Why Are My Google Reviews Disappearing?

If you’ve logged into your Google Business Profile recently and noticed your review count has dropped, you’re not alone. Business owners across the globe are asking the same question: “Why are my Google reviews disappearing?”

The answer lies in Google’s latest Core Update, which has completely changed how reviews are managed and impacts local search. What you’re seeing is actually part of a global cleanup effort that’s affecting review counts across the board.

Understanding Why Google Is Deleting Reviews

Lost about 10–15% of your reviews recently? Google is behind it. They’re actively purging older reviews connected to inactive or questionable accounts as part of a deliberate overhaul. This isn’t a bug, a hack, or a mistake on your part. It’s an intentional shift in how Google validates and displays reviews.

The good news? Most businesses are finding that while their total review numbers dropped, their overall star rating has remained roughly the same. That means the reviews being removed weren’t necessarily negative. Google is targeting what it deems “suspicious” or “inauthentic” reviews across the board, including some 4- and 5-star reviews.

Statistic graphic indicating that Google review counts are commonly dropping by 10 to 15 percent

But Why Is Google Removing Reviews Right Now?

Google’s core update coincided with the busy holiday shopping season, which might seem like odd timing. But this massive review spam crackdown has been building for a while, driven by three key factors.

More Sophisticated AI Detection

Google has significantly upgraded its automated review filtering systems, incorporating advanced AI models like Gemini to analyze reviews at a scale and depth previously unattainable.

The system scrutinizes multiple data points simultaneously, including:

  • Account age and activity: Is this a real person who uses Google regularly, or a dormant account that suddenly woke up to leave a review?
  • Review patterns: Does this person only leave 5-star reviews, or review random businesses across different cities?
  • Suspicious timing: Did multiple reviews flood in right after a promotion, or all arrive within minutes of each other?
  • Language red flags: Generic promotional language, identical phrases across multiple reviews, or vague content without specific details

The downside? Google’s AI doesn’t always get it right, and genuine customer reviews can sometimes get caught in the filter.

This happens when:

  • A customer leaves a review under an old, inactive Google account they rarely use
  • Someone creates a new Google account specifically to leave a review
  • Multiple customers leave reviews during a short timeframe
  • Customers use generic language, or didn’t write anything at all

So if you’ve lost genuine reviews despite playing by the rules, this is likely why — your real customers just happened to look suspicious to an algorithm.

Regulatory Pressure

This isn’t just Google being picky. Regulatory bodies like the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have been putting serious pressure on tech platforms to crack down on fake reviews. Google faces potential fines for non-compliance, which means they’re taking enforcement much more seriously than ever before.

Review Manipulation

The crackdown isn’t about obviously fake reviews. Google is also going after all types of review manipulation:

  • Incentivized reviews (reviews given in exchange for discounts, free products, or other perks)
  • Bulk review submissions (suspicious patterns of multiple reviews in short timeframes)
  • Reviews from suspicious accounts (inactive profiles, newly created accounts, or accounts with unusual activity)
  • Artificially inflated positive reviews (even genuine customer reviews may be removed if the account looks inactive)

What Businesses Are Experiencing

The impact of this update has been widespread and sometimes alarming for business owners.

Sudden Review Count Drops

Many businesses woke up to find that dozens (sometimes hundreds) of reviews had vanished overnight. In most cases, these were positive reviews, which understandably caused panic among business owners who had worked hard to build their reputation.

Profile Review Bans

Some businesses found their profiles temporarily banned from receiving new reviews. If Google’s systems flagged suspicious activity on your profile, you might have been locked out of collecting new reviews for a period of time.

Local Search Ranking Fluctuations

Because review count and quality are important ranking factors for local search, this cleanup caused major volatility in the Local Pack rankings.

Other Reasons Google Reviews Disappear (Beyond the Core Update)

While Google’s Core Update is responsible for the most recent review losses, there are other common causes.

Policy Violations That Trigger Permanent Removal

  • Incentivized or purchased reviews
  • Reviews containing promotional content like URLs, phone numbers, or discount codes
  • Profanity, slurs, threats, or personal employee information
  • Conflicts of interest such as employee, owner, or competitor reviews
  • Fake or misleading claims from people who never visited your business

User and Account Issues

  • Reviewers deleting their own reviews
  • Deleted or suspended Google accounts

When a reviewer deletes their account or is suspended, all their reviews permanently disappear.

Google Business Profile Configuration Issues

  • Unverified or recently reinstated profiles
  • Duplicate or merged listings
  • Business relocations
  • Inactive profiles with little ongoing activity

Technical Glitches and Display Issues

  • Incorrect review counts
  • Delayed or stuck new reviews
  • Temporary display bugs during updates

Close-up graphic of a five-star Google review with user profile icon and review content layout

How to Diagnose What’s Happening to Your Reviews

Step 1: Document What’s Missing

  • Screenshot or export current reviews
  • Compare against past records
  • Look for common patterns

Step 2: Check for Policy Triggers

  • Incentives or discounts
  • URLs or contact info
  • Profanity or threats
  • Employee or competitor reviews

Step 3: Audit Your Profile

Step 4: Check for Widespread Issues

  • Google Business Profile Help Community
  • Local SEO and small business forums

Step 5: Contact Google Support (If Needed)

Visit support.google.com/business/gethelp and select “Reviews missing or not showing.”

What Should You Do If Google Reviews Disappear?

  • Don’t panic — 10–15% drops are common right now
  • Identify the root cause
  • Fix what you can control
  • Stay active and respond to all reviews
  • Ensure compliance with Google’s policies
  • Diversify reviews across multiple platforms

Why This Could Actually Be a Good Thing

  • It levels the playing field
  • It increases consumer trust
  • It encourages better business practices

The Bottom Line on Google Reviews Being Deleted

Google is recalibrating how it evaluates trust and authenticity. If you’re focused on real customer satisfaction and compliant review practices, you’ll be just fine.

Quick Recap

  • 10–15% review drops are normal
  • Both positive and negative reviews are affected
  • Star ratings often remain stable
  • Policy violations, profile issues, and user actions also cause losses
  • Quality always wins over quantity
Author
Rob Timmermann