Reasons Why Your Google Reviews Disappear?
You get up one fine morning and find significant Google reviews missing from your Google My Business account! And, a few of those reviews were positive feedback. Did that happen to you?
Well, if you still haven’t faced any such situation, you can at some point, and if you already have, this guide will tell you the possible reasons.
Getting back to this blog, let’s look at the reasons for the sudden disappearance of Google reviews from business profiles.
Top 10 Reasons That Make Your Google Reviews Disappear
Without getting into any delays, here’s a compiled list of ten reasons that cause reviews to disappear from Google business accounts. Read along to find out!
- The Review Gets Flagged as Spam
Google detects spammy reviews and flags them. The powerful AI detector checks the review’s IP address, content relevancy, use of harassment, and other factors for spam and flags such reviews. The detector gets more powerful each year with updates.
Hence, the Google reviews must come from genuine sources, follow Google’s content terms and conditions, and should not represent a conflict of interest. Further, ensuring context relevancy with product and service is also significant.
- The Reviewer’s Google Account is Incomplete
When the reviewer’s Gmail account is incomplete or suspected, Google might remove all the reviews sourced from there. The Google AI also suspects accounts that have been created with the purpose of writing reviews
Hence, reviewers need to have positive and complete Gmail and Google accounts. The account should be regularly active so that Google’s AI detector does not take it as the same account. Also remember, that Gmail accounts deleted will naturally lead to removing all reviews from such accounts.
- The Reviewer Did Not Leave a Star Rating
A good Google review must have a decent comment and a star rating. When the review seems incomplete, it might get removed by Google considering it to be a fraud.
You can encourage reviewers to leave a star rating and offer incentives and discounts. For all dissatisfied customers, create a process for them to reach you directly rather than leaving a one-star review.
- Your Google Business Account is Neglected
All Google accounts that do not show regularity in updates and activities have a higher chance of getting review cleanings by Google. The AI detector is constantly cleaning up inactive accounts and is constantly in action.
You must keep updating your Google account and optimize it regularly based on SEO updates. Ultimately, Google should know that the account is active and is used positively for marketing.
- You are Facing Location Issues
When a reviewer writes a review, Google also tracks their Geolocation. Many times, Google removes reviews that seem deceptive of location sources. For example, if your business is based in Japan and the review is coming from the USA, the chance of getting the review flagged is maximum.
When you source reviews, be mindful of the reviewer’s location. Even when trying to get reviews through marketing tactics, ensure that you are specific and smart about the place you target.
- The Reviewer Left Old Reviews
There are also cases where reviews that have been standing for more than 90 days disappear. Although there’s no clarification about the age of the review playing an important role in review removal, it might happen.
Google considers old reviews irrelevant as the business might have changed locations and service conditions in the given time. Hence, keep uploading fresh reviews regularly to combat this problem.
- Google Thinks You Are Offering Incentives
Google does not promote incentivizing clients to write reviews. In all such cases, Google takes down such reviews or it might disappear overnight without any intimation.
Ensure that the reviews you write do not look bought. Do not write your client’s review; allow them to decide the context of the feedback.
- You Get Too Many Reviews Too Quick
When too many Google reviews flow to business accounts, the AI detector does not consider it real. In such cases, many of such reviews get flagged and might disappear instantly for a short while.
Hence, consider sourcing reviews very strategically. Avoid making it look fake or commissioned. Instead, plan for 30 reviews sourced over a month’s time. You can regulate the number as you desire.
- There’s an Algorithm Malfunction
Google’s algorithm stands for fake-detecting, spam-hunting, and authenticity-seeking protocols. However, there are accidents when the algorithm does not function right and takes genuine reviews down.
Certainly, in such a situation you cannot do anything. Consider it an accident and move on. Also, you can plan to combat the loss strategically.
- Content Seems Inappropriate as Per T&C
Lastly, it is very important to keep Google’s content terms in mind when evaluating or sourcing reviews. All content that promotes hate, communalism, vulgarity, threat, and nudity will be taken down by Google at the earliest.
The best you can do is avoid getting such reviews and give your best to keep the content clean, adhering to Google’s terms and conditions.
Conclusion
Looking at the reviews disappearing is quite uncertain, especially when you do not get an exact reason for it. However, you can read the pointers above that elaborate on common reasons for the disappearance of reviews. It will help you understand what led to the reviews getting flagged.
For the rest, hope this guide helped!
