A client ask me this very question the other day. We’d noticed a few negative reviews on his Google Local Listing, and he wanted them gone. Heck, I wanted them gone too—they weren’t exactly attracting new customers to his shop.
So, can you get rid of a negative review on your Google Local listing?
No. Sorry, no can do.
OK, what can you do about a negative review on your Google Local Listing? One of two things:
- Get your best customers to write good reviews. If you get enough of these, they will push the bad review down and give it less credence. Good ratings and reviews are extremely effective. It’s worth your time to find ways to entice your best customers to write good reviews about your business in Google’s local listings.
- Remove your existing Google Local Listing and create a new one. It’s a pretty straightforward process, just follow these instructions. Be patient—it could take up to 8 weeks for the listing to be removed.
My recommendation? Go with option number 1. Everyone realizes that you can’t make everyone happy all the time. You are going to have satisfied customers and unsatisfied customers in your business. Do what you can to persuade those ’satisfied’ customers to write good reviews. It will pay off in the long run!
Good reviews enhance your local listing and can influence searchers to select your business over another, as other people’s opinions help users differentiate between the many listings that result from a local business search.