How to Remove Google Reviews
Welcome to our comprehensive guide on how to get Google reviews removed. Our guide is to help individuals and businesses take control of their online reputation and designed to provide you with clear, step-by-step instructions on how to assess, and when necessary, remove Google reviews from your Google Business Profile. Whether you’re dealing with reviews that violate Google’s policies, are inappropriate or simply to address customer feedback effectively, this guide will equip you with the necessary tools and strategies.
Our goal is to help you maintain a positive online presence, enhance customer trust, and ensure your business is accurately represented on the world’s most prominent search platforms, Google.
Before you attempt to Remove a Google Review
We recommend pursuing any Google review removal in a sequential order to maximize your chance of being successful:
- Attempt to resolve the complaint by contacting the person who posted the Google review directly.
- Assess the Review to determine the policy it most closely violates.
- Flag the review on Google Maps.
- Report the review on Google Search.
- Flag the review from your Google Business Profile.
- Report the review from the Google Reviews Management Tool.
- Submit a one-time appeal from the Google Reviews Management Tool.
- If appropriate, consider taking legal action if appropriate.
Remember when you follow these steps:
- Google does not have a simple “delete Google review” option for inappropriate reviews.
- Google reviews can only be removed if the poster deletes it or if it’s flagged and found to violate Google’s policies.
- Reporting a review does not guarantee removal.
- Google reviews are not removed unless they violate policies.
- Patience is necessary as the review removal process can take time.
How To Remove Google Reviews: Step By Step
Step 1: Assess the Google Review Before Attempting Removal
Google’s review guidelines are in place to ensure that reviews on Google Business Profiles are authentic, relevant, and respectful. Understanding these guidelines can help you effectively leverage them when flagging inappropriate reviews.
Here’s a look at some of the more common types of Google review which can be removed and how you can use each guideline to your advantage:
1. Off Topic
- When to Use: Flag a review if it doesn’t pertain to an actual experience with your business. This includes random comments or irrelevant content.
- How to Do It: Select the ‘Flag as inappropriate’ option and choose ‘Off topic’ to indicate that the review does not relate to a genuine experience.
2. Spam
- When to Use: If a review seems to be from a bot, a fake account, they are posting fake google reviews or contains ads and promotions, it’s considered spam.
- How to Do It: Flag these reviews for containing promotional content or appearing automated, under the ‘Spam’ category.
3. Conflict of Interest
- When to Use: Reviews from individuals affiliated with your business or a competitor’s business fall under this category.
- How to Do It: Flag these reviews as ‘Conflict of interest’ to indicate bias or unfair competition.
4. Profanity
- When to Use: Reviews containing swear words, sexually explicit language, or graphic violence should be flagged.
- How to Do It: Use the ‘Profanity’ option when flagging to indicate the inappropriate nature of the content.
5. Bullying or Harassment
- When to Use: If a review personally attacks an individual, it’s considered bullying or harassment.
- How to Do It: Choose ‘Bullying or harassment’ when flagging such reviews to highlight the personal attack.
6. Discrimination or Hate Speech
- When to Use: Reviews containing harmful language about an individual or group based on their identity must be flagged.
- How to Do It: Select ‘Discrimination or hate speech’ to report reviews that are offensive or prejudiced.
7. Personal Information
- When to Use: If a review includes personal information like an address or phone number, it should be flagged.
- How to Do It: Flag these reviews as containing ‘Personal information’ to protect privacy.
Best Practices:
- Always read the review thoroughly before flagging.
- Choose the most appropriate category that matches the violation.
- Remember, flagging does not guarantee removal. Google will review flagged content to determine if it violates guidelines.
- Maintain professionalism and objectivity when flagging reviews.
By understanding and correctly applying Google’s review guidelines, you can effectively manage your business’s online reputation and ensure that the reviews on your profile are fair, relevant, and respectful.
You can review all of Google’s content guidelines here and learn how to get a google review removed that’s harming your business.
Step 2: Flag The Review Via Google Maps
5. Click “Flag as inappropriate.”
6. Select the type of violation.
Step 3: Report the Review Via Google Search
4. Find the review to report.
5. Click “More” (the three vertical dots)
6. Click “Report review.”
7. Select the type of violation.
Step 4: Flag the Google Review Via Your Account
3. On the review, click “More”
4. Click “Flag as inappropriate.”
5. Select the type of violation.
Step 5: Report the Review Via the Reviews Management Tool
4. Select your business and then “Continue.”
5. Select then “Report a new review for removal.”
6. For each review, click “Report”
7. Select a category, and submit.
Congratulations, you’ve successfully taken all the steps required to remove an inappropriate Google review. Read on to discover your options for the next steps, or what to do in the event of a reported review failing to be removed.
How to Check the Status of a Flagged Google Review
Expand to be guided the flagged review status check.
4. Select your business and then “Continue.”
5. Select your business and check the status of reported reviews and appeal options.
6. Select your business and check the status of reported reviews and appeal options.
When you have reported a review you will typically receive an email confirmation.
If you submit the report through the Review Management Tool or as a user connected to the Google Business Profile it will look a little different:
If you own the Google Business Profile you will receive a message if the review is found to violate Google’s policies and gets removed.
You will also receive a notification when review removal attempts are unsuccessful.
Submit a One-Time Appeal
Expand to be guided through the one-time appeal process.
4. On the next screen click “Submit an appeal.”
5. Fill out the appeal form and submit.
6. An email will inform you of the verdict.Resolve the Complaint Directly
If you’ve followed all of the steps above and still haven’t been able to remove the Google review, another effective way to address inappropriate reviews is by attempting to resolve the poster’s complaint directly. This approach not only has the potential to rectify the issue but also demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction. Here’s how you can do this:
- Reach Out Privately: If possible, contact the reviewer privately. This could be through email or a private message. The goal is to understand their concerns in a more personal, one-on-one setting.
- Acknowledge and Apologize: Begin the conversation by acknowledging their experience and offering an apology for any inconvenience caused. This shows empathy and a willingness to listen.
- Understand the Issue: Ask questions to get a clearer picture of the problem. This helps in providing a more tailored resolution.
- Offer a Solution: Based on the complaint, offer a solution. This could be a refund, a replacement, a discount on future services, or simply an assurance to improve. The solution should aim to address their specific concerns.
- Request Review Update/Removal: Once the issue is resolved, politely ask if they would consider updating or removing their Google review. Explain how important customer feedback is to your business.
- Learn from the Experience: Use this interaction as a learning opportunity to prevent similar issues in the future.
Directly resolving complaints shows other customers that you value feedback and are proactive about customer service. It can turn a negative experience into a positive one, potentially converting a dissatisfied customer into a loyal one.
What to do if you can’t get a Google review removed
When Google upholds a review that you believe should be removed and you’re still asking yourself how do I remove Google reviews? There are several steps that can be taken:
Respond to the Negative Review
Learning the best ways of How to respond to Negative Google reviews professionally can drastically reduce their impact to your business.
Explore Legal Action
- If the review contains defamatory content or illegal material, legal action might be a viable option.
- Consult with a legal professional to understand your rights and the viability of a case against the reviewer or the platform.
Understand the Risks of Taking Legal Action Against a Reviewer
- Attempting to suppress information can inadvertently lead to more publicity.
- Legal action may be perceived negatively by consumers, potentially damaging the business’s reputation further.
- Legal processes can be expensive and time-consuming.
- There is no guarantee that the outcome will be favorable, and the process may draw more attention to the inappropriate review.
Hire a Review Removal Specialist
- They might have more success in navigating the review removal process due to their expertise and experience.
- Ensure the specialist is reputable and understands Google’s policies thoroughly to avoid any unethical practices.
The team at Guaranteed Removals are review removal professionals, specializing in online reputation management and content removal. We are experts at removing Google reviews and understand the intricacies of content removal across different platforms and can provide strategic advice.
We’ve helped 4,490 clients remove a total of 25,119 reviews since 2020, and can help you.
If you’ve followed the steps in our guide and still aren’t seeing results, our Google review removal service can help. and best of all, you’re only charged for reviews which are successfully removed.
Generate Positive Google Reviews
- Actively encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. This can help in diluting the impact of a negative or inappropriate review.
- Build strong relationships with your customers, improving the likelihood of them leaving positive feedback to generate more positive reviews.
- Utilize marketing strategies to showcase positive customer experiences.
While negative business reviews can be challenging, it’s important for businesses to handle them with tact and professionalism. Often, the focus should be on improving service and encouraging more positive feedback rather than fixating on a single negative review.
How to Remove Google Reviews
How long does it take to remove a Google review?
The timeframe to remove Google reviews varies. It depends on how “legitimate” the review appears, the complexity, the service provider and how long it takes to get someone at Google’s attention. Simple cases may resolve quickly in a matter of days, while complex ones can take up to 90 days. Negotiations with the reviewer also influence the removal timeline, ranging from days to several weeks or more.
How much does it cost to remove a Google review?
The cost of removing a negative Google review varies. Self-removal can be free, while professional services typically range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Legal action can be expensive, including lawyer fees and court costs. Pricing depends on the approach and service provider.
Can A Business Remove A Google Review?
A business cannot directly remove Google reviews, only Google has the power to actually remove reviews they consider in violation of their policies.
This does not mean businesses are powerless to remove inappropriate Google reviews however.
If your company considers a review inappropriate, Google provides you the means (see our step by step guide above) to flag this for review then potential review removal.
Can Businesses Hide Google Reviews?
Why Won’t Google Remove Fake Reviews?
Google’s process for determining whether a review is fake can be complex.
Unless the Google review clearly violates Google’s content policies, it might not be removed.
This is often frustrating for businesses and individuals who are certain a review is false but can’t get it taken down but there are still options, such as engaging a Google review removal specialist.
Related Articles
Google Reviews: Removal, Response, and Management
- Google Review Management Checklist for Businesses
- Understanding Google Review User Behavior
- Google’s Review Removal Policy Explained
- Effective Strategies for Removing Fake Google Reviews
- Dealing with Unfair Google Reviews for Your Business
- Tools and Services for Google Review Management
- The Psychology of Google Review Ratings
Google Search Results & Online Reputation Management
Google Business Profile Optimization
- Rank in Google’s Top 3 Local Pack Service
- How Google Uses Online Reputation to Rank Your Site
- Google Medic Update and Its Effect on Search Rankings
- What is Google’s Local Pack?
- The Impact of Google Reviews on Local Businesses
- How the Google Search Algorithm Works
- Optimize Your Online Presence with Google My Business
