How to Get a Fake Review Removed by Google

If your Google Business Profile has been hit by a fake or inappropriate review, it's important to take action quickly to protect your business’s reputation. Google has a process for reporting and removing reviews that violate their guidelines, but to increase your chances of success, you'll need to follow a few key steps. Here's how to effectively report and improve the likelihood of getting that review removed.

1. Understand Google’s Review Policies

Before you report a review, it’s essential to understand Google’s review policies. Google removes reviews that violate their guidelines, which include:

• Spam and fake content: Reviews that are not based on a real experience or have been posted multiple times.
• Conflict of interest: Reviews posted by competitors or people with a vested interest in the business.
• Offensive content: Reviews containing profanity, hate speech, or personal attacks.
• Irrelevant content: Reviews that do not relate to the actual experience with the business, such as political commentary or general grievances unrelated to the service or product.

Familiarising yourself with these guidelines will help you identify which category your report falls under, making your case stronger.

2. Document and Gather Evidence

To improve your chances of having the review removed, gather as much evidence as possible to support your claim. This could include:

• Transaction Records: If the reviewer claims to have had an experience that you cannot verify, having transaction records or appointment logs can help disprove their claim.
• Screenshots: Capture any relevant communications that demonstrate the review is fake or misleading.
• Customer Interactions: If you’ve communicated with the reviewer and have records that show inconsistencies in their story, include this information in your report.

Having clear, organised evidence can significantly increase the likelihood that Google will remove the review.

3. Respond Professionally to the Review

Before reporting the review, respond to it publicly in a professional and calm manner. This serves two purposes:

• Demonstrates Good Faith: It shows Google (and potential customers) that you’ve made an effort to address the issue. Heres a guide that will help you craft compelling response. 
• Undermines the Review’s Credibility: If the review is fake, politely point out that you have no record of the transaction and invite the reviewer to contact you directly to resolve the issue. This can make it clear to Google that the review may not be genuine.

4. Report the Review via Google Business Profile

Once you’ve prepared your evidence and responded to the review, follow these steps to report it to Google:

1. Access the Review Management Tool: Log in to your Google Business Profile and go to the review management section.
   
   
2. Ensure You’re in the Correct Account: Double-check that the email address matches the one used to manage your Google Business Profile.
   
   
3. Confirm Your Business: Click 'Confirm' to verify your business details.
   
   
4. Report the Review: Select your business and choose the option to 'Report a review for removal.'
   
   
5. Categorise the Review: For each review you want removed, click 'Report.' A new tab will open where you can select the most appropriate category (e.g., 'Spam,' 'Conflict of Interest') and hit 'Submit.'

5. Follow Up if Necessary

Google’s review process can take several days, but if you haven’t received a response or action after a reasonable amount of time, don’t hesitate to follow up. Persistence can sometimes prompt quicker action, especially if the review is particularly damaging.

6. Enlist the Help of Others

If the review is clearly fake, consider asking other trusted customers or colleagues to flag the review as inappropriate. While there’s no guarantee, a higher number of reports can sometimes push Google to take action more swiftly.

7. Contact Google Support Directly

If you’ve gone through the standard process and the review hasn’t been removed, you can try contacting Google My Business support directly. When doing so, be prepared to provide all the evidence you’ve gathered and reference Google’s specific review policies that the review violates.

8. Proactively Build a Strong Review Profile

Even as you work to remove a fake review, it’s a good idea to focus on gathering more positive reviews. A large number of authentic, positive reviews can make any fake or negative ones less impactful, effectively burying them. To help you boost your positive reviews, download our guide on how to ethically explode your Google reviews.

Conclusion

Dealing with a fake review can be frustrating, but by following these steps, you can significantly increase your chances of having it removed. Remember, the best defence against fake reviews is a strong, positive online reputation, so keep encouraging happy customers to share their experiences.

If you’d like more tips on managing your online reputation or need assistance, feel free to reach out. We’re here to help your business shine online.