So your concern is justified – just like you might be persuaded by a review you find online (and over 70% of consumers are!), everyone else is similarly relying on online reviews to make buying decisions.
Removing a negative Google Review, however, is a challenging but not insurmountable task. You can bury it, mute it, flip it to your advantage, and in some cases even get it deleted.
First, realize that Google isn’t almighty, and plan accordingly. They don’t own the internet, exclusively own the right to moderate free speech, or control entirely what’s said through their service. In other words, plan to fight back.
At Matador Solutions, we’re committed to doing anything and everything to defend, protect, and enhance your online reputation. Sometimes that means soliciting existing customers for positive reviews (and burying the negative content), and other times it means helping you craft a strategic public relations response. Might that negative review still dissuade some customers? Maybe, but it’ll be less of them and you’ll get your business back.
Second, review the Google Reviews for authenticity and whether they violate any legitimate privacy issues. Is it an unhappy employee discussing your personal matters of a specific nature? Then let’s prepare a professional response (and perhaps consider a legal one) to Google site moderators, whom are obliged to remove such content given their own policies.
Matador Solutions always keeps legal counsel on call to aid you in just these instances. Moreover, we take the attractive rates way get from the high volume of service we order and pass the savings directly to you.
Third, turn the other cheek publicly, demonstrating humility, candor, and care. Thank the commentator for their feedback and provide a constructive, succinct, and carefully detailed response to the negative review. Not everyone’s online reputation can be perfect (and in fact many customers expect a few blemishes), but a public-facing strategy on Google Reviews is a sure-fire way to help turn your lemons into lemonade. You just gotta do it right – remember, anything you say or do on the internet is permanent public record!
Don’t be shy to contact us for a complimentary online reputation assessment and personal consultation. Contact us today!
Fourth, increase the quality of your presence on other third-party sites and sites you control, thereby nullifying the importance of Google Reviews. If you have a few negative reviews on Google Reviews, but an overall positive reputation on Yelp, for example, then you’ll begin casting doubt on any of the negativity surrounding your brand. This is another area where Matador Solutions can help.
Go ahead and contact us at your convenience. We’re just touching the surface of your options, which are more varied than you might think. We’ve got your back, and remember, if you don’t control your reputation, someone else will!
