How to Delete a Google Review & What to Do When You Can’t

If you’re a business owner struggling with a negative Google review that's hurting your online reputation, you may feel a bit vulnerable and discouraged. We get it. 

Whether you received a fake review, a customer had a bad experience, or a bot got into your Google Business Profile listing, you have options for handling the situation. 

In today's episode, we're diving deep into the world of Google reviews and uncovering the secrets to managing your online presence effectively.

We'll explore the ins and outs of dealing with unfair reviews, reveal the step-by-step process for flagging problematic feedback, and share expert tips on what to do when removal isn't an option. Whether you're a clinic owner, a local shop, or any business that relies on Google reviews, we’re packing in valuable information you can't afford to miss.

Get ready to take control of your Google reviews and boost your business's online reputation so you can thrive online (and off)!

Listen to the audio version: How to Delete a Google Review & What to Do When You Can’t

Online Reputation Management: How to Delete Google Reviews & Steps to Take if You Can’t

In today's fast-paced online world, a single negative review can significantly impact your business. We'll explore the ins and outs of managing your digital reputation, focusing on the delicate process of removing Google reviews and what to do if that Google review just won’t budge.

Do I Need a Google Business Profile to Get Google Reviews?

Yes.

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is super important to your business, so if you haven’t already, set that up. Check the Show Notes for our guide on what your GBP listing is and how to optimize it for maximized results. 

Your GBP listing allows your users, clients, patients, visitors, etc., to leave you a Google review. When you set it up, this feature is automatic, and you can never disable it. And while that may sound intimidating to you, we assure you that the benefits of an optimized GBP listing are much more substantial than the occasional bad review you may receive on it. 

So, again, if you haven’t created your GBP listing, now is the time to get that done!

Why Are Google Reviews So Important?

It should go without saying that your reviews matter. Since Google is used billions of times a day, the reviews seen there will directly affect how your audience perceives you. So, yeah, Google reviews are critical to your business. And that means that negative ones need to be addressed quickly. 

When Can I Delete a Google Review?

Let’s set the scene: You head over to take a look at your Google reviews only to find a bad one staring back at you. As you’re reading, you realize it’s not true! It’s a lie! This is fake news. What can you do about it? 

You can and immediately should request a review removal from Google if the review violates their policies. 

These situations may include:

• Fake reviews
• Multiple reviews posted within a short timeframe
• Ratings without any accompanying comments
• Reviews with inaccurate or vague details
• Content unrelated to your business
• Inappropriate reviews
• Reviews that support and link to your direct competition 

How Can I Remove Google Reviews About My Business? 

Unfortunately, you can’t just click the almighty delete button when you want to remove a Google review. So, how do you do it?

There are three ways to let Google know you want the review gone:

In Google Maps

• Open Google Maps and locate your business
• Find the review in question
• Click the three dots and choose "Report review"
• Select the reason for flagging

In Google Search

• Find your business profile in search results
• Click on reviews
• Locate the problematic review
• Click the three dots and select "Report review"
• Choose the policy violation reason

In Google's Review Management Tool

• Access the tool (link available in Show Notes)
• Verify your email
• Select your business
• Click "Report a new review for removal"
• Follow the prompts to submit your request

Note that when you flag a review, Google typically takes about three business days to decide. If you appeal their initial decision, expect a resolution within seven to ten days.

How Do I Dispute a Google Review?

If your initial request to delete a review is unsuccessful, you can submit a one-time appeal through the Review Management Tool. 

All you have to do is fill out the appeal form and wait for Google's decision via email.

What Can I Do If Google Won’t Delete My Review? 

If Google declines to remove a review, consider these steps:

• Respond promptly and publicly to the review
• Provide details that demonstrate why the review may be inaccurate
• Offer to resolve any legitimate issues
• If possible and appropriate, contact the reviewer privately to address their concerns

If there is a sincere problem and the reviewer was left unsatisfied, try to fix the problem and encourage the reviewer to update or remove their review if the issue has been resolved. Only the reviewer can delete their review. 

While dealing with negative reviews is crucial, don't forget to actively collect positive reviews. A steady stream of favorable feedback can offset the impact of occasional negative comments.

You're Ready to Delete Your Review (if you can)!

Now you know what goes into deleting your unwanted Google reviews, so go ahead and give it a go. And if, for some reason, Google won’t allow you to take the action you want, don’t fret! You’ve got some good options working in your favor, so get to it!

Remember, maintaining a strong online reputation is an ongoing process. By staying proactive and addressing issues promptly, you can help ensure that your Google reviews accurately reflect the quality of your business.

Need help optimizing your online presence? Book your free discovery call today!

Show Notes & Related Resources for Online Reputations Management: How to Delete Google Reviews & Steps to Take if You Can’t

• Google Business Profile: The Ultimate Guide to Optimize Your GBP Listing 
• Remove reviews from your Business Profile on Google
• Reviews Management Tool

Podcast Transcript: How to Delete a Google Review & What to Do When You Can’t

Hello and welcome to this episode. I'm your host Darcy Sullivan with Propel Marketing & Design. 

Today, we're talking about how to delete a Google review and what to do when you can't delete one. 

Let's face it, Google reviews are extremely important for local businesses, especially those that are clinic owners, which is the majority of people tuning in and listening to this podcast. 

But what happens when someone gives you an unfair view? Or it's just a fake review. 

Well, today we're going to talk about the process for getting bad Google reviews removed. How to dispute a Google review and what actions you should take, if you cannot actually delete the review. 

And along the way, we'll also cover some common questions that we’re asked when it comes to Google reviews. 

So, unfortunately, you can't just go in and push a delete button when somebody leaves a bad Google review. And as frustrating as this can be, it is one of the things that Google just does not allow you to do. 

Google wants to ensure that the Google Business Profile listings are genuine and unaltered.

If you are new to listening to this podcast, we talk about the Google Business Profile a lot. The Google Business Profile listing is the listing that controls how your business shows up in that Google Maps section in search. 

If you're interested into really how to dive in and optimize your Google Business Profile listing, we've got tons of resources on our website, which is propelyourcompany.com. Or in the Show Notes on the web page that’s related to this episode, you'll find all of the resources that we're talking about today, along with additional resources for amplifying your Google Business Profile listing. 

According to Google's review policy, there are some circumstances that allow you to request to have a Google review deleted. 

Now, let me rewind and say that again: there are some circumstances that allow you to request to have a Google review deleted. Meaning you can't go in and just push delete, but you can request from Google that the review be deleted. 

This includes if the review is fake, maybe there are multiple reviews within the same timeframe, maybe it's just a rating with no commentary associated with it, or it's inaccurate or vague details. 

So let's say you're a clinic owner, and the review talks about milkshakes, right? It has absolutely nothing to do with your listing. So if you received a fake review, you can contact Google. 

And Google has review policies, but it will not automatically detect a fake review. Like some of the ones that we’re mentioning. 

Now, on the webpage that's associated with this episode, you will find that direct link to contact Google. 

If you want to flag a review to be removed from your listing, what you can do is, you can go to your business listing you simply open Google Maps. Locate your Google business profile, find the review that you would like to flag for Google to review and hopefully remove, click the three dots, then choose “report review.” Click on the reason why you're flagging the review as inappropriate. 

That's the way you would handle it from Google Maps. You can also do it from Google Search by going to Google Search, finding your business profile, click on the Google review, find the review you would like to suggest to Google to remove, click the three dots next to the review, and “report review,” pick the reason that the review violates Google's policy. 

The third way is from the Review Management Tool. And this Review Management Tool is Google's review management tool. If you go to the Show Notes associated with this episode, you will find links to all of these tools, including Google's Review Management Tool. 

So you can also request for a review to be removed by visiting Google's Review Management Tool, verifying the email address is correct, click “confirm,” select the business, and click “Report a new review for removal,” click “Report” then for every review you want flagged. And the new tab, select the category for review and select “Submit.”

So again, it's important to note that this isn't going to be an instant fix. It's going to take time for Google employees to review your request. You can see the status of the reviews you flagged for removal in the Review Management Tool. Just pick “Check the status of a review I reported previously and Appeals Option” to see where that is in the process. 

Now if you have already tried one of the ways that we talked about reporting to Google to remove a review and you did not get the results that you wanted, either you never heard back from Google or no action was taken, there is another way to make your case before Google. 

You can actually submit a one-time appeal to your review removal request. And to do this, you are going to want to dispute a Google review. You are going to go to Google's Review Management Tool, verify your email address, select your business, click “Check the status of a review I reported previously and appeals” option, and click “Appeal eligible reviews” at the bottom. Choose the review or reviews that you want to appeal. Fill out the form in the new tab. And you should get an email with Google's decision and an explanation of why they made that decision. 

So those are the options for getting a review removed by contacting Google. Now, what if you can't get Google to remove the review? 

First, respond promptly to the review and make sure that your reply is public. You, of course, want to gather all the details that you can to make a case for why the review was inaccurate. 

So, for example, if they mentioned something that has absolutely nothing to do with your business, you can kindly make a mention of that in your reply so that people who are searching through reviews see, “Oh, well, obviously that was a fake review or that was an inaccurate review.”

You also want to offer to resolve the issue if it is a legitimate review. Give the customer or the patient a path to resolve the conflict. Most often, that's asking them to take the review off. 

Now, if you're gonna do that, what you want to do is make sure that you contact them outside of Google and that you know who they are and how to handle the situation. 

So let's just say, for example, maybe there was an issue with an employee, but at the time, you, since you have gotten rid of that employee. If you want to contact the person who left a review about that specific employee, you could do that and have a conversation with them openly and honestly and ask them if they then felt comfortable removing the review based on the fact that that person was no longer there. If so, they can go in and actually delete the review. 

So, two options for reviews getting removed: one, Google removing it, and two, the person who has written it goes in and removes it. 

Now, if they are willing to go in and remove the review, what they need to do is go into Google Maps. In the top left, click the three lines, click your contribution, select reviews, click the three dots next to the review they want to edit or delete, and then take action accordingly. 

I have another suggestion for you, and that is to be sure to always make sure that you are collecting more positive reviews. Those will help drown out any of the negative reviews that you might have on your listing. 

Now if Google does decide to review your request to have a review removed, how long does it take? It usually takes around three business days for Google to decide if they want to keep or remove a, flagged listing. So keep that in mind. 

And if you appeal Google's decision, it can take another seven to 10 days to resolve that appeal. 

Be sure to check out our other resources related to your Google Business Profile listing by visiting propelyourcompany.com.

Sponsors

This episode of the Propel Your Practice Podcast is brought to you by Propel Marketing & Design. Propel Marketing & Design helps Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Physical Therapists, Wellness Practitioners, and other clinic owners improve their website rankings.

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