Ugh! Reviews Getting Removed Every Time

[Mmclean07]

I've had reviews get removed periodically, but I'm facing a review removal epidemic with one of my clients!

Context: he has two offices in different states. They use the same profile name and same website link.

His newest location, which I recently created, has received about 8 or 9 reviews. After the first review, every single review (approximately 7 or 8) has been removed after 5-7 days. Most of them are very basic and generic like, "Great service! Thanks for your help." and others are more in detailed but they're from legitimate customers.

Is it possible they are getting removed due to the similarities between the two profiles? Does the IP address where the review was left have an impact? I thought about a competitor flagging the reviews, but IMO it's too systematic for a competitor's work. Any other ideas?

I've worked a couple different tickets with Google to no avail. They are not able to do an audit on the removed reviews and just reference their review guidelines, even though I've told them several times that I've read the guidelines and haven't found what's in violation.

 

[0001q0X]

Hey there, I've definitely seen some problems with reviews if they're left at the same IP address as the business. A big red flag for Google's review filter is if reviews for the business are posted while connected to the business's wifi.

 

[jeff_taylor]

IP address and distance from location can hinder posting. I work with customer across the nation and frequently get reviews removed. But it seems at random. I have a Canadian customer - review stays. Just had a review from a a Maryland customer - removed within an hour.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Does the IP address where the review was left have an impact?

Huge impact. If the IP address for all the users is the same, they'll get filtered. This often happens when businesses offer free wifi. If the users are not physically located anywhere near the business, that can also make an impact.

The severity of the filter also is likely different for spammy verticals that tend to get a high number of fake reviews.

 

[Mmclean07]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

I should note, I believe the IPs are far away from the location. Sounds like that might be a big part of the issue.