Agent Branding & Marketing

Why Are Some Of My Business Reviews Not Showing Up In Google?

reviews not showing up on GMB profile

There are several reasons why a customer review may not be shown on Google. Here are a few of the most common reasons:

  1. The review is flagged as spam: Google uses a variety of algorithms and human moderators to detect and remove reviews that violate their guidelines, such as reviews that are fake or written by employees or the business owner themselves.

  2. The review contains embedded links: Google has strict guidelines when it comes to adding URLs and links in reviews. Reviews that have URLs are removed almost instantly. Google considers reviews with URLs in them to likely be spam.

  3. The review is considered “fake”: Google marks reviews made from profiles without a name, photo and other important details as fake Google reviews. Often fake reviews are submitted when a business resorts to buying Google reviews. In such cases, most of these reviews are created by bots using fake profiles.

  4. The review was submitted at a time when Google reviews are temporarily disabled: When search traffic is high and Google is operating with limited working members on its team, Google has been known to disable the review section of Google Business Profiles for a temporary period.

  5. The business profile is inactive: If you haven’t made any updates (photos, posts etc.) to your Google Business Profile in a long time and customers no longer engage with it, it’s possible that your business lost its verification status on Google.Unverified businesses will not rank on Google Search or Google Maps; as a result, existing or new reviews left by your customers will not be visible to the public.

  6. The review is too old: Google only displays reviews that are relatively recent, as older reviews may not be relevant or accurate.

  7. The reviewer’s Google account is inactive: Occasionally a past review will go missing if the customer who wrote the review has their personal Google account deactivated. Google users can preemptively set their account to be deactivated via Google’s Inactive Account Manager. When a Google account is deactivated, all of the user’s data, including their reviews, will be removed.

  8. The business is not yet verified on Google: In order for reviews to be displayed, the business must first be verified on Google. This can be done by the business owner through the Google My Business platform.

  9. The Google Business Profile has a duplicate: When there are duplicate business profiles, including accidental or inadvertent ones, Google will remove one of them. If a Google Business Profile has a duplicate, the reviews might be visible on another listing instead of the active one.

  10. The review is not in the language of the country or region: Google only shows reviews that are in the language of the country or region the business is located in.

  11. The review is not associated with the correct business: Sometimes, customers leave reviews for the wrong business, and these reviews will not be displayed on Google until they are associated with the correct business.

  12. The business has recently moved: If the business changes locations the business reviews may not migrate. Most of the time, Google transfers all the reviews to the new location on Google Maps, but sometimes this may not be the case. For businesses that have a strong connection to the original location, it’s possible Google does not transfer the reviews at all or the business may need to reach out to Google for assistance.

  13. Insufficient number of reviews: Google may not show reviews for a business if it does not have enough reviews. This is to ensure that the reviews shown are representative of the overall customer experience.

It’s important to note that Google’s review policies are subject to change, and that the company may remove or hide reviews for other reasons as well. Business owners should regularly monitor their reviews and address any issues that may arise.

In conclusion, If you are a business owner or a customer, it’s important to be aware of the various reasons why a customer review may not be shown on Google. This will help you to better understand the review process and take steps to ensure that your reviews are visible to potential customers.

As a consumer, what can I do to get my review to show on Google if it is not currently showing?

If your review is not currently showing on Google, here are a few things you can do to try and get it to show:

  1. Check that the review meets Google’s guidelines: Make sure that the review you wrote is not in violation of Google’s guidelines, such as being fake or written by the business owner themselves.

  2. Check that the business is verified on Google: In order for reviews to be displayed, the business must first be verified on Google. If the business is not yet verified, the owner can do this through the Google My Business platform.

  3. Check that the review is in the correct language: Google only shows reviews that are in the language of the country or region the business is located in.

  4. Check that the review is associated with the correct business: Sometimes, reviews may be left for the wrong business and will not be displayed until they are associated with the correct business.

  5. Check that the review is not too old: Google only displays reviews that are relatively recent, as older reviews may not be relevant or accurate.

  6. Reach out to Google: If you believe that your review was removed in error, you can reach out to Google’s customer service team to inquire about the removal.

It’s important to note that getting a review to show on Google is not always a straightforward process, and there is no guarantee that your review will be shown even if you take these steps. However, following these guidelines and reaching out to Google’s customer service team can help increase the chances of your review being visible to potential customers.

Can a business owner instruct Google to show reviews that have been submitted but not published?

A business owner cannot directly instruct Google to show reviews that have been submitted but not published. Google uses a variety of algorithms and human moderators to determine which reviews are shown and which are hidden, and the process is automated.

However, if a business owner believes that a review was removed in error or that it meets Google’s guidelines, they can reach out to Google’s customer service team to inquire about the review. The customer service team may be able to provide more information about why the review was not published and if there is anything that can be done to have it published.

It’s also important for business owners to ensure that they are following Google’s guidelines for reviews, as reviews that violate these guidelines may not be published.

In addition to this, business owners can encourage their customers to leave reviews on Google by providing a link to their Google My Business listing or by providing information about how to leave a review on Google. Business owners can also respond to reviews left by customers, which can help encourage more customers to leave reviews in the future.

In summary, business owners cannot directly instruct Google to show reviews that have been submitted but not published, but they can reach out to the customer service team to inquire about the review and ensure they are following the guidelines. They can also encourage customers to leave reviews on Google.

author avatar
Carl Willis CEO/Lead Strategist
This results-driven approach not only generated a flood of high-quality leads but also kept advertising expenditures at an unprecedented low. Carl's ingenuity not only cultivated a distinguished online brand but also positioned him as a formidable force, outshining competitors and achieving consistent business growth without the financial pitfalls of ineffective marketing campaigns.
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