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Google Reviews Disappearing: A Growing Concern for Business Owners
If you’re a business owner who relies on Google Reviews to build credibility, attract new customers, and boost local SEO rankings, you may have noticed something alarming—reviews disappearing from your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business, or GMB). This issue has affected many businesses, including Infinity Exteriors, and it’s raising major concerns for those who rely on social proof and customer feedback to maintain their reputation.
Infinity Exteriors Has Been Affected
As a well-respected exterior remodeling company across Wisconsin since 1997 specializing in roofing, siding, and windows, Infinity Exteriors has worked hard to build a strong online presence and maintain a stellar reputation. We were devastated to find that several of our hard-earned customer reviews were removed from our GMB profile. We immediately submitted a ticket to Google for resolution, but we are saddened by the impact this has on our business. We went from 2,000+ reviews to 1,719.
We know we’re not alone in this. Many businesses are reporting similar issues, and it’s frustrating to see years of customer trust and engagement vanish overnight. If your business is experiencing this issue, you are not alone, and there are steps you can take to address it.
Why is Google Removing Reviews?
Google has not provided a clear explanation for the widespread removal of reviews, but there are a few potential reasons:
- Spam & Fake Review Purge: Google periodically removes reviews it suspects to be fake, spammy, or incentivized. Unfortunately, legitimate reviews can sometimes get caught in the purge.
- Policy Violations: If Google’s algorithm detects a review that violates its content policies (such as offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant content), it may remove it.
- Technical Glitches & System Updates: Google frequently updates its review systems. During these updates, reviews can disappear temporarily or permanently due to unforeseen technical issues.
- Google Business Profile Migrations: If a business has recently changed its address, name, or merged profiles, reviews may not always transfer correctly.
How Many Businesses Are Affected?
The exact number of businesses impacted is unclear, but forums, Reddit threads, and Google’s own support pages are flooded with reports from business owners experiencing review removals. According to online discussions, hundreds—if not thousands—of businesses across multiple industries have been affected. While Google occasionally reinstates removed reviews, many business owners report that their reviews were never restored.
What Can You Do If Your Reviews Were Removed?
If your business has been affected, don’t panic. Why? Because you are NOT alone! Here are the steps you should take to try and recover your lost reviews and protect your online reputation:
1. Submit a Support Ticket to Google
The first step is to reach out to Google Support.
- Go to the Google Business Profile Help Center.
- Click on Contact Us and select the option related to missing reviews.
- Provide details about your missing reviews, including approximate dates and any screenshots you have.
2. Check Google’s Review Policy & Guidelines
Sometimes, reviews are removed due to content violations. Read through Google’s review policies to see if the removed reviews violated any rules. If they did not, include this information in your support request.
3. Ask Your Customers to Repost Their Reviews
If you have direct contact with past customers whose reviews were removed, kindly ask them to leave a new review. Let them know their original review disappeared due to a Google system issue and that their feedback is valuable to your business.
4. Encourage More Reviews to Offset Losses
Even if Google does not restore your lost reviews, you can rebuild your credibility by actively requesting new reviews from satisfied customers. Strategies include:
- Sending a follow-up email after service completion with a direct Google review link.
- Adding a review request link to your website and social media pages.
- Incentivizing reviews (while ensuring compliance with Google’s guidelines – no payments or rewards for reviews).
5. Diversify Your Review Strategy
While Google Reviews are crucial, they shouldn’t be your only source of online reputation management. Expand your presence on other platforms such as:
- Facebook Reviews
- Yelp
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- Angi (formerly Angie’s List)
- Trustpilot
6. Stay Active in Google’s Support Forums
Google’s support forums are full of business owners discussing similar issues. By participating in these discussions, you may gain insights or potential fixes from other businesses that have successfully recovered their reviews.
7. Monitor & Document Everything
Keep track of all interactions with Google Support. If you notice patterns in the types of reviews being removed, document them and use this information in your appeal.
Final Thoughts: Is Google Addressing This Issue?
As of now, Google has not released an official statement acknowledging the widespread review removals. However, businesses continue to report missing reviews, and Google’s support channels are receiving an influx of complaints.
At Infinity Exteriors, we remain hopeful that Google will take action to restore legitimate reviews that were removed unfairly. We understand how frustrating this is for businesses that have spent years building their online reputation, and we encourage affected business owners to take action by submitting a support ticket, requesting reviews from customers, and diversifying their reputation management strategies.
Has Your Business Been Affected?
If your business has lost Google Reviews, let us know in the comments or share your experience on social media. The more businesses that speak up, the more likely Google will take notice and address the issue.
By: Ethan Van De Hey