There’s something you can do when you get a fake review. 

Step 1. Respond to the review

Respond with why you believe their review is fake. Leaving a response will help you escalate this issue later. 

Here’s an example of a response… 

Step 2. Flag the review with Google

All you need to do is click on the flag and state why you request it be removed.

Keep in mind Google can take their time to get the review removed.

Step 3. Report a policy violation

If the review is simply fake, and you don’t have any client record in your system, report the issue as ‘Off topic’. If you believe it to be a competitor, you can select ‘Conflict of interest’.

Here is an example message you can add to your flag report with Google:

“Hello, I am messaging you today regarding the review by (insert name). As you can see from my initial response to this review, we have no record of dealing with this customer. They also provided no specific feedback about our business, and we believe after looking at their profile that this was a fake account set up to leave a fake review. We would request you remove this review due to it breaching your policy regarding fake reviews and being off-topic.”

Step 4. Sit tight for 48 hours

You have to wait 48 hours after flagging the review for Google to escalate and remove it for you.

Step 5. Check review has been removed. 

Scroll through your Google Business Profile to see if the review is still featured. 

Step 6. The last resort

If you’re getting nowhere with Google, call a Cube Digital Specialist. 

We will follow up on this process for you every 5-7 business days.

Disclaimer: This process is a pain. It’s not fun and often frustrating.

However, responding and removing negative reviews protects your reputation online. 

Going through this process once in a while can help you stand out to the 93% of customers who actively read reviews before contacting your business. 

Download your fake review cheat sheet 

Here’s a resource for removing fake reviews your whole team can use. All you need to do is download it, send it around, and start getting those unfair fake reviews removed from your business profile. 

[Get your cheat sheet to remove fake reviews]