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Case study · Review Defense
How Review Defense leveled the playing field for a healthcare provider in a fiercely competitive local market.
Customer
Regional urgent and primary care provider
Size
80+ locations in the Mid-Atlantic
Plan
Review Defense Integrity
Timeframe
First 90 days, from spring 2025
+26
authentic reviews added
2
fake 1-star reviews removed
97
fake competitor reviews disputed, 14 removed
~4×
faster review growth than competitors
Suspicious reviews cost U.S. businesses an estimated $300 billion a year in lost revenue and trust (Cavazos & Sterling, 2024). In healthcare, where credibility drives every patient decision, that cost can be severe.
One metropolitan urgent care clinic, part of a multi-location provider, was caught in the middle. Competitors were inflating their visibility with fraudulent 5-star reviews, while the clinic was targeted with fake 1-star reviews designed to damage its reputation and search rankings.
In 90 days the provider turned the tide. With Review Defense on the Integrity plan, it removed suspicious negative Google reviews and challenged the fraudulent positive reviews that gave competitors an unfair advantage.
Despite strong patient care, the clinic’s public rating didn’t reflect it. Patients rated the clinic 4.5 stars across 1,472 first-party surveys, but its Google Business Profile showed 4.2 stars.
4.5
First-party patient surveys
1,472 responses
vs
4.2
Google Business Profile
Before Review Defense
Meanwhile, more than half of competitors’ positive reviews were flagged as suspicious. The clinic risked losing patient trust and local search ranking to dishonest practices.
GatherUp turned on Review Defense, powered by the Integrity plan, across the clinic’s Google Business Profile. Review Defense uses AI-driven detection and automated dispute management to identify, document, and dispute inauthentic reviews. The team ran a proactive cycle: detect, dispute, and defend.
Every new review scored for signals of fraud.
Reviews flagged for removal disputed with documented evidence.
11 local clinics monitored to keep competition fair.
Month after month, the clinic’s metrics improved while competitors trended the other way.
Positive review impressions rose 2.3% and negative impressions fell 2.3%, the opposite of competitor trends.
The key competitor had 7 fake reviews removed, with 111 more still flagged as suspicious.
Review growth outpaced every competitor, roughly four times faster (17.5 vs 4.7), making authenticity a competitive advantage.
Month-by-month figures are results for each month, not running totals. For example, the clinic added 9 new reviews in month 1 and 15 in month 2.
In three months the provider moved from reacting to problems to a data-backed defense strategy. By combining ethical review generation with GatherUp’s automation and insights, it:
Improved confidence in its star rating through authentic growth
Reduced the visibility of fake negative reviews
Exposed competitors’ deceptive review tactics
Built a stronger, fairer digital reputation
This provider’s 90 days show that authenticity wins, with algorithms and with patients. By investing in proactive reputation defense, it reclaimed its online credibility and set a standard for integrity in local healthcare marketing.
At a glance
+26
authentic reviews added
2
fake 1-star reviews removed
97
fake competitor reviews disputed, 14 removed
~4×
faster review growth than competitors
See what’s hiding in your reviews
Run a free Defense Scan to see how much of your market’s review landscape is real, and where you may be losing ground.
Find out which competitors may be gaming their reviews and how Review Defense can protect your reputation.
