How to Remove a Negative Google Review & What to Do If They Can’t Be Removed

At some point every lawyer will deal with a negative review on their Google Profile.  Although it may seem like a big deal to those with a squeaky clean 5.0 rating, there are some steps you can take to get the review taken down, but if not, we have a few tips and tricks you can take in order to lessen the impact of these reviews.

We usually have to deal with 2 different types of negative reviews.  1-Star reviews with no text, coming from seemingly random google account with no rhyme or reason.  The other scenario is likely to be from a disgruntled former client or the opposing party in a recent case.

A 1 star review with no text, unfortunately is the hardest to get taken down.  Unless the account has a major history of giving a 5 star review to 1 business, and then a lot of 1 star reviews to competitors, it will be hard to convince google to remove the no-text review.

There are some scenarios where google will take down reviews.  The most common that we see removed are when profanity or other hateful language is used.  Other reasons for a review removal can be the posting of personal information (name, address, contact info) and harassment of a specific individual.

Google Supports response time is notoriously slow, the removal can take anywhere from 3 days to 4 or 5 weeks.  Unfortunately if the review remains after flagging and reporting it, it will not be taken down.  There are 2 ways to combat a negative review that remains up.  The first is to get more reviews, this will push the negative review down, and will help improve your overall rating.

The second way to combat a negative review like this, is to respond politely and concisely.  Remember, prospective clients will be reading your response.  The most effective reply is to state that you have no record of this person being a client, and ask them to please contact the law firm office so that you can resolve the issue.

You should not spend hours dwelling on the review or threatening legal action.  Your time will be much better spent getting new reviews from other clients and responding to existing positive reviews.

If you are concerned about a negative review on your Google profile,  MileMark Media can help you with contacting google and getting negative reviews removed. We are also equipped to help you implement a custom law firm marketing strategy for your firm. Contact us today to discover your personalized legal marketing plan. You can reach us by phone at 866-598-6235 or through our contact form to get started.