Google reviews play a crucial role in establishing credibility for your church, nonprofit, or business. However, there may be times when a review goes missing from your Google Business Profile (GBP) due to policy violations, technical glitches, or actions by the reviewer.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to restore those reviews.
Over the years, I have helped several clients restore reviews to their Google Business Profiles.
In some cases, the process was pretty quick, only taking a week or two. In other cases, it took months. The good news is that most of that time is just waiting on Google, but if you are patient, often times you can get your missing Google review restored.
Why Google Reviews Disappear
Reviews may be removed for several reasons:
- Google enforces strict review policies, and any content that violates these guidelines may be flagged and removed.
- Technical issues or updates to your Business Profile may also cause reviews to disappear.
- In some cases, the reviewer may edit or delete the review themselves.
- Google’s attempts to filter fake reviews sometimes accidentally filter legitimate reviews, especially if it’s the first review someone has posted on Google.
Many churches and companies lose reviews over time and don’t even know it because they aren’t monitoring their reviews. So, I highly recommend checking your Google Business Profile monthly, if not weekly, to log any new reviews (take screenshots) and make sure no reviews have gone missing.
Also, don’t assume that just because a review has been there a long time or you previously had it restored, that it will not go missing. I’ve seen reviews that were years old disappear, and I had one review that has been removed three times!
Steps to Restore Missing Google Reviews
1. Check for Policy Violations
Ensure that the missing review didn’t violate any of Google’s review policies. If it did, you won’t be able to restore it.
2. Confirm with the Reviewer
If possible, contact the reviewer to see if they edited or removed the review. If they’re willing, ask them to resubmit it.
3. Contact Google Support
If the review complies with Google’s policies and wasn’t removed by the reviewer, follow these steps to request help from Google:
- Log into the Google account that is the admin for your Google Business Profile (GBP).
- Go to the Google Business Profile Help page.
- Select your church or business from the “Which business do you need help with?” drop-down menu.
- In the “Tell us what we can help with” text box, type “Missing Review” and click Next.
- Click on Review Missing and click Next Step, then click Next Step again.
- Choose Email as the contact option.
- Fill in your information. Make sure to use the exact name and address from your GBP by copy-pasting them to avoid errors. (Pro Tip: As you fill out the form, save all the information in a document so you can reference it later…you will probably need to.)
- Enter your Business Profile ID. You can find this by searching for your church or business on Google while logged in, clicking the three dots next to “Profile Strength,” and selecting Business Profile Settings > Advanced settings.
- Answer No to the questions about whether your profile was suspended or if you’re a school (Note: Schools cannot restore or display new reviews).
- Provide specific details on when the review went missing.
- Enter the reviewer’s name as it appeared in the review. This may be different from their actual name.
- Describe the issue: include the date the review was posted, when it went missing, who the reviewer is, the content of the review, and confirm it was legitimate and didn’t violate Google’s terms. Request the review be restored.
- Submit your request.
You’ll likely receive a canned response from Google explaining their review policies and possible delays in displaying reviews. At the end of the email, they should indicate that you can reply for further assistance.
4. Follow Up with Google
If the initial response doesn’t resolve the issue, reply to the email with the following:
- Restate the problem and provide all the original details you submitted (save this information in a document for easy reference if you didn’t previously. Note the support number found in the subject line of Google’s response).
- Include a screenshot of the review, if available, showing the reviewer’s name, date, and content. If you don’t have a screenshot, check your emails for a notification of the review and take a screenshot of the notice.
- Send the reply and wait for Google’s response, which may take up to a week or longer.
If Google restores the review, check your profile and thank them for their help. If it’s not restored, follow up again.
Using the Google Business Profile Help Community
If Google’s support team doesn’t resolve the issue, you can try reaching out through the Google Business Profile Help Community:
- Log into your Google account associated with your GBP.
- Go to the Google Business Profile Help Community.
- Search for “Missing Review” and click “Post to the help community.”
- Create a new post with a title like, “Legit Review Missing. Please Help to Restore It.”
- In a separate tab, create a Google Doc containing all the details from your original request, along with the support ticket number and a screenshot of the review. Set the document’s sharing permissions to allow anyone with the link to view it.
- In your community post, explain the issue briefly and include a link to the Google Doc (Note: Do not include your personal/business contact information here or the post to the community will be filtered and no one will see it. You are including that information in the Google doc which you are linking in the message). Use a message like the following:
Hi,
A customer posted a legitimate review to my Google Business Profile, but the review has gone missing. Can you please help me to restore the review to my profile?
You can find all the information about the missing review in the following Google Doc.
(Google Doc link)
Thank you!
(Your name)
- Choose the category “Engage with customers” and click Next Step.
- Click “Review Missing” and click Next Step. Then, click Next Step again.
- Select Web for the platform and click Next Step.
- Select to “Get emails when someone responds” and click Post.
Watch daily for a response but understand that it may take 7-10 days to get a response. Be sure to be responsive and provide additional information if needed. Hopefully, this will get your review restored.
If your request is denied or ignored, I recommend creating an account on localsearchforum.com and asking for assistance, linking back to your Google Business Profile Community post and Google Doc. There are really nice people on that forum who are product support specialists or have contacts in Google and may be able to take your request to the next level.
Stay Active in Responding to Reviews
While you wait for a resolution, stay engaged with the reviews you still have. Responding to all reviews, both positive and negative, shows your commitment to customer service. This engagement can also encourage new reviews, potentially making up for any that have been lost.
How to Prevent Losing Google Reviews
To avoid losing reviews in the future, follow these best practices:
- Regularly backup reviews: Take screenshots or record reviews periodically in case they disappear.
- Monitor your profile for changes: If you update your business information, keep an eye on your reviews.
- Stay compliant with Google’s policies: Ensure that reviews, especially those you solicit from customers, follow Google’s guidelines to avoid removal.
Conclusion
While losing a Google review can be disappointing, it’s not always permanent. By following the steps above, you can address the issue and potentially restore missing reviews. Even if a review can’t be recovered, maintaining a proactive approach to member/customer engagement will help you continue to build trust with new visitors and clients.
Get Help with Online Reviews from our Pros!
If restoring Google reviews still seems complicated and time consuming, no worries; our team of Christian SEO experts can take care of it for you. Restoring missing reviews is one component of our Online Reviews Service.
Fill out the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a call.
Its one of many ways we help Christian organizations live out their mission online.
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For more info about online reviews read our free guide: The Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews
