“Why are my Google reviews not showing up?” This is a common question business owners ask. Reasons for reviews being delayed, deleted, or never appearing are often due to spam, fake content, or another policy violation. But what if legitimate Google reviews don’t show up? Unfortunately, there are many other reasons why reviews don’t appear.
Knowing the reasons why Google reviews have gone or don’t appear at all is key to preventing the issue. For example, it may be necessary to ensure your Google My Business (GMB) profile is accurate and up to date. In addition, you may need to ensure customers don’t include content that violates Google’s review policy.
And if you thought that buying fake Google reviews would boost your profile — think again. Buying online reviews will get you into trouble with Google and even the authorities. Additionally, offering incentives for people to leave a positive review will also put your review profile at risk.
What can you do if Google reviews are not showing up? This article looks at the principal reasons for Google reviews not appearing or disappearing on your Google business profile.
Why Google Reviews Are Not Showing Up
There are two primary reasons why you can’t find a Google review. The first reason could be an issue with your business profile listing on Google. For example, inaccurate information, duplicate business listings, or moving to a new location could be the cause. The second may be that the review violates Google’s spam policy.
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What Google Says About Missing Reviews
According to Google, there are legitimate reasons why reviews are delayed or get deleted permanently. And the most common reason for a review to disappear is a policy violation. Google’s help page says that fake reviews, spam, or inappropriate content are the most common reasons to delete a review. Once a bad review has been deleted, there is no way to reinstate it.
Google also says that in some cases, online business reviews disappear because a business profile was disabled or suspended. However, even after the profile is reinstated, the reviews may still be missing. In some cases, a review doesn’t show up if you merge profiles.
Why Your Business Needs Google Reviews to Show Up
There is reason to be concerned if you can’t find genuine customer reviews on Google. Online reviews are crucial to your business reputation and brand. While advertising can be an effective marketing tool, having an online review management strategy is vital. Online reviews are a source of social proof — opinions from real customers about the quality of your product or service.
Here are some statistics about the importance of getting more reviews:
- Consumers expect businesses to have at least 112 reviews, with younger consumers expecting more.
- Over 90 percent of people trust online reviews as much as a friend’s personal recommendation.
- Star rating is more important to consumers than review quantity.
- According to research, the perfect star rating is 4.2 to 4.5.
- The majority of consumers will avoid a business after reading a negative review.
It’s clear that reviews and positive feedback influence the purchasing decision of potential customers.
Related reading: How to get reviews to show up.
Google Reviews Not Showing Up — 5 Reasons Related to Formatting Issues
Here are five reasons you can’t find a review if there is an issue with the review format or content.
1. Reviews flagged as spam don’t show up
Google takes a tough stand against spam and will block reviews flagged as spam. Spam reviews are any that violate Google’s policy. They could be bogus feedback, fake comments, or deceptive reviews. In many cases, the reviews are sent out in bulk — either to make a business appear better or worse than it really is.
Another issue is that other internet users can flag a review or online comment as spam. In this case, Google will assess the review and permanently delete it or restore it.
2. The review contains links
Google online reviews with links won’t show up because it goes against Google’s posting guidelines. In addition, any user reviews that have contact information for another business will fail to appear on your profile. In some cases, the reviewer can edit the review to remove the URL or external link.
3. Fake reviews don’t appear on GMB
Businesses that buy Google reviews may find that they all disappear in time. Many companies believe that purchasing fake reviews will boost their online reputation. There are also a ton of unscrupulous companies selling online reviews. Businesses that are caught buying reviews risk losing their entire review profile.
4. Reviewer deleted the review
If you have noticed that a review has disappeared, it could be because the reviewer deleted the review. Or another reason the review no longer shows up is if the user’s profile was deleted. Of course, there isn’t much you can do about these apart from continuing your strategy to get more online reviews.
5. Third-party reviews don’t show
In the past, Google would show reviews from review sites like Facebook and Yelp. However, Google no longer does this. So, it may be that a review from a third-party site has disappeared. The best solution is to use review software like Starloop to get more Google reviews from genuine customers.
Google Reviews Not Showing Up — 5 Reasons Related to Listing Issues
Here are five reasons you can’t find a review if there is a listing issue.
1. Your GMB listing is outdated or inaccurate
Inaccurate business information on your profile can cause reviews to disappear. So, if you are asking — “Why are my Google reviews not showing up?” — the first step is to ensure your business address, opening times, and any other important information is correct.
2. Duplicate reviews don’t show up
If there are two listings for the same business reviews, it could be that a duplicate review doesn’t appear. Duplicate reviews also happen if a customer cuts and pastes comments on multiple review sites.
Suppose the issue is because there is a duplicate business listing. In that case, you will need to go through the “Google verify my business” process to claim your business and delete the duplicate.
3. Reviews that violate Google’s review policy get deleted
Google has strict guidelines on what reviewers can and cannot post in reviews. Usually, Google’s spam detectors prevent inappropriate reviews from appearing. Or, sometimes, the review may disappear later if someone flags it as offensive or inappropriate.
Google says that prohibited and restricted content includes the following:
- Fake content that is not from a real customer
- Off-topic comments
- Illegal content
- Reviews that promote terrorism, sexual exploitation, or any illegal activity
- Offensive content that contains expletives, hate speech, or derogatory comments about another person
- Conflict of interest when current or former employees leave bogus reviews.
4. You get a flood of new reviews
Some businesses who start a campaign to get more Google reviews fast find that not all of them show up. For example, suppose a company only has a few online reviews. However, if they suddenly get a few hundred in a week or two, Google’s spam detectors could block the reviews — even if they are genuine.
The best way to get more reviews that show up is to use software like Starloop. The advantage of Starloop over other review generation applications is that it invites your customers to leave feedback. So, instead of getting too many reviews too fast, you get a steady stream of genuine reviews.
Related reading: 9 hacks to get more Google reviews.
5. New reviews can get delayed
In some cases, new reviews don’t show up immediately. This could be down to several factors like Google servers being down, the reviews are getting assessed for accuracy, or other factors outside your control. So, you may have to be patient as the reviews should show up eventually.
In the past, a business needed at least five reviews before they would show up. However, this no longer seems to be true. So even if you’re a new business and have a robust review strategy, your reviews should show even if you have one or two.
How to Make Sure Google Reviews Show UP
A steady stream of positive reviews on your website and Google Maps review profile is vital to your business success. A steady stream of new reviews will boost your brand and maximize your chances of dominating the local search results. There are easy ways to get reviews for free. However, asking every customer to leave feedback and follow up on comments can be time-consuming. So what’s the best solution?
How Starloop Can Help you Get More Reviews
Starloop excels with its simplicity and effectiveness. It takes just a few minutes to get started using Starloop. You then have access to your dashboard, where you can monitor your review performance on Google. In addition, you’ll get notifications whenever someone leaves a positive, negative, or neutral review for one of your products or services. And if they leave an especially helpful comment, you’ll be able to respond right away.
Starloop is effective because it sends out automated review requests. The email or SMS text message invites your customers to give feedback for your business.
To encourage people to leave reviews, Starloop plants a tree for each customer review you receive. Our members say that this is a great way to encourage people to write reviews for their businesses.
Starloop offers highly competitive pricing plans to suit businesses of all sizes. Prices start from just $47 per month. This gives you access to fully-function review management software. It’s good to remember that the pricing plan is for each business, not each location. If you want to try out Starloop, there is a 14-day free trial, plus 30-day money-back guarantee and no long-term contracts. So if you’re going to improve your Google star rating without risking anything, then Starloop is an excellent choice for your business.
