Missing Google Reviews? Here's the Solution.

We’ve all been there. You provide exceptional service to a client or achieve an unparalleled outcome and the client leaves you a 5-star review on Google – or so they think. The incidence of “missing Google reviews” has gone up in the last couple of years – so we decided to track down what was happening and what we could do about it.

First, we ruled out the commonly known reasons such as the person making a new Google account to leave you the review. While non-Google/Gmail users want to do this for you, these reviews tend to “not stick” or disappear when Google notices the account was only created to leave the review. For clients who want to leave you a review but are not already part of the Google ecosystem, you are better off sending them to a non-Google site such as Facebook, Yelp, or for attorneys sites like Avvo.

Next, we took a look at why reviews were not showing up. Here’s what happened. In mid-2023 Google changed its algorithm to crack down on fake Google reviews. This review filter is automated so from time to time legitimate reviews are filtered out. In 2024, this is a primary reason why some of your Google reviews never show up.

The good news is you can do something about it. In this article, I’ll lay out a step-by-step guide on how to get those reviews to show up, but the tl:dr is go to Google Business Profile Support and through the Contact Us section submit as much specific information as you can about the missing review or reviews, wait 7-10 days to see if the reviews show up and if not contact Google again. Ideally, you want to do this in the first two weeks after someone says they left you the review.

Access Google Business Profile Support:

• Go to Google Business Profile Support.
• Scroll down the page. If you see a "Sign in" button, click on it and sign in with the Google account associated with your business profile that has the missing reviews.

Navigate to Contact Options:

• After signing in, scroll down until you see two buttons: "Post to the help community" and "Contact us."
• Click on "Contact us."

Select Your Business:

In the first dropdown menu, your business should be listed. Select it.

Report Missing Reviews:

• In the "Tell us what we can help with" field, type "Missing reviews."
• Click on "Next."
• From the "Description of the issue" list, select the "Review missing" option.
• Click on "Next step."

• If Google suggests articles for you to read, you can ignore Suggested Articles:
• You'll be directed to a page with suggested articles. Ignore them and click on "Next Step" again.

Choose Contact Option:

1. The next step will show contact options related to your query, usually "Email." Click on it.
2. Ensure the Google account you're signed in with is the one associated with your business listing. If not, switch to the correct account.

Fill Out the Form:

• Start by entering your name and phone number.
• Select your relationship to the business (e.g., "I own this business").
• Add your business name and address as they appear on Google Search and Google Maps.
• Provide your business profile ID (optional, but recommended for accurate identification). To find your ID, search for your business on Google, click "View profile," go to "Business profile settings," and copy the ID from "Advanced settings."
• Answer additional questions about your profile's status, such as recent suspension or the nature of your business (e.g., primary or secondary school).
• Estimate the number of missing reviews, specify if new reviews are being received, and provide a timeframe for when the reviews went missing.
• Add the names of the reviewers, if possible. If you have the dates of the reviews, include that. Essentially you want to give Google as much information as possible about the reviews you believe are missing.
• Submit the form.

Confirmation and Follow-Up:

• After submitting, you should receive a confirmation email with a case ID number. Keep this for future reference.
• If your issue is not resolved within 7 to 10 days, follow up by posting in the Google Business Profile Help Community. Include details like your case ID number, business name, Google Maps URL, and screenshots of the missing reviews.

What's Next?

If you use this article are successfully get reviews to show up, drop a comment below and let us know how many reviews you were able to get to show up.

About the Author

Benson Varghese is the founder of Varghese Summersett, a personal injury law firm in Fort Worth.

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