Google reviews typically top the list of what potential customers seek when deciding between businesses.
These reviews are displayed prominently on your Google Business Profile and Google Maps and come from people who’ve interacted with your business and shared their experiences.
Anyone can view Google reviews. Such feedback can significantly sway public opinion and impact how potential customers engage with your business.
If you suddenly find your Google reviews missing, or maybe you’re suspicious about Google removing reviews, you’re not alone.
Many businesses complain about missing reviews on Google.
So, why do Google reviews disappear? Here are possible reasons for missing reviews on Google:
1. A Possible Bug With Google
2. Incentivized Reviews
3. Google Reviews Have Links or URLs
4. Profanity Used in Google Reviews
5. Google Reviews From Former or Current Employees
6. The User Deleted the Google Reviews
7. The User Deleted Their Account
8. Your Google Business Profile Is Unverified
9. Your Business Listing Is New
10. Incorrect Listing Information
11. Your Business Profile Is Inactive
12. You Have Duplicate Business Profiles
13. Google Business Profiles Recently Merged
14. Your Business Isn’t Open to the Public
Why Google Reviews Are Not Showing Up
On top of the reasons for missing Google reviews, we will also offer tips on how to address the problem depending on the situation.
Let’s uncover why Google reviews disappear:
1. A Possible Bug With Google
Technical glitches with Google can sometimes cause missing Google reviews temporarily, often during updates to the Google Business Profile system. For example, when Google rolled out several changes simultaneously, many businesses experienced a temporary loss of access to their reviews.
Issues are typically resolved once the updates are fully integrated. Businesses using Google Business Profiles have also reported other technical bugs, such as being unable to edit published posts or add images to their profiles.
Tip
If you encounter any potential bugs, document them thoroughly and report them to Google’s customer support with detailed descriptions of the issues you’re facing. This will help Google address the problems more efficiently and potentially restore any reviews affected by the bugs.
2. Incentivized Reviews
Incentivized reviews, including those paid for or rewarded, violate Google’s policies and are considered fraudulent. Google firmly opposes any manipulation of reviews, ensuring that all feedback remains genuine and unbiased. Businesses found violating these rules risk having their reviews removed, undermining their credibility and authenticity among users.
If Google finds out a business has been purchasing reviews or offering incentives for them, the penalties are harsh. Not only will such reviews be removed, but the business might also face further sanctions, including a drop in search rankings, significantly diminishing its visibility on Google’s platforms.
Tip
Earn Google reviews organically by providing excellent service and engaging positively with your customers rather than attempting to circumvent the system through underhanded tactics.
3. Google Reviews Have Links or URLs
Google strictly prohibits outbound links in reviews on Google Business Profiles to preserve the integrity and relevance of user feedback. Reviews featuring links or URLs can lead to missing reviews on Google. Such reviews are typically removed to prevent promotional content or diversion from Google’s services.
Including URLs can introduce security risks or redirect users to unverified external sites, potentially misleading them. Google’s policy against links in reviews supports a safe, trustworthy environment for users seeking honest business feedback.
Tip
Oversee your reviews to ensure compliance with Google’s guidelines. Informing customers about these rules can help prevent the submission of prohibited content and keep reviews beneficial and relevant for potential customers.
4. Profanity Used in Google Reviews
Google removing reviews with profanity is expected as it maintains strict guidelines against profanity in reviews. Any review containing offensive language is promptly removed to ensure a respectful and professional environment on its platform. This policy helps keep the content appropriate for all audiences, preserving the integrity of user-contributed feedback.
Clean and respectful reviews not only adhere to Google’s guidelines but also enhance the quality of the feedback received. Businesses should remind their clientele about the importance of keeping reviews free of offensive language, ensuring that their contributions remain visible and impactful on the platform.
Tip
Encourage your customers to avoid using profane language when writing reviews. Educating customers about Google’s content policies can lead to more positive and publishable feedback, benefiting the business’s online reputation.
5. Google Reviews From Former or Current Employees
Google’s guidelines prohibit current or former employees from submitting reviews for their employer’s business profile. This policy is in place to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure the authenticity of the reviews. Google removing reviews is expected to maintain the trustworthiness of the feedback on the platform.
While this rule might seem restrictive, it can actually work in favor of businesses. For example, if a disgruntled former employee leaves a negative review, you can report it to Google. Because such reviews violate Google’s policy, they are typically removed promptly, helping to protect the business’s online reputation.
Tip
Understand Google’s policy on employee reviews to your advantage. By actively managing your profile and reporting reviews that violate these guidelines, businesses can maintain a more accurate and fair representation of their customer satisfaction levels.
6. The User Deleted the Google Reviews
Sometimes, a customer may choose to remove their review from your Google Business Profile. This decision could be based on a variety of personal reasons or changes in their perspective about their experience.
Although it can be disappointing to see a review disappear, there is a proactive approach you can take. It’s possible the deletion was accidental, or the customer might have new feedback that could lead to an even more constructive review.
Tip
Reaching out to the customer about their deleted review not only shows that you value their opinion but also opens the door to potentially having the review reinstated. This communication must be handled sensitively and respectfully to encourage a positive interaction.
7. The User Deleted Their Account
When customers decide to delete or deactivate their Google accounts, any reviews they’ve posted can vanish. This happens because reviews on Google are tied to individual user accounts, and the platform does not support anonymous feedback.
Unfortunately, if a review disappears due to a user account being removed, there’s no way to recover it. Since these reviews are irretrievable once the associated account is gone, the review itself becomes permanently inaccessible.
Tip
To mitigate the impact of lost reviews, focus on enhancing your feedback-collection strategy. Encouraging more customers to share their experiences can help compensate for the no longer available reviews, ensuring your online reputation remains strong.
8. Your Google Business Profile Is Unverified
If an unverified profile suddenly receives many reviews, Google may scrutinize this activity to rule out spam or fake reviews. Verification of your Google Business Profile is crucial not only for enhancing the visibility of your reviews but also for boosting your business’s overall search rankings.
By confirming your business details with Google, you establish a level of authenticity that can significantly impact how potential customers perceive your establishment. A verified profile assures users that the information they’re viewing is accurate and reliable.
Tip
Ensure your profiles are verified to prevent issues with unverified listings. Starting the verification process early, especially if reviews begin to accumulate, helps maintain the integrity of the business’s online presence and facilitates smoother interactions with Google’s services.
9. Your Business Listing Is New
When a business first registers or adds a Google Business Profile, it becomes visible on Google Maps and in search results, which is a great step for boosting visibility. However, it’s common for there to be a delay before reviews start showing up on the new business listing.
It takes time for customers to discover the new business listing, visit the business and then decide to leave a review. The frequency and volume of reviews will likely increase as the business gains more exposure and customers.
Tip
If your business listing is new, it’s wise to be patient. In the meantime, continue focusing on providing excellent service and encouraging feedback from your visitors.
10. Incorrect Listing Information
Google ties reviews to specific locations and business names. New reviews may not appear under the correct listing if a business changes its location or name but doesn’t update this information on Google. Instead, they might remain attached to the old address or business name, making them less relevant and harder for potential customers to find.
Google often verifies information about a business before updates can take effect, especially if significant details like the name or location change. During this verification period, there may be discrepancies in the information displayed, affecting how and where reviews are shown.
Tip
To ensure your reviews are correctly aligned with your business, promptly update any changes in your business name or location on your Google Business Profile. Re-verification may be needed for some key changes.
11. Your Business Profile Is Inactive
Google has a policy of potentially hiding reviews for Business Profiles that appear inactive. This approach motivates businesses to update their details regularly. If you haven’t accessed your Google Business Profile in a significant period, specifically more than six months, Google might consider this inactivity grounds to remove the verified status of your listing.
Inactivity can make your business profile less visible and impactful to potential customers searching for your services. Losing verification of your business listing due to prolonged inactivity can have several consequences, including the inability to collect new reviews, update business information or respond to existing reviews.
Tip
To prevent your Business Profile from becoming inactive and losing critical features like review visibility, make sure to regularly log in, update your information when needed and use Google Posts.
12. You Have Duplicate Business Profiles
Business Profiles that are duplicated on Google can hinder the visibility and accuracy of your reviews. Multiple profiles at the same address are only permitted if they represent distinct businesses that each qualify for a Google Business Profile. It’s essential to maintain just one profile per business. For those offering multiple services, these should be consolidated into a single profile instead of creating separate ones for each service.
Duplicate profiles can exist in different states: both might be verified and published, one could be published but not verified or one could be marked as a duplicate in your account dashboard. These scenarios can affect how your business information is presented and how easily customers can find and review your business.
Tip
To avoid having your business profiles flagged as duplicates, ensure each one is distinct and doesn’t overlap with others you manage. Refrain from creating new profiles for services that can be included in an existing profile.
13. Google Business Profiles Recently Merged
It’s common to encounter delays or temporary absences in the display of customer reviews after you merge your Business Profiles. This issue arises because the merging process can disrupt the normal association of reviews with their respective business profiles.
Essentially, as the system consolidates the data from two profiles into one, it might take some time to reassign and properly display all the customer feedback that was originally linked to each separate profile. During this transition, reviews might not appear as they are being integrated and verified under the new, unified profile.
Tip
If you accidentally merged your profiles, contact support for help. Otherwise, allow some time for adjustments after merging to ensure all information is accurate and enhances your business listing on Google.
14. Your Business Isn’t Open to the Public
Companies have the option to set up a Google Business Profile for businesses that haven’t yet opened by specifying a future opening date. This allows them to start building engagement with potential customers through photos, posts and descriptions in advance.
Google may not display these reviews if they are submitted before the official opening date listed on your profile. It tends to filter out reviews it suspects might be spam or fake, especially if they are dated before the business is officially open to the public.
Tip
Make sure your business is officially open to the public before you start asking for reviews from your customers. Alternatively, verify that your Google Business Profile is set to show your business as open.
Get More Google Reviews
We’ve gone over why Google reviews disappear. Here are quick tips on how to get more Google reviews for your business:
1. Make it easy: Include a simple call to action (CTA) on your website, receipts or email signatures that politely ask customers to leave a review on Google. You can even include a shortened link or QR code to make the process easier.
2. Ask directly: Train your staff to politely request reviews from satisfied customers after a positive interaction. You can do this in person, via email or through a follow-up message after a purchase or service.
3. Respond to reviews: Show that you value feedback by replying to reviews, both positive and negative. Thank customers for positive feedback and address concerns raised in negative reviews
4. Highlight reviews: Actively showcasing real testimonials praising your services or products on your website and across your social media channels can significantly bolster your credibility with potential customers.
Use social media: Promote the idea of leaving a Google review through your social media channels. Regularly remind your followers how much their reviews mean to your business.
Here’s a quick recap of possible reasons for Google reviews not showing:
• There might be a glitch affecting Google Reviews.
• Reviews appear to be incentivized.
• Reviews contain links or URLs.
• Use of profanity in the reviews.
• Reviews are from former or current employees.
• The user removed their own reviews.
• The user deactivated their account.
• Your Google Business Profile hasn’t been verified.
• Your business listing was recently created.
• Your listing details are inaccurate.
• Your Business Profile has been inactive.
• There are multiple profiles for your business.
• Your Google Business Profiles were recently consolidated.
• Your business is not open to the public.
Thorough Google Review Management
If you’re looking for some assistance in managing your Google Business Profile and its reviews, Thrive Local is ready to step in.
Our services include:
• Social media reputation management
• Franchise reputation management
• Online reputation repair
• Reputation management software
Are your Google reviews not showing?
Talk to our team and get help for missing Google reviews.
