Business owners with an interest in review management got an unexpected surprise in late May of this year. Without any notice or warning from Google, many Google reviews suddenly vanished – specifically, anonymous reviews
It’s left many businesses wondering, “where did my reviews go?” At the time, many weren’t sure if this was a policy change or a glitch. But now nearly two months have passed, and the reviews look to be gone forever.
Now that the change is permanent, let’s say goodbye to “A Google User” and take a closer look at Google’s decision to remove anonymous reviews from GMB.
Why Your Google Reviews Count Suddenly Dropped
Many businesses were first alerted to this new policy when they realized that their review count on Google had dropped. The anonymous reviews were still visible, but they didn’t seem to “count” towards the overall rating.
But just a few days later, all reviews left anonymously by “A Google User” were completely removed. For some businesses, this meant not only a lower review count but also a lower rating overall.
Note that if you’re missing reviews that weren’t from “A Google User” profiles, there’s probably another issue going on. You should check in with Google’s review guidelines if that’s the case.
In addition to removing all old reviews from “A Google User,” Google appears to no longer allow the creation of new anonymous reviews.
Who Was “A Google User”?
So, who was “A Google User” and how did these reviews come to exist in the first place?
The anonymous reviews may have come from different sources, but many of the “A Google User” accounts are from the Google+ days. Google used to require that users log in as Google+ users to leave a review. As people have left G+ and Google eliminated the requirement, some of these profiles were identified simply as “A Google User.”
Once anonymity was an option, some users preferred to forgo giving a real name. While some users did this for good reasons (like to hide identifying information while reviewing a medical doctor), others saw it as a way to leave scathing reviews without having to identify themselves.
Whatever the original intent, many reviews in GMB appear to come from “A Google User” when no other profile was linked.
Why Did Google Delete Anonymous Reviews?
Google hasn’t made an official announcement regarding this decision, but it stands to reason that they are trying to improve review transparency.
Now that users can no longer leave anonymous reviews, the Google My Business platform is more similar to Yelp, TripAdvisor, and other popular review sites that only allow registered users to leave reviews.
In doing so, it seems that Google is taking a stand against fake reviews. Given how much customer reviews affect businesses, it’s a good sign that Google appears to be taking fake reviews and transparency more seriously.
Requiring a name should also allow for Google to improve its review vetting process. Even if a customer decides to leave a review as “John Doe,” business owners should be able to click on that user’s profile and see if they seem to be leaving fake or authentic reviews.
Implications for Your Google My Business Page
For some businesses, this change actually caused their overall star rating to increase, even though their review count dropped. But if your business has a lot of anonymous reviews and the policy change caused your rating to decrease, you might be in a bit of a panic.
Even if things are temporarily worse, remember that this move to improve the legitimacy of reviews is a positive step long term. If you’ve ever experienced fake reviews from a competitor or multiple bad reviews from a lone, angry customer, you know how damaging anonymous reviews can be to your business.
Google’s removal of anonymous reviews might not greatly impact your review strategy, but let’s explore a few options for short-term and long-term review management.
Short-Term Review Management
Short term, you’ll want to make sure your GMB page is back on track. You’ll need a review attraction strategy that’s fully compliant with Google’s review policies so that you don’t risk losing any more reviews. Increasing both the volume and recency of reviews is critical.
You can also take this as an opportunity to appropriately respond to any negative reviews that you have on Google. Politely respond to any bad reviews both privately and publicly. Do your best to resolve the issue for the customer and never take a defensive approach. A good response to a bad review can go a long way to impress potential customers.
Long-Term Review Management
Long term, remember how important it is to diversify your reputation management. While Google reviews are very important, there are other review sites that may benefit your business, like Yelp and Facebook.
Also, think about other ways that you can boost your brand’s popularity both locally and online. Your social media presence, word of mouth reputation, and individual customer interactions will all greatly impact your overall reputation.
By staying on top of your online presence, you can make sure that positive information about your business is always the first thing potential customers see when they’re researching your brand.
Your Next Steps for GMB
Of course, we all wish that Google would announce these kinds of changes ahead of time. But as is, all we can do is learn from these unexpected decisions.
Whether the deletion of anonymous reviews has positively or negatively affected your GMB ratings, it’s a good reminder that things can change in an instant in the world of Google and online reviews. Now more than ever, it’s important to monitor your current reviews and proactively attract new ones.
If you need assistance with managing your brand’s reputation, acquiring new reviews, or any other review management services, National Positions is here to help.
