How To Get Bad Google Reviews Removed

Recollect about the terminal fourth dimension you traveled. After you arrived at your destination and checked in at your hotel, what did yous practice next? If you lot're like me, you probably thought about where you were going to consume. But when you're new to an expanse, how exercise you discover a practiced spot?

Rather than request the hotel clerk — who'southward probably a local and has eaten at every place nearby — near of us take out our phones and practise a quick Google search. Studies show that 82% of customers won't patronize a business until they've read the reviews. And, since Google is the preferred review site for 64% of consumers, that means just one poor review could determine whether or non y'all choose to eat at a eating house.

Every company hopes to receive positive feedback, merely the fact is that customers who take poor experiences are more likely to write an online review. Information technology'south your customer service team's job to proceed track of Google reviews and remove the negative comments that are harmful to your business concern.

In this post, we'll break downwards what a Google review looks like, how to delete them, and what to do if you lot can't.

What is a Google review?

Before nosotros jump into how you can delete Google reviews, we should showtime clarify what a Google review is. Other review sites can be confused with the Google review interface. Google's review site is unique considering it's integrated directly into the search engine as well as its apps and business tools.

To identify whether the review y'all're looking at is a Google review or non, look for the post-obit elements:

• A hyperlink next to the star rating reads "Google reviews" or "# Reviews". This link will take yous to individual reviews that users have written.
• There are no other visitor names on the review.
• A rating scale numbered from one to five. This won't ever be visible, but information technology can help y'all recognize a Google review if yous run across one.

For example, take a await at the Google review folio for HubSpot. You'll find each of the elements we listed above. This review appears in Google Maps, and so it'south integrated into the Google interface which makes it more articulate that it is a Google review.

Can yous delete a Google review?

Unfortunately, Google doesn't offering a elementary "delete" selection for its reviews. Instead, there are just two ways that a review tin be removed. The person who posted the review can delete it or your business concern tin "flag the review equally inappropriate." Flagging the review alerts Google that the review is fake or that information technology doesn't comply with Google'south review policies.

Subsequently that, you'll be guided to the landing folio below where you'll need to consummate a brief report of the issue and submit your electronic mail for follow-up communication.

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It'southward important to note that Google has built-in spam checkers that automatically clarify a review for inappropriate, irrelevant, or misleading content. While this feature is pretty reliable, inaccurate reviews are sometimes disregarded which tin lead to negative perceptions of your business.

In this example, you'll desire to take matters into your ain hands and study the review yourself. Here'southward how to practice that.

How to Delete a Google Review

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

i. Open Google Maps and locate your business.

ii. Notice the review on the Google reviews folio.

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

four. Select the selection Study Review.

5. Cull an pick for the question "What's wrong with this review?".

6. Report the review to Google.

When to Flag a Google Review

According to Google, the topics below are against its user terms and atmospheric condition. Therefore, if you observe a review that falls under one of these categories, your team tin request to remove that content.

Irrelevant Comments

Google wants to make sure its users are getting accurate information about your business. So, if you lot're seeing comments that don't pertain to your organization or a customer'southward experience, yous 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 comprise links to websites or electronic mail addresses that sell illegal products. This too 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 besides remove reviews that are threatening or contain derogatory comments. If y'all come across whatsoever 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, you can't mail a review of a visitor that you own or work for. You besides tin't postal service a review of your competitor, every bit this would allow you lot to manipulate their rating in your favor.

Impersonation

Google values the accuracy of its reviews as well. Information technology doesn't want to misrepresent a business organization or provide deceptive content to its users. Because of this, all Google reviews must exist published past 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 yous can imagine, this process is wearisome and doesn't guarantee that your review will exist removed. And, even if Google does determine to remove it, there'southward no telling when it will actually be taken down. In that time, your business concern could lose thousands of customers if you look for Google to handle the upshot.

The other major setback is that Google won't remove a review just because it's negative. The point 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 yous're upset with a customer's opinion, the odds aren't in your favor for a removal.

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

Ways to Handle Google Reviews

1. Respond to the client's review.

The nigh constructive way to handle a negative customer review is to respond to information technology. If your squad made a mistake that inspired a negative review, a genuine amends can become a long way in irresolute the perception a potential customer has of your brand. If it's a positive review, an appreciative response makes an impact, too. Remember, these reviews are public for the customer equally well equally your business organisation, and customers don't want to look like the villain when your team responds underneath with a polite message.

2. Ask the customer to delete information technology.

The customer may respond positively to your team's annotate but choose to leave the review upward anyway. They may think the affair is airtight and that other users will see the review as an example of your slap-up client service. While we appreciate the sentiment, yous and I both know nosotros'd rather have the review removed so other customers only see the positive experiences at your visitor.

In these cases, reach out to the customer to encounter if they will remove the review. If possible, message them on a private platform like e-mail, and then the customer doesn't feel pressured past your request. Thank them for reading your reply and ask them if they will consider the removal of the review in light of their recent experiences with your visitor. Be sure to remain patient and don't brand any demands on the customer.

iii. Solve the customer's problem.

This one may seem obvious, but customers often leave negative reviews because their original need from your business was never fulfilled. For example, y'all may savor the customer service at a restaurant merely detest the food they serve you. Even though your beefiness — pun intended — isn't with the restaurant's staff, your review still gets counted withal.

It's important to recognize the problems that customers are reporting in your negative reviews and have action to correct them. Once you do, follow up with the customers who left poor reviews and see if they're willing to try your product or service over again. Go far clear that you lot have taken steps to correct your past mistakes and y'all still value their relationship with your concern. While you lot may non win every customer over, this promotes a customer-axial civilization for your brand's reputation.

4. Follow up with customers.

1 common statistic that customer service experts like to point out is that 85% of customers believe reviews older than three months are irrelevant. Even so, this stat neglects that these older reviews still count towards your business's overall rating on Google. That rating is extremely of import considering 52% of customers will not purchase from a business concern if it has less than a 4-star rating.

Additionally, a lot tin can modify with your business as y'all grow and develop over time. A Google review that was posted two years agone may non be as accurate today. If the user is still active, effort to contact them via the review and run into if they would be willing to edit their mail. Or, offer them an incentive to endeavor your product or service again in exchange for an updated review.

5. Authenticate the review.

Believe it or not, some people on the internet are deceitful. It gets worse. Some people will even write fake reviews to sabotage their competitors' business.

If y'all're dubious of a review's authenticity, wait for signs that would confirm it is a false. Fake reviews often lack details and seem like they could use to almost whatsoever business. Bank check to see if the reviewer has left whatsoever other reviews and if they have a picture listed with their account. Then respond to the review. If you don't get a response, flag the post as inappropriate and wait for Google to review your report.

The Power of Google Reviews is in Your Easily

Waiting for Google to remove a review from its search engine tin be time-consuming and tiresome. However, the steps listed above should help your client service team quickly address negative Google reviews and better your relationship with new and existing customers.

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

Originally published Sep 21, 2022 2:45:00 PM, updated Nov 12 2022

How To Get Bad Google Reviews Removed,

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

Posted by: richfror1964.blogspot.com

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