Let’s face it – the most successful businesses don’t avoid any criticism; they just master the art of managing it efficiently. And do you know what? When handled correctly, even a bad review can become a polished stone in your brand story.
Okay, let’s think of it this way. In the world of local searches, your reviews are your resume – and Google is your interviewer. So, what do you need to do to qualify among others? Just make sure your reviews are excellent, higher in number, and more positive than others.
But unfortunately, that’s not possible for many businesses. When people are not satisfied with your brand, they leave bad reviews that literally feel like a punch to the gut. If you are a business owner yourself, you can feel it.
Whether you are running a local business, an online retail store, or just a service provider, one bad review can harm your reputation and badly affect your rankings, credibility, and even customer conversions.
Well, don’t worry. Here’s the good news. Now you can remove the bad review from Google My Business. All you need to learn is which reviews qualify for removal, how to flag them, and what you do when Google doesn’t respond.
Read this blog post till the end so you can learn how to remove bad reviews from Google My Business?
Why Negative Reviews Matter More Than Ever Today?
Did you know 97% of customers read online reviews before buying? Consumers trust these reviews like personal recommendations. Not only that, 3 out of 4 people won’t use a business with bad ratings. They choose the product/service when most people are satisfied with it; otherwise, they will exit the page and find another service.
Negative reviews matter because they hurt your local map rankings, click-through rates, customer trust, and sales & foot traffic. That’s why most businesses tend to remove those negative reviews immediately before others can see. And removing it is absolutely worth your time.
Can You Actually Remove Bad Reviews from Google My Business?
Another question many people ask is, “Can you remove a Google review?”
Well, yes, you can. But in specific situations only. Google is fair. It doesn’t allow you to delete a review because it’s negative or harming your reputation. However, Google will remove reviews that violate the content policy.
This includes fake reviews, reviews from competitors, reviews with hate speech, reviews from ex-employees, reviews with inappropriate content, spam, or bot-generated reviews.
How to Remove Bad Reviews from Google My Business?
Now the real question is, how to get a Google review removed that is harming your reputation?
You can remove bad Google reviews easily by following these steps:
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Step 1 – Check If the Review Violates Google Policy
Before you go to flag any review, ask yourself first, Does this review violate Google’s rules? If the review contains profanity, false statements, personal attacks, mention of competitors, conflict of interest, and irrelevant comments, then do not waste a minute – flag it.
If these are not the scenarios, then don’t waste your time trying to remove it.
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Step 2 – Flag the Review in Google Search
Now this is the easiest and quickest method. Follow these steps:
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- Search for your business on Google.
- Scroll to your reviews.
- Find the bad review.
- Click the three dots (⋮) next to it.
- Select “Report Review.”
Make sure you choose the reason first that best matches the violation.
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Step 3 – Flag the Review Inside Your Google Business Profile Dashboard
In this step, you have a higher chance of success. You simply need to:
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- Log in to Google Business Profile Manager
- Go to Reviews
- Find the problem review
- Click More (⋮)
- Select “Flag as inappropriate.”
It’s easy and effective as well.
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Step 4 – Use the Review Removal Request Tool by Google
This helps you give an added layer of escalation. Use Google’s Review Removal Request tool.
Google Business Profile → Support → Reviews → Report a Problem
This tool is especially helpful for spam attacks, fake reviews, competitor sabotage, and defamation attempts.
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Step 5 – Respond Professionally While You Wait
While Google reviews your request, which takes 3-4 days, you can write a polite reply that shows the public that you are taking your responsibility even when you are not at fault. For example, this is the template you can use:
“Hi there, we take all customer experiences seriously, but we cannot find any record of your visit. Please reach out to us directly at [email] so we can understand and resolve this issue.”
These replies show your professionalism, signal to customers that the review may be unreliable, and help Google check that the review might be fake.
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Step 6 – Contact Google Business Support
In case your review request is ignored, you can escalate and contact Google Business Support.
Here are a few ways to contact:
- Google Business Profile → Help → Contact Us
- Twitter/X (Google Business Profile Support account)
- Email support
- Live chat (when available)
For this, you need to provide screenshots, prove the reviewer is not your customer, and give evidence of a fake profile.
What If Google Refuses to Remove the Review?
If you are failed to remove negative Google reviews, and Google is also not helping, then you can choose any reliable Google review removal service that helps delete the ones that damage your reputation. Other than that, here’s plan B:
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Respond Calmly
Don’t panic. This is crucial. Send a polished, polite, calm, and professional reply. Keep it short, offer them a solution, and never blame the customer.
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Bury the Negative Review with More Positive Reviews
This is another powerful professional tactic. Ask for reviews from happy customers, frequent clients, people who already praised you in person, social media followers, and email subscribers. A few more positive reviews can push a bad one to the second page.
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Use Review Management Tools
You can use tools like:
- BirdEye
- Podium
- Trustpilot
- Reputation.com
- Yext
These help automate:
- Review reminders
- Review filtering
- Reputation monitoring
Avoid These Common Mistakes
We have seen many businesses that make a review situation quite worse. Don’t act like them.
Avoid these mistakes at any cost.
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Never fight with customers publicly
People screenshot everything.
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Don’t write fake positive reviews
Google can detect this and penalize your listing.
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Don’t pay people to leave reviews
This violates Google policy.
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Don’t threaten reviewers
This looks unprofessional and may lead to legal trouble.
Other than that, get a proper understanding of Google review removal policy and make sure you are not doing anything wrong.
Should You Hire a Reputation Management Company?
Well, it depends on your situation. However, hiring a reputation management company is a good idea because they help when:
- You’re under attack by a competitor
- You got many fake reviews at once
- You run a high-risk business
- Your ranking dropped drastically
- You don’t have time to monitor everything
Final Thoughts – Can a Google Review Be Removed?
Bad Google reviews can hurt your reputation, but disputing them is easier when you follow the right steps—identify the violation, flag the review directly in your Google Business Profile, submit it through Google’s Review Removal Tool, and escalate to support if needed. While you wait for Google’s response, it’s smart to reply professionally and gather any proof that supports your dispute.
Ascend Marketing helps businesses handle this entire process—review audits, dispute submissions, escalation, and reputation repair—so you can stay focused on running your business while we protect your brand.
