Why Aren’t My Google Reviews Showing Up?
If you've asked happy customers to leave you a Google review and they're not showing up on your business profile, you're not alone. This is one of the most common (and frustrating) issues businesses face — and what you can do about it.
Why Do Google Reviews Disappear or Not Show Up at All?
Google uses automated systems to detect and filter out reviews that it thinks might be fake, spammy, or inauthentic. Unfortunately, genuine reviews often get caught in this filter. Fake reviews still get through despite efforts to improve, and real ones sometimes get flagged.
Is This a Common Problem?
Yes. This happens to businesses of all sizes, and it doesn't mean your fence company did anything wrong.
Can I Do Anything to Fix or Prevent It?
You can’t force Google to show a review, but here are some best practices:
- Avoid review "bursts": Don't ask a lot of customers to leave reviews all at once. Sudden spikes in review activity can trigger spam filters. This also means holding off on asking your friends, family, and staff to go write reviews at the same time, since this can get your company flagged.
- Don’t incentivize reviews: Offering anything in exchange for a review can get them flagged.
- Ask customers who don’t review often to build their review history: If a customer rarely leaves reviews, Google might flag their one-off post. Encourage them to review other businesses they genuinely support.
- Wait and try again: Sometimes, filtered reviews reappear after days, weeks, or even months. Customers can try resubmitting their review after some time, and often their original text will still be saved in the review box.
Can Reviews Ever Come Back?
Yes. There have been many cases where reviews disappear temporarily and reappear later. Patience is key.
Can I Contact Google to Fix This?
Unfortunately, there is no way to appeal or restore filtered reviews manually. Google doesn't typically respond to these kinds of issues either. So if you run into this problem more than once, it's a better idea to see why it may be occurring rather than blaming Google itself.
Should I Run a Marketing Campaign to Get More Reviews?
While it's tempting to do a mass email or poster campaign asking everyone for reviews, that can backfire. Google may flag your profile for suspicious review activity, making it harder for any reviews—legitimate or not—to show up.
It's Happened to Us
As a cautionary tale, DotCom once asked event attendees to leave reviews immediately after speaking engagements, sometimes offering value in return. Google flagged this as suspicious due to the volume and speed of reviews, and now legitimate feedback struggles to get through. Let our mistake be your warning.
The Bottom Line: Review Filtering Is Normal
Don’t panic; some reviews will always get through over time. Stay consistent, don’t incentivize, and encourage honest feedback.
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