Google My Business releases tool to manage your reviews

If you want to know about the new tool 'Manage Your Reviews' from Google My Business, you are in the right place. Google has done it again by bringing this additional feature in mid-March 2021 to reinstate the trust on reviews, which is seeing a decline in the last few years. It will enable Google My Business account holders to handle the removal of Google reviews and also view the status of the review removal requests. Check out how to use this new 'manage your reviews' tool and its importance for improving your business.

Source: Search Engine Land

Google recent changes on reviews

90% of online shoppers in 2016 read at least one review to buy products or services. There was no doubt that five-star reviews increase sales and play a vital role in increasing the credibility and trust of the brand or company. But for many reasons, the trust in the reviews by the customers reduced in the last few years. It is because of many fake reviews or paid reviews, among others, to boost sales. Hence Google, from time to time, brings in fresh changes to set it right. Recently it brought changes in its review policy to remove the reviews of businesses performing sentiment checks. And now, this new 'manage your review' tool will help remove the reviews that violate the Google review policy is another step to increase the trust of customers on reviews to buy products or services.

Ways to use the 'manage your reviews' tool for removing review

• Log in to the Google My Business account
• Go to the Manage Your Reviews tool with Google Help.
• Ensure to bookmark the link as it is difficult to find
• In the Manage Your Review feature, select one of the two options of reporting a new review for a takedown or look at the status of a review previously requested for takedown
• Click 'Continue' on the remove a review to see all reviews escalated for a takedown
• On finding the review that needs a takedown, click 'Report a problem.'
• A list of five reasons will display to select it that includes

• 1. The review is not relevant to this place
• 2. Conflict of interest
• 3. Offensive or sexually explicit
• 4. Privacy concern
• 5. Legal issue

On selecting the reason, a message of Thank you will display on the screen.
After this, you will receive an email from Google that the review is under assessment.
Now it is only up to Google to decide on whether to remove the review.

Ways to use 'Manage Your Reviews' to track the removed review

• Again, the same process of login into the Google Business account
• Select the first option of 'check the status of a review I reported previously'
• Scroll down the many reviews to come to the review asked for removed
• Though Google says the review removal evaluation is 72 hours, it may take time and may show 'Decision pending.'
• If Google had completed valuation, it might show 'Report reviewed' No Policy Violation.

Ways to appeal against the decision of not removing the review in 'Manage Your Reviews.'

There is an option for appealing against the Google verdict of No policy violation, including the following ways.

• Again login to My Google Business Account and click 'Review reported - but not removed.'
• It will take to the Request Removal of inappropriate reviews form
• Mention the Google policy it violated in five characters in the provided box
• In another box, give the reasons it violates the Google policy
• If it is a fake review or one that violates the Google policy, it will get removed
• You will receive an email with the confirmation of removing the reasons for it not getting removed.

With Google bringing this new powerful tool to remove the review and tracking its status and appealing for its non-removal will help check review status daily to develop your business.