How Long Google Takes to Post Review
Good day! Are you trying to see the reviews you’ve posted on your Google My Business, Maps, or Place listing, but they’re not showing up? If that’s the case, you’re in the right place to learn everything you need to know about Google reviews and why they might not be visible.
In most cases, this issue comes up when we’ve just set up a business on Google My Business and we’re eager to see at least one review displayed. What do we usually do then? We might try to post reviews ourselves or ask someone like a staff member, team member, or relative to leave a review.
However, this often doesn’t work as expected.
Google may not display the first few reviews on Google My Business or Maps because it detects them as fake. This usually happens when Google suspects that the reviews are from relatives or close connections of the business owner.
After posting a Google Review, it will either display immediately or not at all.
What factors can cause Google reviews to be removed?
Google reviews can be removed for several reasons, often related to the platform’s strict policies to maintain authenticity and trustworthiness. Reviews may be flagged and subsequently removed if they violate Google’s content policies, such as including inappropriate content, spam, or off-topic comments. Additionally, if reviews are detected as being fake, such as when they are posted by individuals with no legitimate experience with the business, they are likely to be removed. Duplicate reviews, reviews from newly created accounts, or those posted from the same IP address can also raise red flags and lead to removal.
Finally, reviews that are identified as being written by business owners or their employees can be considered biased and may be taken down.
Why might some reviews not be displayed?
There are several reasons why Google might choose not to display certain reviews. One common reason is that the review may be flagged by Google’s algorithm as suspicious, especially if it was submitted by someone with a connection to the business. Google’s system is designed to detect patterns that suggest reviews might be fake or incentivised, such as a sudden influx of positive reviews. Reviews from users with incomplete or inactive profiles may also be less likely to appear.
Additionally, if the review content contains prohibited material, it might not be displayed. Google also filters out reviews that it considers irrelevant, such as those that don’t focus on the customer’s direct experience with the business.
What steps can you take to make sure your reviews are shown?
To ensure that your reviews are displayed, it’s important to follow Google’s guidelines carefully. Encourage genuine customers to leave reviews based on their actual experiences, rather than soliciting reviews from employees, friends, or family members.
Make sure that the reviews are detailed, relevant, and focus on the customer’s personal experience with your business. Avoid incentivising reviews with discounts or other offers, as this can lead to the reviews being flagged as biased. Additionally, ensure that the reviews are submitted by active users with established Google profiles.
Regularly monitoring your Google My Business account for any issues or flagging inappropriate content can also help in keeping your reviews visible.