How Do I Get a Google Review Removed?
From reaching out to the reviewer to requesting removal, here are five answers to the question, “What recommendation would you give for getting a Google review removed?”
- Contact Google’s Team
- Dispute a Fake Review
- Level With Your Customer
- Don’t Reply Until Google Has Responded to You
- Flag the Review for Google to See
Contact Google’s Team
The best recommendation for getting a Google review removed is to contact the reviewer directly and ask them to take it down. If they are not willing to do so, you can submit a request to Google to have the review removed.
You can do this by going to the Google My Business dashboard and clicking the “Request Removal” link. You can also try to flag the review as inappropriate and hope that Google takes action.
You can also reach out to Google to dispute the review and provide evidence to support your claim.
Brenton Thomas
CEO, Twibi Digital Marketing Agency
Dispute a Fake Review
One way to get a Google review removed is by disputing a fake review. If you believe the review is fraudulent, you can provide evidence to prove that fact. To proceed, you must first go to the “Reviews” section in your business dashboard.
Next, click on the three dots next to the review and select the “Dispute this Review” option. Google will then take action to investigate the review and determine whether they should remove it.
Agata Szczepanek
Community Manager, LiveCareer
Level With Your Customer
I always recommend beginning by reaching out to the customer who left the review. It’s best to start off with a professional and polite email, asking them to remove their review or edit it if possible. More often than not, customers will adjust or delete their reviews if they feel heard and understood.
I recall an experience from a while back when a fellow business owner had a customer who was unhappy. The customer posted a negative review on Google about how disappointed he was in the work’s quality they received.
After taking some time to cool off, a quick reach out and they could have an honest conversation about what happened. After talking it through and finding a mutually beneficial solution, the customer ended up deleting his negative review because he felt they had addressed his concerns.
Although every situation is unique and no single successful approach, starting with a respectful dialogue often results in fruitful outcomes.
Stephanie Jenkins
Founder, Stephanie Jenkins Photo
Don’t Reply Until Google Has Responded to You
Responding to negative reviews is essential to managing online reputation and maintaining customer satisfaction. While you should always respond to your Google reviews, handle inappropriate reviews a little differently.
When flagging a review to Google for removal, you shouldn’t respond unless Google has rejected your complaint. By responding to the review, you acknowledge the feedback, which makes it much less likely for Google to remove it. Always report and wait for Google’s decision before responding!
Joe Cowman
Head of SEO, FATJOE
Flag the Review for Google to See
Google has strict policies for removing reviews, and they only remove reviews that violate their guidelines. If you believe a Google review violates its policies, you can request its removal by flagging the review.
Google will check the review and determine whether it violates its guidelines. If they agree it violates their guidelines, they will remove it.
Keep in mind that this is the only time Google will ever remove a review—when they suspect a guidelines violation. Reviews that are negative but truthful are unlikely to be removed, even if they are damaging to your business.
Aurelie Biehler
CEO, Memoria
Submit Your Answer
Would you like to submit an alternate answer to the question, “What recommendation would you give for getting a Google review removed?”