Are fake Google reviews derailing the online branding for your home improvement business? Did you check your reviews only to find a sudden onslaught of false claims and attacks? 

Unfortunately, less-than-ethical competitors or random pranksters sometimes take to Google to leave false reviews. Here are three ways to request that Google remove those reviews.  

Flag Reviews  

When you hover your cursor over a given review, as flag icon will appear. Clicking it will take you to the “Report a policy violation page.” Then enter an email address and select a violation type.  

You can report reviews for being hateful or violent, containing inappropriate content, containing advertising, being off-topic, or including a conflict of interest. Choose the last reason if you believe a review is from someone with malicious intent toward your home improvement business’s online reputation.  

Google typically won’t act until five users report the review, so ask some employees with personal Google accounts to flag the review too. Five flags prompt a human at Google to look at the review content, but there’s still no guarantee Google will remove the fake review. 

Report the Review Directly 

You can report reviews directly to a Google rep via phone, email, or chat support on your Google business account. This might be the best choice if you can make a logical case on why the reviews are false.   

Consider Legal Action (Only as a Last Resort) 

If you can’t get fake reviews removed by Google via either of the above methods—and they are especially damaging to your home improvement company’s reputation—you could consider taking legal action. Obviously, this will be expensive, so it’s only a consideration if you absolutely need to get these reviews removed and thus must find a way to deal with the money, time, and effort expended. (Even then, of course, there’s no guarantee a judge will rule in your favor.) 

Ultimately, negative Google reviews do happen. Having them removed can help you manage your home improvement brand’s online reputation, but sometimes spending efforts on providing stellar service and getting more positive reviews results provides better ROI. 

(Note: Monitoring your business’s online reputation is a requirement for success in the digital age. Try our free Review Scan now for an instant reputation report on your business.)