This is a breakthrough in the war against fake reviews on Google, and it comes hot off the heels of a recent analysis showing a drastic reduction in trust in studies over the last few years.

Fake reviews have been a serious concern for various agencies and businesses for some time. It is common knowledge. The fact that Google’s new review takedown option for its Google My Business portal might be viewed as a major step in the right way.

Before this update, there was no clear way to get a sense of the reviews you have submitted for a takedown in an orderly method. Now, utilizing this new tool is possible. The most significant use of this instrument, I think, is as a consultant. If you have a client or a supervisor who is impatient about erasing a poor review, you may at least use this tool to show them the latest update.

STEPS

To explain how it works in practice, let’s look at the steps with the example of a typical case in which you would want reviews removed and how you would go about doing so using the new Google My Business review feature.

Step-1

The new tool. You can access this new tool here. The first step is to decide on your business, then select if you want to search for the status of a reported review or if you want to report a new review for a takedown.

Step-2

When you choose to report a new review for removal, Google displays a list of your previous reviews, which you can browse on Google Maps or submit a takedown request for:

Step-3

If you select the option to check the status of a review you previously reported, it will show you those reviews, including the current status.

Step-4

You can then choose that review to obtain a more detailed summary and even file an appeal if your takedown request was denied.

Please be aware that Google will show you here a restriction on the number of reviews. This function appears to operate exclusively for Google My Business accounts with a modest number of lists. I tried it on an account containing 20 listings and told, ‘This process is not available based on the number of profiles you manage.’ There were also too many listings in our agency account for utilisation. Previously, the status of reviews you submitted for an organised examination could not be seen in real terms. This new utility is now available. So, you can resort to this tool to show them the latest status, if you have a client or a supervisor who is hospitable to remove a negative review.