Why Are My Reviews Not Showing Up On Google Maps and Google Search In 2024?

Google reviews are crucial for a business’s online success, helping potential customers decide on using a company’s products or services.

However, it can be frustrating when these reviews don’t show up. This blog will explore the reasons why Google reviews might not appear and offer practical solutions to fix the issue.

Whether it’s due to technical problems or policy violations, we’ll guide you through steps to get your reviews back online and maintain your business’s online reputation.

What Is Google’s Review Policy?

Google’s review policy requires users to write honest and accurate reviews.

Users can’t post false or misleading information, promote their own or others’ businesses, or engage in spam or harassment. Google can remove reviews that break these rules.

This policy applies to all Google services that allow reviews, like Google Maps and the Google Play Store.

13 Reasons Why Google Reviews Not Appearing & How To Fix?

1. Google Business Listing Verification Issues

If your Google business listing isn’t verified, reviews may not show up or might be displayed differently.

Google verifies business listings to ensure the information is accurate and up-to-date, helping users trust what they see.

How to Fix It?

• Verify Your Listing: Use Google My Business to manage and verify your business information.
• Update Information: Ensure all details are accurate and current.
• Get Help: If you have issues, Google provides support resources to assist with verification.

By verifying your listing, you can ensure your reviews appear correctly and are visible to potential customers.

2. Inactive Google Business Listing

An inactive listing occurs when your business information on Google is outdated or not verified. This can cause your listing to disappear from search results, making it hard for customers to find and leave reviews.

How to Fix It?

• Update and Verify Information: Ensure your business name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation are accurate. Use Google My Business to verify this information.
• Activate Your Listing: Once updated and verified, your listing will become active, allowing customers to leave reviews.

Benefits of Active Listing: An active Google Business Listing helps customers find your business and provides important information, improving visibility, credibility, and customer trust, leading to more positive reviews.

3. Duplicate Google Business Listing

A duplicate listing happens when there are multiple entries for the same business on Google Maps and Google Business Profile (GBP).

This can confuse users and split reviews between listings, making it hard to find all relevant information.

How to Fix It?

• Request Removal: Use the Google Maps feedback form to request the removal of duplicate listings.
• Ensure Accuracy: Maintain one accurate and complete listing.

Benefits of Single Listing: A single, accurate listing helps customers easily find your business and access all relevant information, including reviews, improving visibility and customer trust.

4. New Google Business Listing

When a business creates a new Google Business Listing, it can take time for reviews to show up.

This delay is due to Google’s verification process to ensure the listing follows its policies. Additionally, a new listing might not have reviews yet, and it takes time to gather customer feedback.

What to Do?

• Be Patient: Allow some time for the listing to get verified and established.
• Ensure Compliance: Make sure your listing meets all of Google’s policies to avoid any issues that could prevent reviews from appearing.

5. The Review is Flagged as Spam

A review is flagged as spam when Google’s algorithms or moderators determine it is not genuine or relevant. Reasons include:

• The account has a history of posting spam or low-quality content.
• The review is in a language different from the reviewer’s or business’s primary language.
• There is a lot of repetition or irrelevant information in the review.
• Multiple reviews were posted within a short period of time.
• The review was written by a fake or unverifiable account.

When flagged as spam, the review won’t be visible on the business’s Google listing and may be permanently removed.

6. Embedded Links in Google Reviews

Google doesn’t allow links or URLs in reviews because they can promote spam or inappropriate content. Including a link can also violate Google’s policy against promotional content or advertising.

If a review for your business includes a link, it might get flagged and removed by Google’s algorithms.

How to Avoid This?

• Discourage customers from adding links to their reviews.
• Encourage them to write helpful and informative reviews based on personal experience.

Following these guidelines ensures your Google reviews are visible and high-quality and provide valuable information to potential customers.

7. Fake Google Reviews

If your Google reviews are not showing up, it could be due to fake reviews. Fake reviews are written by people who haven’t actually experienced your business, often to manipulate your reputation or ratings.

Buying or creating fake reviews is against Google’s policies and can result in review removal or account suspension.

How to Avoid This?

• Focus on providing excellent service and encourage genuine, honest reviews from customers.
• If you notice fake reviews, flag them for removal on Google.
• Authentic reviews build trust and positively impact your business’s reputation.

8. Google Reviews Temporarily Disabled

Google may temporarily suspend reviews for a business for several reasons:

• Policy Violations: If reviews or the business violates Google’s content policies.
• Quality Control: To ensure reviews meet standards for relevance and accuracy.
• Maintenance and Updates: During platform maintenance or updates.

What to Do?

This suspension is temporary and can be resolved by correcting any policy violations or waiting for maintenance to finish. For more details or assistance, contact Google’s support team.

9. Your Business Has Changed Location

If your business has moved to a new location, Google reviews might not show up because they are linked to the old address. This happens if the old listing still exists and the reviews are tied to it.

How to Fix It?

• Merge Listings: Combine the old listing with the new one to transfer reviews.
• Create a New Listing: If needed, create a new listing for the new address.

By ensuring the old listing is properly merged or a new one is created, all reviews will be accessible at the new location.

10. The Reviewer’s Account is Inactive

A Google review may not appear if the reviewer’s account is inactive or deactivated. Google regularly checks accounts to ensure they comply with its terms of use.

If an account becomes inactive, its reviews might be removed or hidden.

What to Do?

Encourage customers to use active Google accounts when leaving reviews. This helps ensure their reviews stay visible and accessible to other users.

Keep in mind that Google’s policies can change, affecting the visibility of reviews.

11. The User Removed Their Review

A Google review might not show up if the person who wrote it decided to remove it.

This can happen for several reasons, like changing their mind, fixing an error, or correcting wrong information. Users can edit or delete their reviews at any time.

What to Do?

Regularly monitor your reviews and respond to customer feedback. This helps maintain a positive reputation on Google.

If a review disappears, it might still be visible to you but not to the public.

12. The Review Contains Inappropriate Language or Personal Information

Google removes reviews that violate its policies on Prohibited and Restricted Content.

This includes hate speech, sexually explicit language, defamation, threats, or privacy violations like sharing phone numbers, addresses, or emails.

• How to Ensure Compliance.
• Avoid inappropriate language or content.
• Do not include personal information in reviews.

By following these guidelines, businesses and customers can help maintain the quality and trustworthiness of information on Google’s platform, ensuring reviews remain visible and useful.

13. Due to Google Bugs and Other Issues

Google is a complex platform, and technical problems can sometimes cause reviews to disappear. This can include server outages, display glitches, or posting errors.

Google usually fixes these issues quickly, but they can still be frustrating.

What to Do?

If you think your reviews are missing due to a technical problem, contact Google support for help. They can assist in resolving the issue and getting your reviews back online.

FAQs

🧐 What are Google reviews?

Google reviews are user-generated comments and ratings about businesses on Google Maps or Google Business Profile. Users rate businesses using a star system, from one to five stars.

🤔 How long does it take for a Google review to show up?

Typically, reviews appear within a few minutes to a few hours, but it can take up to 24 hours.

🤨 How do I delete fake reviews?

Click the three dots next to the fake review, then click Flag as inappropriate. Google will review it and decide if the review should be removed.

🙄 Why are Google reviews important for local businesses?

Google reviews influence a business’s online image and credibility. Positive reviews attract new customers and build trust, while negative reviews can harm a business’s reputation.

🫤 How do I fix missing Google reviews?

Ensure your Google My Business listing is verified and up-to-date. Look for spam or inappropriate reviews that may have been removed. Contact Google support for help with legitimate missing reviews. Encourage customers to leave reviews and follow Google’s review policies.

Quick Links:

• How Do I Delete My Reviews On Google?
• The Ultimate Guide To Google Answer Box
• Can Google Family Link Find A Phone On The Map & Complete Guide
• How To Delete Google Search History & On iPhone And Android

Conclusion: Reviews Not Showing Up On Google Maps & Google Search

Understanding why Google reviews disappear and knowing how to fix it is essential for preserving your business’s online presence.

By following the discussed solutions, you can ensure your reviews are visible, helping to build trust with potential customers and boosting your business’s success.

Keep your reviews on track to maintain a strong online reputation.