A single bad review can ruin your online reputation & lose your customers. This guide will show you how to remove a Google review easily.

Imagine you are on vacation in Italy. Once you check in to your hotel next, you think, “What is a good place to have an Italian pizza?” 

If you are in Italy, of course, you have to taste a pizza. But since you are a tourist & new to the country, you have no idea where to go. You can simply ask the hotel staff, but since they are locals their preferences could be different. If you are also like the majority, you will search on Google for a good pizza place nearby. 

Studies show that 82% of shoppers/ customers do not purchase a product or service until they read online reviews. Google is the most trustworthy review site. So, if you are a business owner, remember that a single negative Google review can ruin the image of your business & lose your potential customers. I suppose you now realize how powerful a Google review can be. 

Any company that wants to expand & grow wants positive reviews from customers. But unfortunately, most of the time, only those who had a bad experience with business care put a review, of course, a negative review. 

So, as a business, it is essential for your customer service team to keep an eye on the reviews you get & manage the negative ones. 

Can You Delete a Google Review?

Have you ever wondered “How to delete your Google Review you left for a business?” Well, actually it’s not impossible. You can remove or edit a Google review you added for another business. But, You cannot remove a Google review left by someone else on your business profile. However, if you find a review that violates Google’s policies, you can report it for removal. Google will only remove reviews that meet their strict content guidelines, such as those containing inappropriate language, false information, or offensive content.

To learn how to get Google reviews removed, you need to understand the guidelines provided by Google. Remember that Google does not intervene in disputes over customer experiences or opinions. If the review does not break any Google policies, it will not be deleted.

It’s important to note that removing a negative Google review is not an option simply because you disagree with it or because it’s unfavorable. Focus on reporting reviews that violate content policies. For more information, check Google’s guidelines on content policies.

How to remove a Google Review?

Follow these steps to remove bad reviews from Google. You can’t delete a Google review by yourself. Instead, you have to flag them as inappropriate & get Google to remove those.

1.Open Google Maps & find your business there. Type your business name on the search bar & hit search. Then you can locate your business.

Or,

You can use Google search to find your business. Type your business name in Google & locate your business.

2. Then you will see all the details of your business. There will be the number of reviews you got under the business name. 

2. Click the reviews option as shown in the below image. It will open the reviews you got for your business.
3. Find the review you want to remove. Then click the three dots in front of the reviewer’s name. 
4. Then select “Report Review” option. 
5. Finally, select the reason to report the review from this list. All these reasons will be discussed in the later part of this blog. 

7.Click submit to finish reporting the review. 

Reasons to flag a review:

If your business gets reviews that fall under the below categories/policy violations, you can get that review removed by flagging it.

You can report the reviews that violate Google policies.

Let’s study these policy violations more,

1. Off-topic

Off-topic means a review is not about your business’s customer service or the customer experience that person got from your business. If a review mentions things unrelated to your business, you can report it as off-topic. Plus, if a review doesn’t say anything & gives you only one or two star rating, you can flag that remove under off-topic.

2. Fake or spam

If a customer review is fake or trying to promote an unrelated product, you can flag it as spammy reviews. It could be someone who leaves multiple fake Google reviews, mentions another business, or advertises unrelated products or services.

The spam policy helps to keep Google reviews trustworthy, genuine & relevant. 

3. Profanity

Google has a policy concerning profanity in reviews. That means you can flag/ report reviews that include curse words or offensive language. The purpose is to keep a respectful and suitable environment for all users.

4. Bullying or harassment

Google also has policies to address bullying or harassment in reviews. You can report the reviews that attack/ bully individuals or businesses. 

Google considers such reports seriously and may take appropriate action. The goal is to promote a safe and supportive community where people can share their experiences without fear of mistreatment.

By executing these policies, Google aims to create a platform that encourages productive and helpful reviews while preventing offensive language, bullying, and other harmful behavior.

Make sure to flag a review under the most appropriate category. Unless you will not be able to convince Google to remove that review.

Best Practices to Manage Google Reviews:

When learning how to remove a Google Review, it’s important to know that you cannot remove a Google review left by someone else unless it violates Google’s policies. If you come across a review that you believe should be removed, you can report it, but Google will only take action if the review breaks its guidelines.

How to remove a Google review or have a negative review taken down depends on whether it meets these strict criteria. If businesses and customers disagree about a review, Google will not intervene unless there’s a policy violation.

One of the best ways to manage your online reputation is by responding to reviews, both positive and negative. Addressing negative feedback shows potential customers that you value their input and are committed to resolving any issues. Responding to reviews can also help resolve the situation, and possibly even convince the reviewer to update or remove their review.

Respond to customer reviews:

The best approach to dealing with customer reviews is responding to them. It shows that you value your customer feedback & are committed to addressing customer complaints. It will create a positive image of your business. And by responding to negative reviews, you can show your fantastic customer service. 

When you respond, it is essential to be calm & professional. Avoid arguing with customers & try to understand the customer’s perspective while giving a solution.

By taking these steps, you not only improve your chances of handling negative reviews effectively but also strengthen your overall online reputation.

Ask the customer to delete the review:

As a digital agency that provides online reputation management services, we do not recommend this approach. It is not ethical to ask customers to delete their opinion & experience about your business. 

Asking customers to delete their negative reviews can damage trust and credibility. Customers respect honest and neutral feedback when making purchasing decisions. 

Instead of requesting customers to delete their negative reviews, consider replying to them.

Solve customer problems:

This approach is also one of the best approaches to handling negative customer reviews. In this approach, you can identify customers’ issues & address those. You can study the negative reviews you got, & understand the reasons for their issues. Then you can reach out to them to get more details. 

Keep honest and transparent communication with the customer throughout the problem-solving approach. Keep them notified and give realistic timelines for solving the matter. 

Appeal a Rejected Google Review Removal Request (Advanced Options)

If a review that violates Google’s policies isn’t removed after reporting it, you can appeal Google’s decision. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to this link: click here
2. Make sure you’re logged into the Google account that manages your Google Business Profile.
3. Choose your business and click “continue.”
4. If you manage multiple locations, you can search using “name: YOUR BUSINESS NAME” or “area: CITY NAME” (use capital letters).
5. Check the status of the review.
6. If the review still hasn’t been removed and Google says it doesn’t violate any policies, you can appeal by clicking “Appeal this Decision.”
7. Follow the instructions to explain why the review goes against Google’s policies.
8. After submitting, you’ll get a Case ID, and Google will email you after reviewing your appeal.

If Google emails back and says the review doesn’t violate their rules, double-check the guidelines. If you’re sure the review is against the rules, you can go to the Google Business Community Forum.

Post your case in the forum, and Google Product Experts (volunteers) can give you a second opinion. If they agree the review violates the rules, they can escalate it to Google Support for further review. This option isn’t guaranteed, but it’s a last step to try.

On this guide you learn how to remove a negative Google review step-by-step. If you are business owner, maintaining a positive image about your business on online platforms is essential. Google reviews play a major role in how potential customers see your business. So, learn how to remove a Google review that harm the image of your business.

Are you worried about what people find when they look up your business online ?  Bad reviews & comments can ruin your reputation & lose you valuable customers. We can help to make sure your business looks great on the internet!

What We Do: 

✅ Google Review Management: We’ll take care of your Google reviews & making sure you have many positive reviews to impress your customers.

✅ Reputation Management: We don’t just focus on Google; we’ll also manage your reputation on social media, directories, & other important sites.

✅ Push Away Negativity: If there are negative things about you online, we’ll work to remove them so people see the good things about your business instead.

✅ Watch Out for You: We’ll monitor what people share about your business and act to protect your 

Contact us today for a FREE discussion. 

Let’s work together to make your online reputation shine!