Will Google Remove Fake Reviews?

Business owners today all share a common concern. Small and large businesses must worry about negative or fake reviews showing up on their business pages and how to handle them. Many also ask, "?"

Negative or fake reviews can easily damage the business because over 90% of consumers are being influenced by what they read online. It is often more influential than word-of-mouth comments because there are several reviews and photographs on each business page.

If you have negative or fake reviews linked to your business, DoNotPay can help you discover how to remove those fake Google reviews and protect your business. This can minimize the damages so that your next potential customers aren't being turned away by what they see online.

Is It Possible to Delete Fake Reviews on Google?

If you have reviews that are unfavorable, you are likely wondering how to , or even if it is possible to do. It is possible. However, it is a process that you cannot do alone.

Google is the only entity able to remove a fake review. Before you send in your request, though, it may help your situation if you attempt to respond to the fake review. It will show people who may see the review that you have acted professionally while you wait for Google to respond to your request.

When responding, you should be sure to act professionally and not take it as a personal attack against you or your business. This means:

Apologize to reviewer
State the facts as you know them
Keep your responses short
Offer to speak with them privately about their complaints

If this does not get a response from the reviewer and they do not retract what they have said, you can then go to Google for help.

How to Flag or Report a Fake Google Review

Flagging a Google review is easy, provided you have a business account, and it is against Google's rules. If using your computer, you will need to:

1. Visit Your Google My Business Account

You will need to log in and locate the business that has a negative review if you have more than one.

2. Visit the Menu and Select Reviews

The menu is on the left side of your screen.

3. Find the Review

Locate the review that you feel is fake. The process stays the same if you are trying to figure out how to delete fake reviews from Google Maps or a Google Search. However, when reporting a search result, you will need to select the type of violation you are reporting on that review.

4. Look for the Three Dots Drop Menu

On the review, there should be three dots. Once you have located them, you will need to select "Flag as Inappropriate."

5. Explain Your Problem

You may then be directed to a page that allows you to describe why you want it removed and your email address so that Google can inform you of their decision. When attempting to , you can use your computer and Android or your iPad and iPhone devices.

Why You Should Delete Fake Google Reviews

Some review content is not acceptable according to Google. To protect your business, your image, and your ability to be featured on Google search results, you should report the fake business review to Google if they appear to be:

Spam
Offensive or Profane
Racist
Explicit, Restricted, or Terroristic
Off-Topic
Dishonest/Fake
Personal or Political Rants
Illegal

Another thing to look for when discovering how to get a fake review removed is whether it is a fake review. This can be done by:

Ensure the Reviewer is Fake:	Do you see their name in past purchases or on your client list?
Generic Comments:	Does it actually pertain to your business, product, or service?
Their Avatar:	This is the hardest to prove. Is it a photograph or an emoji? Often, reviewers will have actual photos that they uploaded.
Review Timeline:	Has that one reviewer left multiple reviews back-to-back?

In short, if it doesn't look right to you, you can flag it. Google will review it and deal with it as they feel is necessary.

How Long Will It Take to Remove Fake Google Reviews?

If you choose to report fake negative reviews on Google, the review will not be deleted quickly. In most cases, it will take several days for it to be reviewed by Google, and then removed.

However, if the comment is deemed inappropriate, it may still show up if it has been posted to that reviewer's contribution page. For instance, if "Tammy" posted a negative or fake review on your business page, you may need to flag it on your business page and then have her delete the comment from her contribution page to remove it.

What to Do if the Fake Review Isn't Deleted by Google?

Now that you know how long will take after reporting a flagged fake review on Google My Business, you should know that you don't have to stop there. If Google doesn't remove a questionable review, you have options.

Before you ask, "Should I keep reporting fake reviews to Google?" You should know that you can, but a more effective option will be:

Visit The Google Support Page
Select "Contact Us"
Locate The Customer Reviews and Photos Section
Select Manage Customer Reviews
Choose How You Wish to Make Contact (Chat, Email, or Phone)

Google will contact you within two or three days using this option. When talking to Google, you should have evidence showing the fake or offensive review to support your reasons you want it removed.

If neither option works to completely remove your review, you always have the option of suing the person in small claims for defamation of character.

How Are Reviews on Google Used?

Reviews are vital for a company in today's world. The more positive reviews your business has linked to it, the more people will choose to do business with you. Negative comments or reviews that are fake lessen your credibility as a company.

It is also possible that reporting it or flagging a review yourself may not be enough to get Google to remove it. This is because Google strives to ensure people get what they want and excellent service from businesses. The more people who see that review and flag it, the more likely Google will take your removal request seriously. Otherwise, every business that receives a negative or "fake" review of themselves would simply keep removing it rather than improve the customer experience. Ideally, you will have other customers flag the review on your behalf. This is where DoNotPay can help small businesses the most.

How to Remove Fake Reviews With DoNotPay

DoNotPay offers a convenient tool to . The way it works is simple. Once you contact us about the review, we will look at it, determine how to best report it, and follow through with flagging it.

You simply need to:

Select which platform the review was posted on.
Enter the URL to the review and upload a photo to help us identify it.
Indicate why you want to report the review and provide a detailed description.
And that's it! We'll report the review so that it gets investigated by the platform and taken down once they determine it's inappropriate.

It’s so easy. DoNotPay will play the role of consumer, flag those reviews you wish to remove, and help you get them taken down for good.

What More Can DoNotPay Help You With?

When you own a business and need to know or not, DoNotPay is here for you. The DoNotPay service to remove fake reviews has worked for other companies including Yelp, Facebook, and Amazon. However, this is not all the services we provide.

DoNotPay's many services also include:

To learn more about the services provided by DoNotPay, visit us online. We are always available and waiting to help individuals as well as small businesses.