It’s natural to take pride in the positive Google reviews you have earned. So if you have ever noticed missing reviews or a lower number of reviews on your Google Business Profile, you wouldn’t be alone.
There are a host of reasons why a Google review is not displaying, which can be due to issues with your Google Business Profile or issues with the Google review itself.
Thankfully, most of the issues can be fixed. We’ve listed 12 reasons below, the fixes, as well as how to get more Google reviews.
Why A Google Review Is Not Displaying: 12 Reasons
1. Unverified Google Business Profile
If you are new to Google Business, you might not know that you need to verify your business before you can get Google reviews.
This is also important because your business won’t appear in Google Search or Google Maps without verification – meaning your business can’t be searched.
So no matter whether you claimed your business or added it yourself, make sure to verify the listing through one of Google’s verification methods.
While you’re at it, it’s also worth adding and updating your business information, such as phone number(s) and address.
2. Review Publishing Time
A customer has let you know that they have posted a Google review, but it’s not showing on your Google Business page.
A simple reason for this is publishing time. Google reviews can take up to 48 hours to be published. In some cases, reviews can even take as long as 7 days to be published on Google.
There is no fix here, unfortunately, except to patiently wait. If the review still doesn’t appear, it could be due to an issue with your account or with the review itself. And if it isn’t due to one of the other reasons on this list, it’s worth contacting Google.
3. Incorrect Or Outdated Listing Information
Incorrect or outdated business information won’t just make your business hard to find online; it can also confuse customers.
And if a customer posts a review on the wrong listing, such a similar local business, it’s (obviously) not going to appear on your Google Business page.
The fix here is to regularly make sure the information on your Google Business page is accurate and up-to-date. This includes your business address, phone number, operating hours, and so on.
4. Duplicate Google Business Pages
It’s not uncommon for a business to have two or more Google listings if the business was added by different owners. Needless to say, this can result in receiving a Google review on a duplicate page instead of the one you’re actively managing.
This makes it important to double-check that your business only has one listing. If not, you will need to delete the duplicate listing (if claimed) or report it.
5. Google Business Account Inactivity
Even if you have a verified Google Business listing, it’s possible to get unverified due to account inactivity.
Losing verification will remove your business from Google Search and Google Maps and prevent customers from posting new reviews.
This makes it important to actively manage your Google Business listing – even if you’re receiving reviews. This includes logging in to your account regularly, updating your business information when needed, and responding to reviews.
6. Significant Business Changes
If you have made significant changes to your business, Google may remove reviews that are “no longer relevant”. Significant changes can include a change of business name, change of location, or both.
Google states that “most” name changes, ownership changes, and location changes won’t remove reviews. But if you suspect the opposite, you’ll need to contact Google.
The same applies if you have created a new Business Profile (due to a significant change) and want to move reviews from an old listing to a new one.
7. The Review Was Deleted
If you notice a lower number of reviews or that a certain review is no longer showing on your Business Profile, it could just be due to one simple reason: the review was deleted.
Customers can delete the Google reviews they post. Why customers may choose to delete reviews is another matter altogether but, ultimately, there’s nothing you can do about it when it happens.
Similarly, Google reviews that a customer has posted will also be removed if they delete their account.
8. The Review Was Marked As Spam
Another simple reason a Google review could have been deleted from your Google Business page is because the review was marked as spam.
This can happen at the processing stage (Google automatically processes reviews to detect spam) or if the review is flagged.
Spam reviews and fake reviews—such as paid reviews, incentivized reviews, and bot reviews—should be avoided. Using these to manipulate ratings can even result in listing removal and account suspension.
9. The Review Was Inappropriate
Like spam, Google also removes reviews that are inappropriate. Prohibited and restricted content includes reviews that are offensive, misleading, mature, and dangerous – among other reasons.
Again, these reviews can be removed at the processing stage or if the review is flagged.
Reviews that contain URLs or phone numbers are also considered inappropriate.
In these cases, however, it’s possible for the review to be displayed on your Business Profile again if the creator of the review edits the review to remove any URLs and phone numbers.
10. Third-Party Reviews On Google
Business listings on Google Search and Google Maps may display third-party reviews to provide more relevant information for customers. This can include Yelp reviews, Facebook reviews, and more.
Due to this, deleted reviews on third-party sites (for any reason) can result in those reviews being removed from your Google Business listing.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to retrieve removed third-party reviews except aim to get more reviews on those sites. This will increase the chance of new third-party reviews displaying with your Google Business listing.
11. Google Disabled Reviews
Google may disable Google reviews temporarily due to unforeseen circumstances. The chance of this occurring is rare, needless to say, but a prime example of this is when Google disabled reviews due to businesses affected by COVID-19.
In the rare event Google disables reviews, posting new reviews may not be possible (at all) and some Google reviews may not appear on your Business Profile due to technical issues, delays, or restricted and prohibited content.
12. Google Outages
Lastly, here’s another reason for Google reviews not displaying that’s simply out of your control. It’s not uncommon for businesses to experience outages – and that includes businesses as big as Google.
So if a customer claims to have posted a review but it’s not showing on your Google Business Profile, it could just be due to technical issues on their end.
Google service outages are not common but it’s worth knowing that it can happen and has happened to Google in the past (several times over the last few years, in fact).
Ultimately, It’s Inevitable To Lose Google Reviews
With so many reasons for Google reviews not displaying and being removed, it’s ultimately inevitable that your business will experience a missing customer review or a drop in review numbers at some point.
But while it is inevitable, it’s also a big problem because it can negatively affect your online reputation by leaving your business with fewer positive reviews and a lower star rating on Google.
There are fixes to some of the issues (provided above) that cause a Google review to not show on your Business Profile. And, of course, it’s worth fixing these issues where possible.
But it has to be said that it’s simply more important to put your time and effort into getting new reviews. This is especially true considering that 85% of consumers think reviews older than 3 months are no longer relevant.
So losing an old review from your Business Profile might not be the big loss you initially thought. What has the most positive impact on your reputation is new customer reviews, which makes it important to strive to get more reviews on a regular basis.
How To Get More Google Reviews
Missing reviews, deleted reviews, and reviews that are not displaying for any reason can harm your star rating, reputation, and sales.
But while there are fixes to rectify some of the issues, it’s just more important to focus on getting more reviews – because new reviews are what customers, and search engines, consider relevant.
The good news is that getting more reviews on Google isn’t as hard as you might think.
ReputationStacker is a tool that increases real reviews for businesses on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and more, making it easier than ever to build an impressive online reputation.
The bottom line is that worrying about Google reviews not displaying—or even worrying about the best strategies to get reviews—isn’t necessary – not when your business takes advantage of a tool like ReputationStacker to effortlessly get more reviews.
