Google reviews are an important part of any business’s online presence. They can help potential customers make informed decisions about whether or not to use your services. Unfortunately, negative reviews can also have a damaging effect on your business, so find out here how to delete bad Google reviews. If you’re dealing with a bad Google review, here’s what you need to know about how to delete it. It’s worth noting that bad reviews that are from genuine customers might not be possible to delete. But if you feel you’ve been dealt a poor hand and had a fake review, here’s some steps to getting it resolved.
Understand Google’s Review Policies
The first step in dealing with a bad Google review is to understand Google’s review policies. Google has a strict policy regarding reviews, and they will not remove reviews unless they violate their terms of service. This includes reviews that contain profanity, hate speech, or personal attacks. If the review does not violate Google’s policies, then it is unlikely that Google will remove it.
Respond to the Review
The next step is to respond to the review. This is an important step, as it shows potential customers that you are willing to address customer concerns. It also gives you the opportunity to explain your side of the story and provide additional information. Make sure to be polite and professional in your response, and do not engage in any personal attacks.
Flag the Review
If the review does violate Google’s policies, then you can flag it for removal. To do this, simply click on the “Flag as inappropriate” link next to the review. This will send a request to Google to review the review and take appropriate action. Google does not always take action so it can be worth flagging it from multiple email accounts to try and get this actioned. At Trident we did have a fake review from someone in a country we’d never worked in and continual flagging did eventually get the review removed.
Contact Google
If the review does not violate Google’s policies, or if you have already flagged the review and it has not been removed, then you can contact Google directly. You can do this by visiting the Google My Business support page and submitting a request. Make sure to provide as much detail as possible about the review and why you believe it should be removed.
Hire a Reputation Management Company
If you’ve tried all of the above steps and the review is still not removed, then you may want to consider hiring a reputation management company. These companies specialise in dealing with negative reviews and can help you remove them from Google. They can also help you manage your online reputation and protect your business from future negative reviews.
Get more positive reviews
If the review is a genuine one (sometimes things can go the wrong way), the best way to counter a bad review is to get more positive reviews, as these will drive up the average review and make the poor review less significant. Of course, you won’t have a whole 5* rating, but getting a solid 4.9 is still worth having compared to a poor 2* rating!
Dealing with bad Google reviews can be a difficult and time-consuming process. However, it is important to take the necessary steps to ensure that your business’s online reputation is protected. By understanding Google’s review policies, responding to the review, flagging it for removal, and contacting Google directly, you can take the necessary steps to remove bad reviews from your business’s Google profile.
If you need us to help you further with how to delete bad Google reviews. Or need help with your SEO? Or are you looking for help with ranking higher on Google?
Contact Trident today and we will guide you through the process.
