Whether you’re a business owner, marketer, or founder, a single bad Google review can damage your reputation and put off potential customers.
The good news? You can remove Google reviews - if they violate policy. And if they don’t, there are still strategic ways to reduce their visibility.
In this post, we’ll walk through how to remove Google reviews, what your real options are, and how agencies like Stonebridge Communications help brands clean up their online presence.
When Can You Remove a Google Review Yourself?
You can request Google to remove reviews if they violate its review policies, including:
Fake or spam content
Off-topic reviews unrelated to your business
Offensive language or hate speech
Personal information or doxxing
Conflicts of interest (e.g. employee posts review)
If the review meets any of these criteria, you can flag it for removal through your Google Business Profile dashboard.
How to Flag and Remove a Google Review
Log into your Google Business Profile (GBP)
Navigate to the review in question
Click the 3-dot menu and select “Report review”
Choose the appropriate reason and submit
Google typically reviews reports within 3–5 business days. If approved, the review will be removed - but only if it clearly violates policy.
What If the Review Doesn’t Violate Policy?
Unfortunately, most negative reviews don’t break the rules. If someone had a bad experience - even if it’s exaggerated or unfair - Google is unlikely to take it down.
That’s where reputation management comes in.
What We Do at Stonebridge Communications
We help brands take control of their Google review presence using a multi-tiered approach:
Professional Review Removals
We assess reviews and submit policy-backed appeals directly to Google support (not just the flagging tool), improving the odds of removal.
Review Suppression
We use SEO strategies to push negative review pages lower in branded search results and replace them with trust-building content.
Legal Removals
For extreme cases (defamation, impersonation, personal harm), we support legal takedown requests under relevant law.
Final thoughts
Removing Google reviews isn’t always easy - but it’s not impossible either.
With the right process, strategy, and expert help, you can take back control of your brand’s online reputation.
If you're struggling with damaging reviews and want to explore your options, we’re here to help.
We're here to help
Whether you're facing an active reputation crisis or planning ahead, your first move should be talking to us.