How to Report and Remove a Fake or Spam Google Review: 5 Steps

Although it may feel like it, getting a bad Google review isn’t the end of the world. Every business receives the occasional bad review, even the best businesses. The key is to know what to do when you get a negative review. We’ll go over how to manage bad Google reviews, from when to report them to Google to how to respond.

How to Report a Google Review

Google makes it very easy to report a review. Google has also automated spam detection that may catch some of the reviews before you can even report them.

Of course, that automated spam detection can’t identify every inappropriate review, so you occasionally need to report Google reviews. The process is very similar no matter what device or Google page you go through, with a few minor differences.

How to Report a Google Review via Google Maps

1. Open Google Maps on your computer or smartphone.
2. Search for and click on your Business Profile. On your smartphone, you can select your profile picture and then “Your Business Profile.”
3. Find the Google review in question.
4. Click “More” with the three vertical dots next to it.
5. Select “Flag as inappropriate.”

It is also worth noting that you can flag a user via Google Maps on mobile. After doing this, the user’s contributions will be reviewed. To flag a user, follow the above steps, but instead of tapping on “More” next to the review, do the following:

1. Tap the user’s name.
2. Tap the “More” button with the three vertical dots.
3. Select “Report profile.”

How to Report a Google Review Via Google Search

1. Navigate to Google.com.
2. Search for and find your Business Profile.
3. Select “Google Reviews.”
4. Find the review to report.
5. Select “More” with the three vertical dots next to it.
6. Select “Report review.”
7. Choose the type of violation to report.

How to Report a Google Review in Your Account

1. Sign in to your Google Business Profile on your computer.
2. Navigate to “Reviews” on the left if you are a single business. If you manage multiple businesses, select “Manage reviews.” Choose the location group in the drop-down menu.
3. Find the Google review to flag.
4. Select “More” with the three vertical dots next to it.
5. Select “Flag as inappropriate.”

What Happens After You Report a Google Review?

After you report a Google review, Google’s team will assess the review in question. Google asks for your patience because this process may take several days.

If Google decides that the review violates its policies, it will take it down. If it determines the Google review doesn’t violate its policies, the review will be left in place.

When to Report a Review

It’s important to note that you should not report just any negative review. Google has explicit policies, removing only online reviews that violate those policies. It won’t remove a review for simply being negative.

If a Google review is negative but shouldn’t be reported, the best thing to do is to respond to it, which we’ll cover in the next session.

Before reporting a review, ensure that it violates Google policies and matches the platform’s reporting guidance. To summarize, you can report reviews that are fake, misleading, bullying, or illegal. The following are the types of content included in Google’s reporting guidelines. 

• Harassment
• Hate speech
• Personal information
• Offensive content
• Fake reviews, including misinformation or misrepresentation
• Impersonation
• Off-topic or irrelevant reviews
• Advertising and solicitation
• Repetitive content or gibberish
• Obscenity and profanity
• Adult-themed content
• Sexually explicit content
• Violence or gore
• A threat to child safety
• Terrorist, restricted, illegal, or dangerous content

How to Respond to Negative Reviews

As mentioned, you should only report Google reviews that violate Google’s policies. So when you receive a negative review, it is always best to respond and use it as an opportunity to change the reviewer’s mind.

Responding to negative reviews also shows potential clients that you care about their experience, improving your reputation.

As you respond to negative reviews, keep the following in mind.

Know the Actual Process – Step-by-Step

Here’s the process of responding to Google reviews. Do the following:

1. Navigate to the review in question (via your Business Profile, Google Maps, or Google Search).
2. Select “Reply” next to the review.

You will also be able to edit or delete your reply by selecting “More” with the three vertical dots and then “Edit” or “Delete.”

→Need help managing reviews? Sign up for a free trial of Podium today. 

Acknowledge Their Issue and Thank Them for Bringing It to Your Attention

Start your response to a negative review by acknowledging the problem. In doing so, you assure your customer that you hear their concerns and make them feel that you appreciate their feedback.

As you do this, express gratitude to the reviewer for bringing the issue to your attention. Showing that you encourage feedback shared in Google reviews is a great way to communicate how you value your customers.

Apologize for Their Experience

Even if you think the customer is wrong about the review, it’s still smart to offer an apology when responding to a negative review. By taking the high road, you improve your reputation as a business. This will appease the reviewer and show your dedication to customer service.

Personalize the Response

Like any other interaction with customers, personalize the Google review. Addressing them by name lets the reviewer know that you aren’t just using a template to respond to them.

Give an Explanation

Depending on the situation, give the customer an explanation of the situation in more detail. In some instances, an apology will be more than enough. However, there will be times when you must give more details to explain why their complaint happened. For example, unforeseen technical delays may have resulted in late product deliveries.

However, make sure that the explanation is not an excuse. In Google reviews, you should always take responsibility for the situation and apologize. You can also offer the customer advice on how to re-engage your business.

Provide Appropriate Compensation

Remember that one goal when responding to Google reviews is to get the reviewer to return to your business. To do this, you can offer an incentive to do business with you again. For example, offer priority scheduling, a discount, a freebie, or a gift card.

Offer to Resolve the Issue Offline

As you write your response, remember that you don’t want the entire interaction to occur in public. Offer to discuss it over the phone, in person, or even on another channel of their choice, such as text or email.

This shows that you care about the customer’s privacy and minimizes the attention on the negative review.

Don’t Ask to Remove the Review

It can be tempting to ask the reviewer to remove their negative review but note that this can worsen the situation. When you do this, it may appear as if you are trying to conceal important business practices or control your Google reviews.

Start Collecting Reviews With Podium

One of the best ways to counter negative reviews is to have a significant amount of positive Google reviews. In a sea of praise and positive customer experiences, negative reviews will have minimal impact on your overall Google rating.

Podium makes it easy to collect more reviews on Google, as well as on other platforms. Our review tools make it easy for customers to share their experiences, increasing your number of five-star ratings. Get started today and watch your number of online reviews grow along with your business.

Ready to give it a try? Sign up for a free, no-strings-attached trial here.