Google reviews demonstrate your company’s credibility and legitimacy. While they all won’t be positive, sometimes the reviews can be in violation of Google’s policy. If that’s the case, you’ll need to know how to delete a Google review.
Understanding the process and how Google evaluates these requests is important for business owners. In this guide, you’ll learn how to report a review, alternative ways of responding, and how to spot fake feedback.
Can You Delete a Google Review?
Whether or not you can delete a Google review depends on who wrote it. If you did, you can delete it at any time. If someone else wrote the review about your business, you cannot delete it. However, there is a process for flagging it and asking Google to determine if it’s against their policies.
Why you can’t directly delete others’ reviews
You can’t directly delete the reviews people leave for your company. Google strives to present authentic reviews for businesses, good or bad. Thus, they don’t allow you to pick and choose which ones are associated with your brand.
What you can do instead
Customer reviews can be valuable for any business as a way to build trust. After all, 97% of consumers read these, and Google is one of the leading platforms they use.
Since you can’t immediately delete something you believe is false or fake, you can take these actions.
Your first action can be to flag the review, bringing it to the attention of Google so they can evaluate if it’s legitimate or not.
You can also respond to the review. It’s a good idea to always reply to reviews, good or bad. In this situation, you may decide to be more assertive in your response. If you have evidence that the review is spam or not true, you could include this.
Another option is just to ignore it. If the majority of reviews on your Google Business Profile (GBP) are positive, one negative won’t make much difference in how people perceive your brand.
RELATED ARTICLE — How to Respond to Google Reviews
When Google Will (and Won’t) Remove a Review
As noted, Google has policies about reviews. Certain factors must be present for the company to determine violations. Here is information about when they will and won’t remove a Google review.
Google’s review policies & violations
Google won’t delete a review because it’s negative or unfair. These are the violation categories they take into consideration:
- Spam and fake content: You always want to flag fake Google reviews. If bots, competitors, or paid actors write a review to manipulate ratings, Google takes this seriously. If proven, they’ll remove it.
- Conflict of interest: If a current or former employee writes a review to skew the ratings, there may be cause for removal.
- Off-topic content: If a review has nothing to do with your business and instead is just ranting and raving, you may prevail on the removal action.
- Harassment and hate speech: If a review contains profanity, slurs, threats, or targeted attacks, it will likely be a violation.
- Sexually explicit or illegal content: Language that depicts violence, sexual situations, or illegal acts is removable.
Reviews Google won’t remove
Not liking a review or finding it harsh isn’t grounds for removal. Google won’t remove a review for these reasons:
- Legitimate negative feedback: If the review reflects an actual customer experience, it’s going to stay.
- Business disputes: Even if you disagree with a customer’s version of what transpired, Google won’t delete it.
- Reviews with no text: Star-only ratings left by legitimate accounts are valid under Google policy.
- Third-party reviews: If they are authentic, they will stay. These are often complaints about pricing, wait times, or company policies.
Even though you cannot remove these, you can respond to them. It’s critical to do so, as it could be a way to resolve the issue and retain the customer. Potential new customers will also see your responses, and they may consider that in their overall assessment.
Also, keep in mind that someone does not have to be a paying customer to leave a review. Google will also not verify whether an experience is true or false.
How to Flag a Google Review for Removal
Report a Google review by flagging it. Follow these steps to do it correctly. Before you flag it, you should go ahead and respond to it. It may take a while for Google to assess it.
There are several ways to flag Google reviews.
From your Google Business Profile
Take these steps to flag the review from your Google Business Profile:
- Log in to your account.
- Go to reviews.
- Find the review and click on the three dots.
- Select “Report Review.”
- Choose the reason for review that applies to a policy violation (e.g., spam, not a real experience, or harassment).
From Google Maps
Use this guidance to report a review from Google Maps:
- Open Google Maps.
- Search for the business.
- Select your business profile.
- Go to the reviews section.
- Locate the review in question.
- Click the three-dot menu.
- Choose “Report Review.”
- Submit the reason for review (e.g., spam, harassment, profanity).
Using the Reviews Management Tool
Most experts say that the Google Review Tool is the best way to make a report. You can quickly click to report.
The page will then open up to all the reasons available related to policies:
- Low-quality information/off-topic
- Fake or deceptive
- Profanity
- Harmful (self-harm, misuse of dangerous items)
- Bullying or harassment
- Discrimination or hate speech
- Personal information revealed
No matter which way you report the review, be ready for a follow-up. Google will likely reach out and request more information. It’s a good idea to get your evidence together, including:
- Documenting the URL of the review (click on the name of the user, select the review, and copy the URL)
- Gathering all pertinent information: business name, address, phone, website URL, and Google Maps link
- Statement on why the review should be removed aligned with a policy
- Any information you have to support that the review is fake, if that’s the policy
- Preparing any other documentation related to the review
How to Delete a Google Review You Wrote
If you want to delete a Google Review that you wrote, the process is much easier.
Editing vs. deleting your own review
If you’ve left a review and are having second thoughts, you can delete it. You also have the option to edit it. You can add clarifying information or change the tone if you believe you’ve been too harsh.
Steps on desktop & mobile
Deleting or editing is possible on desktop or mobile.
Mobile steps:
- Go to Google Maps.
- Tap “Contribute.”
- Click to view your profile.
- Go to the review section.
- Select the three dots beside the review you want to delete.
- Choose “Delete review” or “Edit review.”
- Finish your edit and save.
Desktop steps:
- Go to Google Maps.
- Sign in.
- Click the menu.
- Navigate to your contributions.
- Select the Reviews tab.
- Tap the “More” icon associated with the review.
- Choose “Delete Review” or “Edit Review.”
- Make your edits and save.
What to Do if Google Won’t Remove the Review
Even if you file a report and have a legitimate policy violation, there is no guarantee Google will delete the review. If they refuse to do so, you still have some recourse.
Respond professionally
You should be in the habit of responding to all reviews. You always want to maintain a professional tone even when you know the review isn’t accurate or real.
You don’t want to be overly defensive or aggressive. Be calm and keep it brief and to the point. With the right response, it can be a positive PR move.
Here are some ways to respond.
If you suspect it’s a fake review, you could say:
“Hi [Name], we take all feedback seriously. However, we’ve searched our customer data and cannot find anything related to you or your complaint. We want to make sure we address this, so please get in touch with us at XYZ.”
If it’s harassment, you could write:
“Hi [Name], we value open dialogue with customers. This review, however, includes language and claims that do not align with our brand. We ask that you contact us privately to discuss this further.”
If it’s a review that appears to be gibberish:
“Hi [Name]. We appreciate any feedback from our customers, but we are having trouble following your review. We’d appreciate it if you could clarify or elaborate further. You can reach us directly at XYZ.”
Escalate or request a second review
You can also appeal the ruling to Google. It’s crucial to stick to the facts in requesting another review. You need to be very specific about why the review is in violation of Google’s policies.
Google’s team places a lot of emphasis on the text in the review. There is a lot of nuance in how people use words. For example, a reviewer may call a business owner a racist. Google wouldn’t see that as hate speech, but saying something disparaging about a group of people would be.
If the reason you flagged the review was that the person isn’t an actual customer, it can be hard to prove. You’ll need proof of fake engagement. You can research the reviewer’s history to find evidence of this.
RELATED ARTICLE — How to See My Google Reviews
How to Handle Fake & Negative Reviews the Right Way
Fake reviews are a nuisance and growing problem for businesses. Google revealed that they removed over 170 million of them for policy violations. That was a 45% year-over-year increase!
If you’re going to be prompt about flagging fake reviews, you need to monitor all the feedback you get on your GBP. This can be challenging to do, but there are technology tools that help with reputation and review management.
Spotting fake reviews
You’ll also need to know how to spot fake reviews. Here are some tips:
- Look for wording that seems AI-generated or too generic.
- Check the date of the review and whether that correlates with any other feedback you received from a customer.
- Inspect the profile giving the review to see if it seems legitimate. Are they a one-time reviewer? Do they have random reviews for cities all over the world? Is their avatar blank?
- Make note if they mention a competitor; it could be a red flag.
- Compare previous feedback from the reviewer, looking to see if they are almost identical.
Responding to fake vs. genuine criticism
Above, we provided some sample scripts for responding to fake reviews. You aren’t making an allegation in these responses, but you are stating facts and trying to make it clear that the review seems a bit fishy.
Replying to genuine criticism also requires a professional tone and sticking to the facts. You can apologize if warranted. You don’t want to make excuses or be defensive. Instead, promptly respond that you’d like to address the complaint offline. Urge the reviewer to contact you directly so you can resolve the issue.
RELATED ARTICLE — How to Handle Negative Google Reviews
How to Outweigh Bad Reviews with More Positive Ones
Bad reviews will happen, no matter how amazing your service is. It’s part of running a business. What’s vital is that you have a steady flow of reviews. There will likely be more positive ones than negative ones.
Automate review requests after service
The best way to get more reviews is to automate the request by using review management software. With this technology, you can send review requests by email or text immediately after a service appointment.
The interaction is fresh on the mind of the customer, so they are more likely to respond.
Make leaving a review easy
With email or text messages, make sure it’s a simple click that takes them to the page to review. You can point them toward Google or any other platform where you collect reviews.
Your technician can also leave behind a card with a QR code that takes them to the same pages. This is super simple, as most people are aware of how to scan these barcodes.
Provide simple instructions too. Give them a quick step-by-step of what to do so there’s no friction in the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business delete a Google review?
A business cannot delete a Google review that someone leaves on their profile. A business can flag and report the review to Google for evaluation. Google will make a decision to delete it only if it violates its policies.
How long does it take Google to remove a flagged review?
The amount of time it takes Google to remove a flagged review varies greatly. It could be several days or weeks. Sometimes when the violation is flagrant, the turnaround time could be much quicker.
How do I report a fake Google review?
You can report a fake Google review through several channels. You can report it through your GBP or Google Maps. The Review Management Tool is another option, which allows you to track the progress more easily.
Can you sue over a fake Google review?
Yes, you can sue over a fake Google review. If the review contains false statements that damage your reputation or bottom line, you may have cause to sue for defamation. Seek guidance from legal counsel on how to proceed.
Conclusion
While you can’t delete a Google review instantly, you do have the ability to report it to Google for removal. If you feel that the review breaches Google’s policy, you likely have cause.
For any review, regardless of whether you flag it, responding professionally and quickly matters. It demonstrates that you care about feedback. Managing all of this can be difficult. With technology to automate and support you, as well as defined processes to report, you can streamline review management.
Be ready to generate more reviews and assess them. Doing so protects your reputation and can drive growth.