Are You Missing Reviews From Google?

Google Business Profile (GBP) is an essential tool for businesses to manage their online presence, but recent technical issues have raised concerns among business owners. Many users have reported that Google has been removing legitimate reviews from their profiles. These issues have caused frustration and potential loss of trust and visibility for businesses relying on GBP for customer engagement.

CRACKDOWN ON FAKE & MANUPULATIVE REVIEWS

In December of 2024 Google rolled out a number of algorithm updates including ones targeted at Google Business Profiles that engaged in spammy review practices to improve rankings. The goal was to remove manipulative or fake reviews. While this along with other updates had an impact on rankings for many local businesses, it wasn’t until early February that we saw a number of errors with legitimate reviews missing.

Google has acknowledged this issue and are currently working on correcting these errors to Google Business Profiles.

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME

In late 2023 and early 2024, several reports surfaced indicating that reviews were disappearing from Google Business Profiles. Google later confirmed an issue causing reviews to drop from local listings. The problem was attributed to a bug, which Google stated they were actively working to resolve. However, for many businesses, the damage had already been done, with lost reviews impacting their credibility and search rankings.

For some, the missing reviews never returned, forcing business owners to seek alternative solutions such as requesting customers to leave new reviews or engaging with Google’s support team—an often frustrating and time-consuming process. Affected businesses have shared concerns that Google has not provided a clear solution or timeline for fixing the problem. 

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

If your business has been affected by these GBP issues, here are some steps you can take:

Monitor Your Profile Regularly – Regularly check your business profile for any unauthorized changes to your reviews, phone number, or website URL. Google routinely suggests their own updates, you should monitor and confirm any changes Google has made.

Report Issues to Google Support – If you notice missing reviews or incorrect business details, report them to Google’s support team through the Google Business Profile Help Center.

Encourage New Reviews – If reviews have been removed, encourage your customers to leave new feedback and emphasize the importance of authentic customer experiences. While alarming reviews go missing, keep looking for new ones to compensate for the future.

Enable Alerts and Security Measures – Make sure your Google account has security measures in place to prevent unauthorized changes, such as enabling two-factor authentication.

Engage in Community Discussions – Participate in Google’s Business Profile forums to stay updated on ongoing issues and potential fixes or consult with a Local SEO company that has a history of dealing with Google Business Profile issues.

DON’T RELY SOLEY ON GOOGLE PROFILES

Diversify your reviews and advertising. Look to Yelp, Trustpilot, Facebook and other sources to place reviews. Do not drive everyone to your Google Profile for reviews. For Advertising, utilize Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram Ads and other sources of online advertising. When there is a major shake up with what we’ve see with Google Business Profiles you can always increase your budget across other advertising platforms to increase call volume if you experience a decrease in calls from your local profile.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Google’s Business Profile is a powerful tool for businesses, but the recent issues highlight the risks of relying solely on a single platform for customer interaction. While Google has acknowledged the review removal bug and is working on a resolution yet not timeline has been given. Businesses must remain proactive in safeguarding their online presence. By staying vigilant and regularly updating their information, business owners can minimize disruptions and maintain their digital credibility.

While Google states the review count displays less than the actual number of reviews on the profile. I’m reluctant to believe all legitimate reviews will be restored. We’ve see this happen before with Google Business Profiles where once reviews are gone, they are gone.

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