A competitor appears to be actively trying to damage your reputation. Negative reviews appearing in coordinated waves. Suspicious social media attacks. Possibly false claims in local forums.
It’s uncomfortable. And frustrating. And it’s manageable, if you react correctly.
Worth opening with one perspective: confirmed cases of competitor attacks against small businesses are less common than it feels when it’s happening. The most common thing is that several factors coincide: an unhappy customer, a former employee, general bad luck. Jumping straight to “the competitor is behind this” is often the wrong diagnosis and leads to actions that make things worse. That said, it’s not rare either. Google has publicly stated that they remove hundreds of millions of fake reviews per year globally, which proves the phenomenon exists.
First, decide whether it really is an attack
Before assuming a competitor attack, ask: is it really one?
Other possibilities:
- Legitimate criticism from several customers at once
- A single unhappy customer that spread further
- A former employee
- Pure randomness
If the pattern really does point to coordination (same phrases, from similar types of profiles, appearing at the same time), then it’s probably an attack.
Step 1: Document
Before doing anything:
- Screenshot everything. Reviews, comments, posts.
- Note date and time. Patterns are often visible in the timing.
- Save links to every place it appears.
This is your evidence if you need to act legally or report.
Step 2: Report suspected fake reviews
For Google reviews:
- Use the “Report violation” function in GBP
- Be concrete about why you suspect manipulation
- Submit documentation where possible
- Accept that review takes 1-3 weeks
Google removes reviews that clearly violate the guidelines. But they do not remove legitimate negative reviews just because you don’t like them.
Step 3: Focus on your own positive presence
The biggest counter-measure: drown out the attack with your own positive presence.
- Actively ask for reviews from happy customers
- Post regularly on social media
- Generate positive content about the business
- Build more positive sources (articles, mentions)
Negative reviews remain, but get drowned in a flood of positive, which has a stronger overall effect than individual negatives.
Step 4: Respond professionally to everything
Even suspected fake reviews should get a professional reply:
“Hi. Thanks for taking the time to write. We haven’t found any visit or booking matching your description. Get in touch directly at [phone/email] with more information about the visit so we can sort it out.”
This:
- Shows readers you’re professional
- Signals that you suspect something’s off without being aggressive
- Builds credibility by comparison
Step 5: Legal advice for clear defamation
If someone publishes clearly false claims about you (not just negative opinions, but factual untruths), it may be defamation or another criminal offence.
In Swedish law there are two relevant provisions:
- Defamation (Penal Code chapter 5, section 1): pointing someone out as criminal or “reprehensible in their way of life”, or otherwise making a statement designed to expose them to others’ contempt. To be criminal it must normally concern a named natural person. That can be hard when it concerns a company.
- Insult (chapter 5, section 3): directly degrading/contemptuous statement aimed at someone. Lower threshold but also aimed at a person.
- The Marketing Act (2008:486): if the competitor themselves publishes misleading negative information about your product/service in their marketing, it may be unfair marketing that the Consumer Ombudsman can act against.
Seek legal advice from a lawyer. They can:
- Assess which legal basis applies
- Send a cease-and-desist to the writer
- Request that Google or another platform remove content
- As a last resort, take legal action
This is expensive and time-consuming. Only use it for serious cases. Realistic cost for a first assessment from a lawyer: 3,000-8,000 SEK. For a longer legal process: tens to hundreds of thousands of kronor. If the damage is limited it’s often not worth it.
What you should never do
1. Counter-attack publicly.
Don’t write negative reviews about the competitor. Don’t create fake accounts that reply. This:
- Is probably against the rules and can be punished
- Escalates the conflict
- Makes you look desperate
- Can be discovered and ruin your reputation further
In a Swedish context: writing false reviews about a competitor is unfair marketing under the Marketing Act and can result in injunctions with fines from the Consumer Ombudsman. It has also happened that consumer-forum sites like Reco and Bolagsfakta have used IP tracing to expose fake reviews, and then it becomes public that you were behind it. Total disaster.
2. Confront the competitor directly.
“I know it’s you behind this”, even if true, leads nowhere good. Leave it to Google and possibly lawyers.
3. Discuss the attack publicly.
“We have a competitor trying to damage our reputation” makes you look paranoid. Handle it internally and let the results speak.
4. React emotionally.
Don’t write an angry public response. Wait. Come back when you’re calm.
5. Assume you have evidence.
It’s often hard to prove a specific competitor is behind it. Be careful about calling anyone out by name.
Long-term defence
The best defence against future attacks:
- Strong organic positive presence. Many reviews, active social media, regular content = harder to damage.
- Clear and consistent communication. Easier to see what’s genuine vs fake.
- Good relationships with customers. They’ll defend you if anyone attacks.
- Industry memberships and certifications. External validation contradicts anonymous attacks.
The practical first step
If you suspect a competitor attack right now:
- Document everything. Before doing anything else.
- Breathe and wait. Don’t react impulsively.
- Report suspected manipulation to Google.
- Reply professionally to all.
- Accelerate your positive presence.
If you’re not in that situation, build the long-term defences above.
Specifically for the Swedish local context
Two Swedish particularities to be aware of:
The small-town effect. In smaller Swedish towns where “everyone knows everyone”, competitor attacks are both rarer and more damaging when they happen. Local Facebook groups (“Allt om Linköping”, “Vi i Vänersborg”) can in hours turn an unverified accusation into town gossip. Build good relationships with local admins and make sure you have an honest digital presence so you don’t depend on others’ interpretation.
Trades and RUT/ROT industries. Competitor influence is more common here. Suspicious claims about “off-the-books work”, “unlicensed”, or “illegal” labour occur and can be damaging. If you’re a legitimate business, show it actively. F-skatt certificate visible on the website, invoice numbers public, insurance and certifications listed. It’s harder to attack documented transparency.
Want to go deeper? Read Mass negative reviews or Crisis management in a PR incident.