Google Will Not Delete a Review I Put on a Business

Remember nearly the final time you traveled. After you arrived at your destination and checked in at your hotel, what did you do next? If you're like me, y'all probably thought about where you were going to eat. But when you're new to an area, how practise yous detect a good spot?

Rather than asking the hotel clerk — who's probably a local and has eaten at every place nearby — most of us take out our phones and do a quick Google search. Studies show that 82% of customers won't patronize a business organisation until they've read the reviews. And, since Google is the preferred review site for 64% of consumers, that means just i poor review could determine whether or not yous cull to eat at a restaurant.

Every company hopes to receive positive feedback, but the fact is that customers who have poor experiences are more likely to write an online review. Information technology'south your customer service team's chore to go on rails of Google reviews and remove the negative comments that are harmful to your business.

In this postal service, nosotros'll break downwards what a Google review looks like, how to delete them, and what to do if yous tin can't.

What is a Google review?

Earlier we leap into how you lot tin delete Google reviews, we should first analyze what a Google review is. Other review sites can exist confused with the Google review interface. Google's review site is unique because information technology's integrated directly into the search engine equally well as its apps and business tools.

To identify whether the review you're looking at is a Google review or not, look for the post-obit elements:

• A hyperlink next to the star rating reads "Google reviews" or "# Reviews". This link will take you to individual reviews that users have written.
• At that place are no other company names on the review.
• A rating scale numbered from one to 5. This won't always be visible, merely it can assistance yous recognize a Google review if you come across one.

For example, accept a look at the Google review page for HubSpot. You'll observe each of the elements we listed above. This review appears in Google Maps, and then information technology's integrated into the Google interface which makes it more clear that information technology is a Google review.

Tin you delete a Google review?

Unfortunately, Google doesn't offer a elementary "delete" option for its reviews. Instead, in that location are only two ways that a review can be removed. The person who posted the review can delete it or your business tin "flag the review as inappropriate." Flagging the review alerts Google that the review is fake or that it doesn't comply with Google's review policies.

Later on that, you'll exist guided to the landing page beneath where you'll need to consummate a brief study of the consequence and submit your electronic mail for follow-up communication.

Prototype Source

It'south important to notation that Google has congenital-in spam checkers that automatically clarify a review for inappropriate, irrelevant, or misleading content. While this feature is pretty reliable, inaccurate reviews are sometimes overlooked which tin can atomic number 82 to negative perceptions of your business concern.

In this case, you'll want to take matters into your own hands and study the review yourself. Hither's how to do that.

How to Delete a Google Review

1. Open Google Maps and locate your business.
2. Find the review on the Google reviews page.
3. Click the iii vertical dots to the correct of the review.
4. Select the option Report Review.
5. Choose an option for the question: What's incorrect with this review?
6. Report the Google review.

i. Open Google Maps and locate your business.

2. Find the review on the Google reviews page.

3. Click the 3 vertical dots to the right of the review.

4. Select the option Report Review.

v. Cull an option for the question "What'due south wrong with this review?".

half-dozen. Report the review to Google.

When to Flag a Google Review

Co-ordinate to Google, the topics below are confronting its user terms and weather. Therefore, if you notice a review that falls under one of these categories, your team can request to remove that content.

Irrelevant Comments

Google wants to make sure its users are getting authentic information about your business. Then, if yous're seeing comments that don't pertain to your organization or a client'southward experience, you should flag these reviews for Google to remove.

Illegal Content

Some businesses provide products or services that are illegal in certain locations. Google accounts for this by prohibiting users from posting reviews that incorporate links to websites or electronic mail addresses that sell illegal products. This as well includes images that promote products or special offers.

Inappropriate/Offensive/Explicit Content

Google will remove any content that it views as "obscene, profane, or offensive." It will also remove reviews that are threatening or comprise derogatory comments. If y'all come up across any reviews like these, be sure to flag them immediately to protect your brand's paradigm.

Conflicts of Interest

Google wants its reviews to be as unbiased as possible. Therefore, y'all can't post a review of a company that y'all own or work for. You as well can't mail a review of your competitor, as this would allow you to manipulate their rating in your favor.

Impersonation

Google values the accuracy of its reviews besides. It doesn't desire to misrepresent a business concern or provide deceptive content to its users. Because of this, all Google reviews must be published by the person writing the review. You can't publish the review on someone'due south behalf or pretend to be someone else when submitting your review.

Disadvantages of Reporting a Google Review

As you tin can imagine, this procedure is tiresome and doesn't guarantee that your review will exist removed. And, even if Google does determine to remove it, at that place's no telling when information technology will really be taken downwards. In that time, your business could lose thousands of customers if you look for Google to handle the consequence.

The other major setback is that Google won't remove a review merely because it'due south negative. The betoken of Google reviews is to provide users with unbiased feedback from other customers' experiences. If those experiences are poor, Google wants its users to be aware of them. So, if you lot're upset with a customer's opinion, the odds aren't in your favor for a removal.

Instead, your customer service team needs to accept action if you want to remove a negative Google review.

Ways to Handle Google Reviews

1. Reply to the customer'due south review.

The most constructive way to handle a negative customer review is to respond to it. If your team fabricated a mistake that inspired a negative review, a 18-carat amends can go a long way in irresolute the perception a potential customer has of your brand. If information technology'southward a positive review, an appreciative response makes an impact, too. Remember, these reviews are public for the customer too every bit your business organisation, and customers don't desire to look similar the villain when your team responds underneath with a polite message.

2. Ask the client to delete information technology.

The customer may respond positively to your squad'southward annotate merely choose to leave the review upwardly anyhow. They may call up the affair is airtight and that other users will see the review as an example of your nifty client service. While we capeesh the sentiment, y'all and I both know nosotros'd rather take the review removed so other customers only see the positive experiences at your company.

In these cases, attain out to the client to see if they volition remove the review. If possible, message them on a private platform similar email, then the customer doesn't experience pressured by your asking. Thank them for reading your respond and inquire them if they will consider the removal of the review in light of their recent experiences with your company. Be sure to remain patient and don't brand any demands on the customer.

3. Solve the customer'due south problem.

This 1 may seem obvious, simply customers often leave negative reviews because their original demand from your business was never fulfilled. For instance, y'all may savour the client service at a restaurant but hate the food they serve you. Even though your beef — pun intended — isn't with the restaurant's staff, your review still gets counted all the same.

It'south important to recognize the problems that customers are reporting in your negative reviews and accept activity to correct them. Once you exercise, follow up with the customers who left poor reviews and see if they're willing to attempt your product or service again. Make information technology clear that y'all accept taken steps to correct your by mistakes and yous still value their relationship with your business. While y'all may not win every client over, this promotes a customer-centric culture for your brand'south reputation.

4. Follow upwards with customers.

One common statistic that customer service experts like to point out is that 85% of customers believe reviews older than iii months are irrelevant. All the same, this stat neglects that these older reviews withal count towards your concern's overall rating on Google. That rating is extremely important because 52% of customers volition not buy from a business concern if it has less than a 4-star rating.

Additionally, a lot tin change with your business every bit you abound and develop over time. A Google review that was posted 2 years ago may not be as authentic today. If the user is still active, try to contact them via the review and see if they would be willing to edit their post. Or, offering them an incentive to try your production or service again in exchange for an updated review.

v. Authenticate the review.

Believe it or non, some people on the cyberspace are deceitful. It gets worse. Some people will even write fake reviews to sabotage their competitors' concern.

If you're dubious of a review'south authenticity, await for signs that would confirm information technology is a fake. Fake reviews often lack details and seem like they could apply to almost any business. Check to encounter if the reviewer has left whatsoever other reviews and if they take a movie listed with their account. Then respond to the review. If you don't get a response, flag the postal service every bit inappropriate and wait for Google to review your written report.

The Power of Google Reviews is in Your Hands

Waiting for Google to remove a review from its search engine tin be time-consuming and tedious. However, the steps listed above should assist your customer service squad quickly address negative Google reviews and improve your relationship with new and existing customers.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in January 2022 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Originally published Sep 21, 2022 ii:45:00 PM, updated November 12 2021

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Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/service/delete-google-reviews

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