give a local creator a free meal, haircut or class, they must say so in the post itself, not only in a comment or a hashtag such as #partner. Write a one-page influencer policy: disclose, be honest, no scripts that force praise. Send review requests to all customers, not a filtered list. If you give an incentive for any review, tell customers it must be honest and disclosed.

  [9] ftc.gov

• Yelp content guidelines on soliciting reviews

  Yelp's content guidelines state that businesses should never ask customers to write reviews, and list conflicts of interest: users should not review their own business, a relative's, a competitor's or their employer's. Yelp also says users should not use third-party AI tools to create or revise reviews. Yelp's separate help article on solicitation was not readable when this page was researched, so check it directly.

  What it means: On Yelp, do not send review requests, run review campaigns or offer rewards. A review campaign on Yelp goes against its stated rule. Focus your asking on Google, where it is permitted, and tell customers they can find you on Yelp without a request. Do not pay for or script Yelp reviews.

  [10] yelp.com

• Telephone Consumer Protection Act and FCC rules, 47 CFR 64.1200 (marketing texts and calls)

  Autodialed or prerecorded marketing calls and texts to wireless numbers generally need the recipient's prior express written consent: a signed agreement that lists the number and says consent is not a condition of purchase. A consumer can revoke consent by any reasonable method, replying 'stop' or 'unsubscribe' counts per se, and the sender must honor it within a reasonable time not to exceed ten business days. Telephone solicitations to residential numbers are barred before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m. local time and to numbers on the Do Not Call registry.

  What it means: Collect text consent with a clear, unticked box or keyword opt-in that names your business, the type of messages and the number, and keep the record. Do not buy lists. Honor STOP at once, and send promotions only in daytime hours. Appointment reminders and order updates are a different category from promotions, so keep them separate and check with counsel. Carrier rules from the wireless industry also apply, and should be checked with your text-message provider. In the UK, PECR requires specific consent for marketing texts and emails, with a soft opt-in for existing customers, per the ICO. In Canada, section 6 of CASL requires consent for commercial electronic messages, express or implied, with an unsubscribe mechanism.

  [3] law.cornell.edu

• CAN-SPAM Act (marketing email)

  The FTC lists eight requirements for commercial email: accurate header information, non-deceptive subject lines, a clear statement that the message is an ad, a valid physical postal address, a visible way to opt out, honoring opt-outs within 10 business days, an opt-out mechanism that works for at least 30 days, and responsibility for any vendor who sends for you. It applies to consumer email as well as business email. Penalties reach $53,088 per violating email.

  What it means: Put your street address in every newsletter and offer, make unsubscribing one click, and process removals within the 10 business days at the latest, ideally immediately. Keep your email tool's sender name honest. If an agency or platform sends on your behalf, you remain responsible for compliance.

  [5] ftc.gov

• Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III, and website accessibility

  The Department of Justice's position is that Title III of the ADA, which covers businesses open to the public such as shops, restaurants and gyms, applies to goods and services offered on the web. The DOJ says there is no detailed regulation setting a technical standard and that businesses have flexibility, citing WCAG as a helpful reference. It recommends enough text contrast, alt text, keyboard access, captioned video, labeled form fields and a way for the public to report problems.

  What it means: Build to WCAG 2.1 AA as a working standard, and test your booking and ordering flow with a keyboard and a screen reader. Do not rely on an overlay widget alone: the DOJ notes that a clean automated report does not prove accessibility. Publish an accessibility contact. Fix the forms, menus and PDFs first, since they are where visitors act.

  [11] ada.gov

This is general information, not legal advice. Platform policies change often, and some rules differ by state, province and country. Check the current Google and Yelp policies, your state attorney general or consumer protection office, your city or county licensing and health authority, and a qualified lawyer before running a review, text or promotion programme.