As a business owner, we don’t have to remind you of the importance of your placement in search engines. It’s no secret that websites that show up higher in results typically do better than those that don’t. One of the most important factors regarding your search engine placement is reviews. Here are some things you should know about Google reviews and whether or not you can remove negative reviews.
Is It Possible to Remove a Review
As a business owner, we’ve all been there, someone has left a poor review of your business, leaving a bad impression on potential customers. While some of these reviews may be fair, some of them are unfair or unjustified. These can be internet trolls or people who are only looking to negatively affect your business.
You may be wondering, “Is there something I can do to remove these reviews from the Google search results?” Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do, as of right now, to remove any negative Google reviews. While you can’t actually delete a review, there are things you can do that can help boost people’s impression of your business.
Leave A Response
When it comes to Google, companies that actively interact with people who leave reviews typically rank higher in search engine results. This is because the platform greatly values interactions such as these. That’s why you should always leave a response underneath reviews of your business, even if these reviews are negative.
While doing this can help increase your search engine standing, it can also help make your business look better. If someone is searching for your business and they see you regularly reply to other reviews, it shows you care. It’s important that you are nice and courteous in your replies, even if someone leaves a negative and mean review.
Flag Any Reviews That Go Against Google’s Policy
Google does have a policy against potentially harmful reviews and reviews that may be considered overly harmful. However, we don’t recommend that you flag a review simply because it’s negative. We believe that Google has a system in place that punishes any businesses that overly flags reviews that do not go against Google policy.
To flag a comment, go to the user view of your Google My Business listing, find the comment, and then use the flag button to mark it. You’ll have to select the reason you are choosing to flag the comment. Other people can go to your page and flag the comment as well. If the review is deemed hostile, it can be removed by Google.
Work to Get More Reviews
As a business with an online presence, your search engine placement should always be at the forefront of your mind. One of the easiest ways to rise in the results is by getting reviews of your company. Getting more reviews may require you to be a little annoying and persistent, but it’s worth it in the long run.
If you’ve made it a habit to send your customers a review link to your GMB page at the end of their visit or upon completion of a sale, then you will naturally knock that bad review down. However, if you haven’t been making this a priority, now is the time to start. It’s better for your latest review to be positive because your most recent review is the one that will show up on the listing.
We Can Help
Here at WPamplify, our number one goal is helping businesses boost their ranking in search engines. We will work with you every step of the way and send you regular reports so you can keep track of the progress. Contact us to find out what it is we can do for you and your business.
