Have you received a negative review on your Google Business Profile (GMB)?
It’s frustrating, especially when you put in so much effort to provide the best service. But the occasional negative review isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, having a few critical reviews among your positives makes your listing more credible as it shows you’re a real business dealing with real customers.
Still, if a review is fake, misleading, or clearly violates Google’s policies, there are ways to try getting it removed.
Important Things to Know Before Trying to Remove a Google Review:
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- You cannot delete reviews directly from your Google Business Profile.
- Removing your business from your Google account won’t remove the listing or any reviews associated with it from Google Maps or Search.
As a Boutique SEO agency that has been into the business for 10 years, we have seen a lot of times businesses losing actual converting clients, because of the negative review on their Google profile. Thus, it is worth the try to get rid of the fake/negative reviews. Let’s deep dive into the different ways to get your reviews removed.
Two Ways to Get Google Reviews Removed
1. Flag the Review for Removal
Google allows business owners to report reviews that violate its content policies. This is your first course of action if you believe the review is fake, abusive, or misleading.
Here’s how to flag a review as inappropriate:
- Log in to your Google Business Profile.
- Choose the correct location (if you manage multiple).
- Open the “Reviews” section.
- Find the review and click the three vertical dots next to it.
- Select “Flag as inappropriate” and choose the most relevant reason for your request.
After submitting, Google will send you a confirmation email. Review removal typically takes a few days. However, you can improve your chances by contacting Google Support directly and presenting your case in detail.
To contact Google Business Support:
- Visit Google Business Help.
- Scroll down to “Need more help?” and click “Contact us.”
- Choose the business in question and select an appropriate issue such as “managing reviews.”
- Depending on availability, you’ll see options to reach support via phone, chat, or email.
Be clear, concise, and explain how the review violates Google’s policies. Remember: Google won’t remove a review simply because it’s negative you’ll need to justify your request based on their terms.
As a trusted SEO outsourcing company in India, we have helped our clients with the above process and yes this does work, if you are genuine enough and can state proper reasons.
2. Ask the Customer to Edit or Delete the Review
If the review is genuine but negative, your best chance lies in turning a bad experience into a good one. Customers often appreciate the effort and may be willing to revise or remove their review.
Here’s what to do:
- Stay calm and professional in your response—even if the review feels unfair.
- Acknowledge the issue, take responsibility if needed, and offer a sincere apology.
- Resolve the concern, and follow up personally to see if their perception has changed.
If the customer is satisfied after your intervention, it’s completely okay to ask if they’d be open to updating or deleting the review.
Guide them through the steps:
- Ask them to go to Google Maps and log in with the email they used to post the review.
- Click the three horizontal lines (menu) in the top-left corner.
- Select “Your Contributions” > “Reviews.”
- Find the review in question.
- Click the three dots next to it and choose “Edit” or “Delete.”
Bottom Line
Sometimes, even after all efforts, a bad review stays up. Don’t lose heart. Instead, focus on gathering more positive reviews from your happy customers. Most users only read the top 5–6 reviews before forming an opinion, so pushing the negative one down with fresh, positive feedback can do wonders.
The key is consistency in delivering value and encouraging satisfied clients to share their experiences. Over time, that one negative review will lose its impact in a sea of positive ones.