How To Remove Negative Google Reviews (And Prevent Them)
Not all Google reviews are equal (or fair).
Removing Google reviews can be a tricky and time consuming process. On top of that, there is no guarantee that it will be removed because there is not a delete or remove review button on Google Business Profiles (formerly called Google My Business). However, some reviews are more likely to be deleted than others, and it is possible to remove negative Google Reviews.
Follow this process to avoid and remove negative Google Reviews:
- Login to your Google Account
- Report the review
- Open a support ticket
- Confirm the review has been deleted
- How to prevent negative Google reviews
- Additional tips
Pro Tip: It’s important to know how your reviews compare to business’s ranking for you target query. Before trying to remove any Google Reviews, use this Google My Business audit template and checklist to gain insights about review metrics.
Login to your Google Account
To begin the Google review removal process, sign in to Google.
Once signed in, go to your Google Business profile, and click the review link.
If there are a lot of reviews, the sort option can save a ton of time.
Pro Tip: If your business needs to generate more Google reviews. Follow this guide on how to get a Google Review link to easily share with customers.
Report the review
After you’ve found the review you wish to remove, select the report option from the menu.
Then, select the most relevant reason for reporting the review.
In this example, it’s not actually helpful.
The brand is positioned as a “premium” ice cream shop (they’re known for higher prices), and they also happen to be located in a “downtown” area where it’s extremely common for restaurants (and many other business) to not have a parking lot.
Many of their prices are also listed online, and their profile is complete with attributes (such as parking).
Pro Tip: Reporting a review isn’t likely going to do much (even if it’s from multiple accounts which is still recommend doing when possible). Be prepared to have a logical explanation for why the review should be removed before opening a support ticket.
Open a support ticket
In some cases, the Google Reviews are from bots or spam from competitors. If this is the case, be prepared to tell support that you’ve never had contact with the name of the person who left the review.
Once you have your persuasion in your pocket, open a support ticket to get the Google Review removed.
Select the Reviews option from the Engage with customers dropdown.
Select the business that should have the review removed, and use Review for the Tell us what we can help with field.
Next, choose the Remove reviews option.
Then click the Next step button!
Afterwards, skip Resources (Step 2) by clicking the Next step button.
Next, select the appropriate contact option.
Then complete the remaining fields.
Be that the review has been flagged (reported), and that there’s a strong argument for why the review should be removed.
Note: For reviews that are missing or are not showing on your profile, follow this guide to resolve the issue.
Confirm the review has been deleted
After requesting that the review has been removed, support usually responds within 48 hours.
If your review has been removed, double check that it does not show on your profile after 7 days by checking the Google review link (see pictures above).
How to prevent negative Google Reviews
In many cases, negative Google Reviews can be avoided. Here’s how to avoid negative Google Reviews:
- Process: Ensure the review process directs negative feedback to a customer service rep or manager (not Google).
- Morale: Listen to the needs of employees. Unhappy employees generally create unhappy customers.
- Change: In some cases, customers aren’t wrong. Try to objectively take feedback and make changes when needed.
In some cases, it may not be possible to remove a negative Google Review. When this happens, its important to correct the situation, make any necessary changes, and continue getting more positive Google Reviews – this helps bury negative reviews, and ensure that your business continues to rank in Google Search.
Additional tips for negative Google Reviews
First, try opening a Google support ticket to have the review removed. If support doesn’t delete the review, try the following methods:
- Incentivize: Persuade the customer give your business another try by incentivizing a future purchase with a discount, or ensure that their did not cost them anything.
- Respond: Write a genuine and sympathetic response to the review. The customer may choose to remove their review.
- Support: Open another support ticket and try a different approach.