How To Remove A Bad Review On Google

When it comes to dealing with online reviews, it’s a never-ending battle for business owners and managers. Let’s face it, a single bad review on Google can stick out like a sore thumb, potentially scaring away customers and tarnishing your hard-earned reputation. But fear not! In our no-nonsense guide, “How to Remove a Bad Review on Google,” we’re diving headfirst into the complex parts of online reputation management.

Get ready to roll up your sleeves and turn those digital lemons into lemonade, restoring your business’s online image to its rightful glory, and know how to delete review on Google. But first, let’s know how a bad review can impact your business and at what lengths. 

How Does A Bad Review Impact Your Business?

A review is much more than a line of text, it holds the power to destroy your business image like nothing else and at what time, just overnight. Scary? Right! Hold on there is more to it. Let’s know how to remove Google reviews. 

Sabotages Your First Impressions are Everything

When folks are googling what you do, the last thing you want is for a bad review to pop up first. It’s like having a “Beware of Dog” sign on your front door – it scares potential customers away. It is a roadblock in selling the things, services, and almost everything you can make your business from. 

Trust Issues 

Think of reviews as your online street cred. A nasty one can make people second-guess if they should do business with you, especially if you don’t have a bunch of good ones to balance it out. Take the example of an Amazon product, do you like to buy the one with bad reviews? Everyone else is of the same psychology when it comes to the reviews. 

Not Suitable for Search Engines

Bad reviews can make your business play hard to get in search results. Google’s algorithms love brands with good reviews. So, if you’re getting thumbs down, you’re likely not showing up where you want to be.

Cash Flow Slowdown

When you have a band review, you are likely to not sell your services or the products. This is the biggie. Negative reviews can mean you’re losing out on sales, plain and simple.

Inside Story

It’s not just about the customers. Bad reviews can mean you have to shake things up internally, which can be a headache. Plus, it’s a bummer for your team if they’re always reading negative stuff about where they work. It can put your organization in the ‘not suitable for work’ category in the eyes of employers. 

Legal Drama 

Sometimes, if a review is really out of line (like it’s made up), you might even have to get legal advice. That’s a whole other can of worms – costly and complicated.

How to Remove A Review From Google?

There is only one way in which you can delete a Google review is to report it to Google. Now, before you even report it, don’t expect Google to just zap every review you don’t like. They’ve rules about what they can and can’t take down. Learn more about Google’s content policies.

You can read about the rules for deleting bad reviews in the review policy. Before you go on a reporting spree, make sure you’ve read Google’s reviews policy. It’s like the rulebook for what’s okay and what’s not in the world of Google reviews. You don’t want to be that person who cries wolf – reporting stuff that doesn’t break any rules.

Just to mention, Google won’t tolerate reviews that are fake, super offensive, or just straight-up irrelevant. So, if someone’s getting personal, making stuff up, or ranting about something unrelated to your business, that’s when Google might step in and remove the review.

How to Report A Google Review?

While there is only one way to remove a bad review, which is to report it to Google, there are a lot of ways in which you can report to Google. Let’s look at some of those ways, in which you can report the review to Google. 

Flag a Review 

Here’s a step-by-step on how to flag a review or a user in Google Maps: open Google Maps.

Grab your Android phone or tablet and fire up the Google Maps app. 

Yeah, you can do this on your iPhone or desktop too, but let’s stick with Android for now.

Look for your Business Profile.  On your computer, go to Google.

On the bottom right of the app, you should see a button labeled ‘Business’. Give that a tap.

Go to the Reviews Management Tool.

Head over to ‘Reviews’. 

This is where you’ll see all the good, the bad, and the ugly that folks have to say about your business.

Find that troublesome review. 

Scroll through your reviews and locate the one you want to report.

To flag a review:

Tap the ‘More’ button (it looks like three vertical dots) next to the review, and then select ‘Report review’.

To flag a user: 

If you think the problem is with the user rather than just one review, tap on the user’s name, then hit the ‘More’ button, and choose ‘Report profile’.

Here’s a little pro tip: Not only businesses but even individuals can report abusive users from the Google Maps app. So, if someone’s causing trouble across the board with their reviews, photos, or edits, you can flag their entire profile.

Once you report something, it doesn’t just vanish instantly. Google takes these reports seriously. They’ll review the reported content or user activity and decide if it’s against their policies. If it is, they’ll take it down, and if not, it stays.

Try Flagging A Review In Google Searches

Here’s how you can do it on your Android phone or tablet:

Fire up Google: 

Grab your device and head over to Google. This could be through the Google app or just using your favorite web browser.

Find Your Business Profile: 

Type in the name of your business in the search bar. Your Business Profile should pop up with all sorts of info like your address, hours, and yeah, those reviews.

Go to ‘Reviews’: 

There should be a section labeled ‘Reviews’. Give that a tap to see what people are saying about your business.

Spot the Offending Review: 

Scroll through until you find the review that’s causing the headache.

Report the Review: 

Next to the review, you’ll see a ‘More’ button (it looks like three vertical dots). Tap that, and then select ‘Report review’.

Try Reporting The Review With the Reviews Management Tool

Here is how you flag a review using the review management tool:- 

Head Over to the Reviews Management Tool: 

Just pop it open on your browser.

Check Your Email: 

Make sure the email address displayed is the one linked to your Business Profile. If it’s not, no biggie. Just click ‘Switch account’ to hop over to the right one.

Hit Confirm: 

Just a quick click to make sure you’re all set.

Choose Your Business: 

Look for the option that says ‘Report a new review for removal’. Click that and you’re on your way.

Flag Those Reviews: 

Scroll through your reviews. For any that seem sketchy, just hit ‘Report’ next to them.

Categorize the Review: 

A new tab will pop up. Here, you need to pick a reason why this review is a no-go. It’s like telling Google, “Here’s why this review doesn’t belong here.”

Submit and You’re Done: 

Click ‘Submit’, and your part is over. You’ve officially flagged the review.

The next part is to check the review status once you have submitted it:-

Head to the Reviews Management Tool: 

Open your browser and navigate to the tool.

Email Check: 

When you land there, make sure the email displayed is the one you use for your Business Profile. If it’s showing some other email, just click ‘Switch account’ to swap over to the right one.

Click ‘Confirm’: 

This is just to make sure everything’s set up correctly.

Select Your Business: 

Now, look for the option that says ‘Check the status of a review I reported previously and appeals options’. That’s your ticket to seeing what’s happening.

Review the Statuses: 

Once you’re in, you’ll see a few possible statuses for your reported review:

Decision Pending: 

This means they’ve got your report, but haven’t checked it out yet. It’s in the queue.

Report Reviewed – No Policy Violation: 

This means someone at Google took a look and didn’t find anything against their policies. But hey, if you don’t agree, you’ve got a one-shot deal to appeal. More on that in a second.

Escalated – Check Your Email for Updates: 

If you’ve appealed and they’re taking another look, this is the status you’ll see. Keep an eye on your email because that’s where you’ll get the final word.

Let’s Submit A One-Time Appeal Of A Review

Here are the steps to submit a time appeal of a review, so let’s get you started:- 

Jump into the Reviews Management Tool: 

Just like before, open up your browser and head to the tool.

Email Check:

Make sure you’re logged in with the email that’s linked to your Business Profile. If it’s showing a different email, just hit ‘Switch account’ to get to the right one.

Hit ‘Confirm’: 

This is just a quick step to ensure everything is set up right.

Choose Your Business: 

Look for the option that says ‘Check the status of a review I reported previously and appeals options’. This is where you’ll find out if you can throw your hat in the ring for an appeal.

Find ‘Appeal Eligible Reviews’: 

At the bottom of the page, you’ll see an option to appeal eligible reviews. You can pick up to 10 reviews to appeal – just in case you’ve got a few you’re concerned about.

Click ‘Continue’ and then ‘Submit an Appeal’: 

Once you’ve selected the reviews, hit ‘Continue’, and then you’ll be on your way to submitting your appeal.

Fill Out the Form: 

A new tab will pop up with a form. Fill it out with all the details about why you think the review should be re-evaluated.

Wait for the Email Verdict:

After you submit your appeal, keep an eye on your email. Google will send you their final decision. If they agree with you and find the review violates their policy, they’ll remove it. If not, the review stays put and its status will be updated to “Escalated – check your email for updates” in the Reviews Management Tool.

That’s all for how you remove Google reviews, hope you have liked it!

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