How to remove fake 1 star Google reviews

Google judges a review against its published policies. A 1-star review is reported under the rule it breaks, and these are the ones that break a rule in plain words:

• Off topic: about the street, the city, politics or the news, not a visit.
• Spam: the same text repeated, or the same line posted on other listings.
• Advertising: a phone number, link or offer for another business.
• Conflict of interest: written by a competitor, an employee or a former employee who says so.
• Abusive language: slurs, threats or attacks on a named person.

Google asks owners not to report a review just because they disagree with it or dislike it. Report the ones with a rule broken, and give the rest a calm reply.

The hardest fake review is the one that describes a visit you have no record of. You know it is false. On the page it reads like any unhappy customer, and the question is who is telling the truth. Google sees the words, and the words break no rule.

A rating with no text is the same kind of problem: there is nothing in it to point to. If a run of them lands in a day or two, report them as part of the pattern, since Google's policy bans unusual volumes of reviews meant to manipulate a rating, and keep screenshots of the dates.

1. 1

   Screenshot it first

   Capture the review, the reviewer name, the date and the stars. Copy the review link.

2. 2

   Open your Business Profile

   Select Read reviews, then the Report icon next to the review.

3. 3

   Pick the reason that fits

   Match it to the rule the review breaks, then select Send report.

4. 4

   Or use the Reviews Management Tool

   Select your business, select Continue, then Report a new review for removal. Select Report next to the review, choose the reason and select Submit.

1. 1

   Open the tool again

   In the Reviews Management Tool, select your business, then Check the status of a review I reported previously and appeal options.

2. 2

   Read the status

   Decision pending means it has not been evaluated yet. Report reviewed, no policy violation means Google kept it. Escalated means a decision will come by email.

3. 3

   Appeal once

   For a review Google kept, select Appeal eligible reviews. You can pick up to 10 reviews in one appeal. The appeal is one time only.

A fake 1-star review sits on your listing until Google decides. A short reply tells new customers you are paying attention. Keep it to two or three sentences, no accusations and no details about any customer.

One that works: "We have no record of a visit matching this review. If you were here, please call us and ask for the manager so we can put it right." It reads well to a stranger and gives the writer nothing to argue with.

Five or ten fake 1-star reviews in a week is an attack, not bad luck. Before you report, keep a log: the reviewer name, the date, the stars, the link and a screenshot of each. If anyone has asked you for money to stop them, that goes in Google's merchant extortion report form.

Our free check reads every low review on your listing and labels each one by the rule it breaks, or No rule broken. You tick the ones to file, each is filed once, and you are billed per review only after Google removes it, with a lower rate per review when several are filed in one order.