Google Reviews Disappearing | Trick to See deleted Google Reviews

Google Reviews may disappear due to policy violations, suspicious account activity, biased/spam employee reviews, random changes in business information, inappropriate content, or other legal issues. Read this article to find out how to prevent Google Business Profile reviews from being deleted.

Google Business Reviews are a decisive factor.

Google Business Reviews are vital for building trust and credibility, influencing potential customers, and shaping a positive online reputation. They provide insights, attract new customers, and contribute to a business’s success in the digital marketplace. Disappearing Google Reviews is something not to be taken lightly or ignored as the credibility of the business is dependent upon these reviews.

A relatively small change in reviews can produce a significant impact on the company’s position in the local search results. As we have talked in our previews posts that visibility is of vital importance for a local business – the more visible a business is, the greater number of sales it will pull. Google Business Profile reviews/Google Business Reviews are one of the core ranking factors. The greater the number of reviews, the higher up a business would appear in the searches.

Google Reviews are a really strong signal, especially for the end user. A large number of people use these reviews as the deciding factor before making the final purchase decision. Service based businesses (restaurants, bistros, cafes) can benefit the most from these reviews. According to a survey, Google Reviews serve a powerful decisive factor for 93% of the customers before deciding to buy a product or acquire a service. Customer feedback serves as subtle word-of-mouth marketing for local businesses. Reviews accumulated over time can really serve as the make or break factor for a local business.

A local plumbing company with 5 star rating will definitely get more work compared to one with a 3 star rating.

Table of Contents

How Visible a Business Profile is on Google?

Google Business Profile is one the various factors that reveal how visible a business is to the general public. Making sure that your clients leave a positive review should be one of the core priorities for the business, especially the businesses aiming to attract customers will Google Maps. When Google reviews are flagged as incorrect, biased, or spam by the Google internal mechanisms, they are removed. Another possibility is that the reviewer might delete the reviews.

Although recovering Google Reviews is often challenging, businesses can attempt to appeal to Google or reach out to the reviewers for resolution. Understanding the common reasons behind issues with online reviews on Google Business Profiles is crucial for local businesses to address and ensure accurate representation.

It is not easy to track when Google reviews get deleted. There can be a variety of reasons, some of the end of user and some dependent on Google’s algorithm. Newly created Google Business Profiles are prone to reviews getting deleted. When the profile is recently made, Google verifies the latest information first which can take a couple weeks. It is important to wait for the process to complete. Often, small businesses rush the process by quickly making the profile and asking all the employees to add reviews. This is NOT the right approach.

Second common reason for disappearance of Google Reviews is when a review violates that rules laid by Google. If the review contains any cuss word, any discriminatory, or derogatory statement, Google reserves the right to remove it. Following are the basic guidelines laid by Google:

Relevance and Authenticity: Reviews must be relevant and genuine, avoiding fake or promotional content.
No Offensive Content: Reviews should not include offensive language, hate speech, or inappropriate material.
Avoid Conflict of Interest: Individuals with a conflict of interest, such as employees or competitors, should refrain from leaving reviews.
Protect Personal Information: Reviews must not contain personal information to ensure privacy and security.
Factual Accuracy: Reviews should be factually accurate, avoiding false claims or exaggerations.

For detailed Google rules on reviews, refer to the guide.

The third most common reason is Google policies that are frequently updated. Google updates can temporarily (or even permanently) affect the visibility of user reviews. When this happens, it is a good idea to contact Google support and clarify the issue. Small business can get a response email in under 48 hours.

Sometimes business start getting a lot of negative reviews for poor service, high prices, or not meeting the client’s expectations. In that case, it is not uncommon for small businesses to remove reviews from Google Business Profile. Google views this as manipulation of public opinion and may hide all the reviews for that business. This hurts small businesses as genuine and credible reviews also disappear. If a business gets a negative review, the best approach is to contact the customer, explain the situation, and try to resolve the matter as best as possible.

To maintain the quality of service, Google takes fake reviews negatively and strict action is taken. If Google notices fake reviews or there is a suspicion of spam, the reviews are removed. If the views appear biased or paid, Google will still take similar action. This policy is designed to protect the users from businesses trying to gain an unfair advantage. This can be sometimes useful as well. For instance, if any dishonest competitor leaves negative reviews which do not go with the overall reviews received by the business, the algorithm will surely remove the seemingly fake reviews.

How can I find out why my review in Google Maps is not visible? [as Author]

As a review’s author, Google send notification when the review is NOT published. This information is accompanied with Google guidelines and explanation of why the review does not meet or how it violates the Google’s terms of service. A good idea is to appeal to Google Support so that this matter can be reconsidered. There is a dedicated review button next to the review.

It is crucial to acknowledge the Google algorithms are not perfect and can make mistakes. If the author registers a review, Google will surely look into the matter. The users are best advised not to remain passive over the matter. Also, if Google does remove your review, you will be notified on the matter.

Conclusion

Based on our expertise in Google review management, it’s observed that Google’s algorithms and customer service decisions on review removal are not always conclusive. We recommend proactively appealing or reaching out to review authors, as this often proves effective in reinstating multiple Google reviews for your business profile on Google and Google Maps. This proactive approach can enhance your business’s visibility, attract new customers, and bolster your company’s online reputation.