If the review is negative, inaccurate, or violates Google policies, you can take action to delete negative Google reviews and keep Google profile clean.
Online Reviews A positive online review can help your business gain the trust of prospective customers. And a negative review can stop those new customers from choosing your business. When you read a negative Google review, it’s important to do something about it quickly. If the review is negative, inaccurate, or violates Google policies, you can take action to delete negative Google reviews and keep your Google profile clean. Check out this post for steps to take and tips on how to deal with negative reviews.
Google reviews are often seen as incredibly important when people consider your business. And with how much people rely on online reviews these days, a single poor review can effect your business in long-term ways. Scroll down to read more: 93% of customers say that online reviews influence their purchasing decisions; 58% of customers stated that poor reviews affect their purchasing decisions; 45% of customers said they had received a negative review at least once.
Also not related to customer trust - negative reviews also affect your Google ranking. Businesses with positive reviews tend to rank higher in local search results, whereas negative reviews deprive you of the top positions. This is where monitoring and managing your reviews closely becomes key.
Google does not allow businesses to remove negative Google reviews simply because they do not like them. There are certain situations in which a review can be removed though. If the review violates Google’s policies you can flag the review to be removed. Some reasons a review can be removed:
Fake Reviews: Basically any review that 's from someone who 's never used your service or bought your product is considered fake.
Offensive Content. Reviews that contain hate speech, threats or abusive language are prohibited by Google 's review policies.
Spam: Unrelated or irrelevant reviews that are mostly targeted at a competitor or an upcoming product are considered spam.
Inappropriate language Any review that contains profanity or personal attacks will be deleted.
If the review does not violate these guidelines, you may need to focus on other strategies to mitigate its impact.
If you find a negative Google review that is contrary to these policies you can delete it:
Login to Google My Business First thing you need to do is log into your Google My Business account. It’s where you manage your business’s online presence (including reviews).
Locate the Review: Once logged in find your Google Business Profile and find the negative review you want to delete.
Flag the Review: There will be 3 dots (ellipses) next to the review. Click the dots and select "Flag as inappropriate". Google will now know the violation has been made.
Wait for Google to review: After flagging the review Google will take the review offline for investigation. It can take from a few days to a couple of weeks for an investigation. If it’s found that the review violates their policy they will remove it.
Follow up: Keep checking your review section to see if the review gets removed. If the review remains you can appeal the decision or take other action.
Remember Google will only remove negative Google reviews that violate its review policies. So if the review isn't being broken by any means you may need to try and figure out another way to handle it.
Sometimes it’s impossible to delete a negative Google review. In these cases, you want to respond professionally to the negative review. Responding shows your future customers that you care about their review and are dedicated to resolving their issue. Replying to negative Google reviews...
When they give you a negative review it's best to be polite and professional. Don't get in an argument back and forth with them.
Acknowledge the issue: Clearly describe what caused the issue in the review. Explain any mistakes you made and how you are going to fix them.
Offer a solution After the negative experience, you should offer a way to remedy it. This could be a refund, discount, or even a face to face discussion about what should have been done.
Keep it Short Answers should be brief. Long answers may make you seem defensive or uncaring. Explain everything in a manner that makes sense.
Keep the Conversation Offline: Encourage the reviewer to contact you personally to resolve the issue further. It shows they want to work things out in private but that they’d rather do so in person.
A good response can show that you care about the customer, and they 'll even be more inclined to give your business a try in the future.
While you can’t always prevent negative reviews, there are some strategies you can use to minimize their occurrence:
By staying proactive, you can avoid situations where you have to delete negative Google reviews.
Several tools can help you manage your Google reviews and make the process of deleting negative reviews more efficient:
Using the right tools can help you stay on top of your Google reviews and take action when necessary.
Delete negative Google reviews whenever possible to protect your business’s reputation. While it’s not always possible to remove a review, responding professionally and addressing issues head-on can minimize the damage. Providing excellent service and encouraging positive reviews will also help balance out any negative feedback. By staying proactive in managing your reviews, you can maintain a positive online presence and continue to attract new customers.
