Blog Post
How to Remove Bad Reviews From Google
Brent Werbeck • Oct 28, 2019
This is how you can actually deal with, prevent and even remove bad Google reviews
If you're like most local businesses, then you'll agree that seeing a bad review posted on your Google listing is an absolutely terrible feeling, especially if you have reason to believe that the review is fake.
Although it can be difficult, there are actually very clear steps Google has laid out for local businesses that allow them to combat fake reviews.
In today's article, we're going to show you what you can do to fight bad Google reviews and how to flag reviews that you believe violate Google's content policy.
Is it possible to remove bad reviews from Google?
Yes, it is possible to get bad reviews removed from Google.
But there's a catch...
Just because a review is bad doesn't mean Google is going to remove it for you. The review has to violate Google's review policy in order for it to be considered for removal.
Even then, if you're able to prove that it violates one of Google's review policies, it can still be difficult to get the review removed.
Nonetheless there are strategies and specific steps you can take to have a bad review removed from Google.
There are also things you can do to ensure you avoid bad reviews all together.
Google's review policy allows for certain types of reviews to be removed
There are several different scenarios under which a review could be considered prohibited or restricted content by Google.
Specifically, there are 10 different types of prohibited or restricted content that Google calls out.
Most of these scenarios are very rare for a local business to encounter, but nonetheless you should be aware of them in case you happen to experience one of them.
We won't go into much detail on all 10 of them because of how rare most of them are, but here's a quick snapshot of what is on the list.
You can always find more detail on each of these items here on Google’s review policy page.
Before we get into the more common scenarios that can lead to getting a Google review
removed, let's first talk about another really common scenario that is hard to fight.
You may know a review is fake but it is really hard to prove, and Google rarely takes them down
Yes, fake reviews are terrible.
Not only are they illegal but they are damaging to your business as well.
Chances are you've seen fake reviews, or you've been the victim of a fake review being left on your own Google My Business profile.
Here's the deal...
If you decide you really want to fight a fake review, you should know that it isn't easy to prove that the review is in fact fake.
If on the surface…
it looks like a review…
and feels like a review…
and it doesn't immediately, and obviously violate any other review policy…
then Google is likely going to treat it like a real review and leave it posted to your Google My Business listing. This is why fighting fake reviews can be so hard.
We'll get into more detail below on exactly what to do, because many of the things you should do to fight a fake review are the same things you need to do an order to fight any bad review.
The best and quickest thing you can do to fight a fake review is simply respond.
Responding is quick, free and lets the public know that you believe the review is fake.
It is important to still be professional and courteous with your response, but to also be very clear that you believe the review was wrongly left on your Google my business listing.
For example, you could say something like…
“Hi John Doe - Unfortunately it looks like you've left this review for the wrong business. We don't have any record of you being a customer, and based on the content of your review it looks like you may have intended to review another company. If you did in fact intend to review our business, and we've let you down somehow, we'd appreciate the opportunity to make it right and get your issue resolved. Please contact us at this number so we can help you out 555-555-5555”
Again, the intent here is to still remain professional while also communicating that you believe the review was wrongly published to your listing.
In the example above, you also show other people reading your response that you care about customer feedback, even if you believe feedback was left in error.
This goes a long way in terms of your online reputation and public perception.
Here are some other common scenarios that affect local businesses:
Off Topic Content
This is how Google defines off-topic content...
“Only post content based on your experience or questions about experiences at the specific location. Maps is not meant to be a forum for general political, social commentary, or personal rants. Content that does not meet this standard will be removed.”
Simply put the content of the review has to be related to the user's experience with the business they are reviewing.
As you can see in the example below, the content of the review doesn't really have anything to do with the actual business itself and could be considered off topic.
The reviewer is making a claim about the business based on something that has nothing to do with a product or service offered by the business.
This is a good example of a review that a business should absolutely flag under the prohibited and restricted content policies.
Offensive Content / Dangerous Derogatory Content
I'm combining two different categories here but since they are so closely related we can easily talk about them in one section.
In terms of offensive content, Google says...
“We will remove content that contains obscene, profane, or offensive language or gestures.”
As for dangerous content, Google says…
Google Maps is a place for safe communications between users. For this reason, we don’t permit merchants or consumers to post dangerous or derogatory content, including content that:
- Threatens or advocates for harm on oneself or others
- Harasses, intimidates or bullies an individual or group of individuals.
- Incites hatred against, promotes discrimination of, or disparages an individual or group on the basis of their race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, nationality, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or other characteristic that is associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization.
These are fairly self-explanatory policies. When a business owner comes across this type of violation, it's usually in the form of the reviewer using offensive language or some form of intimidation or threat.
Conflict of Interest
This one can be a bit more difficult to prove. But if you suspect a review left on your profile fits the guidelines below, then you should absolutely flag it.
Just be prepared to show evidence and justification for why the flagged review is in violation of the policy.
Most reviews that are in violation of this policy are due to a competitor trying to manipulate another business’ ratings. Again, as you can imagine, proving this will be pretty difficult as it can be hard to provide evidence that it was actually a competitor posting the review.
Maps user contributed content is most valuable when it is honest and unbiased. Examples of disallowed practices include, but are not limited to:
- Reviewing your own business.
- Posting content about a current or former employment experience.
- Posting content about a competitor to manipulate their ratings.
In order to have a chance of getting a Google review removed from your listing you have to flag it
Here is a Google support article on how exactly to flag inappropriate Google reviews.
Using the same example that we looked at above you can see that it's pretty easy to flag a review.
Simply click the flag located right next to the actual star rating of the review to start the process.
Once you have flagged the review, you'll be taken to a page that looks like this, where you'll enter your e-mail address and choose the type of violation that you believe the review falls under.
After submitting your report, you'll receive an email confirmation from Google.
At this point Google advises you to stay patient, as it can take several days for your review to be assessed. It is also worth noting that just because you flag a review doesn't mean it's guaranteed to get taken down.
Nonetheless if you have any reason to believe that a review is in violation of any of these policies it is absolutely worth reporting because the process is so simple.
When a bad Google review comes in simply stay calm, respond, and determine whether or not you believe it violates one of Google's content policies
Like we mentioned earlier in this article, bad reviews feel terrible when they happen but it's important to remember they aren't the end of the world.
But really, when you step back and take a look at it...
Bad reviews are a great opportunity to show the world you care about the customer experience, their feedback, and quickly getting issues resolved.
One of the best things you can do is respond professionally and quickly to the review as soon as it comes in.
In the process of doing so, you'll be able to determine whether or not you believe the review violates one of Google's policies and whether or not you should flag it for removal by Google.
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