Missing Google Reviews? A guide to recovery.

Before reading the article below, if you think you have lost some Google Reviews, double-check that the number displayed on your Google Business profile matches the number of reviews that you have by manually counting them. Many profiles (including ours) are reporting fewer reviews than there actually are.

My target of 300 5-star Google Reviews was in sight

I’ve been working on getting more Google Reviews over the past 12 months and set a target of getting to 300 reviews by the end of February. Last week, our 299th Google Review landed from Dr Aak (The Smile Gallery), and the finish line was in sight.

My plan to break the 300-review barrier

I had a plan that was guaranteed to take us above the 300 review mark. At the end of the week, I delivered a workshop for Mydentist clinicians and teams on elevating aligner case acceptance. Following the workshop, I showed a slide featuring a QR code directing delegates to our Google Review listing to leave feedback. The phones came out, and I could see delegates smiling while leaving their feedback.

Mission Accomplished!

This QR code isn’t just an afterthought; it’s my tried-and-tested strategy to secure reviews, whether I’m giving a lecture from the stage or delivering a course. Later that evening, in the Uber on my way to the hotel, I was shocked to see that my review count had tanked from 299 to 263!

My heart sank, but it wasn’t just me; my inbox and WhatsApp were buzzing with similar concerns from dental practice owners sharing screenshots from Facebook and WhatsApp Groups.

“Prav, we’ve lost 43 reviews in 3 days, but some practices local to us have lost none. It might be a bug in Google?”

“Prav WTF is going on with our Google reviews we lost 20 overnight”

“Prav, you got a contact at Google you can speak to about our disappearing reviews?” – sure, I’ll give Larry Page a call!

Trying not to panic, when I arrived at the hotel, I flicked open my laptop and submitted a support request to Google (see the detailed guide below).

The following day, I was due to deliver my Sales Mastery Course, another opportunity to rack up some Google reviews. With 30 delegates signed up, I was confident I’d pick up at least 10 more reviews, taking my count from 263 to 273. Easy peasy, or so I thought.

Yet, that evening following the course, after gaining 14 New Google reviews, my total had dropped further from 263 to 260, another 17 Google Reviews gone! Messages from clients with similar stories continued to fill up my WhatsApp messages.

Why are your dental practice Google Reviews dissapearing?

There’s no clearcut answer to why genuine reviews are vanishing, but here are some of the most talked-about theories:

Algorithm & filter tweaks

Google is constantly refining its algorithms to weed out fake or spam reviews. Unfortunately, these adjustments can sometimes catch genuine reviews in the crossfire.

Geolocation and network effects

When a flood of reviews comes in from one location or via the same WiFi network—such as after a workshop (I’m thinking)—it may appear suspicious to the algorithm, triggering a filter. Perhaps a flurry of 5-star reviews in a short time from the same location is a sign of an unnatural signal or pattern.

Google Review system glitches

Numerous forum posts and industry chatter (including comments by Google Product Experts like Vinay Toshniwal) suggest this is a known issue. Google has acknowledged that this is something they’re actively investigating.

Compliance with regulatory changes in the UK

In response to investigations by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK, Google has committed to stricter measures against fake reviews. With as much as £23 billion in consumer spending influenced by online reviews, ensuring trustworthiness is crucial. This means legitimate reviews might sometimes be inadvertently removed.

How to recover your missing Google Reviews: A step-by-step guide

If you’ve been caught in this update and are missing reviews, follow these steps to start the recovery process and report your situation to Google:

Access Google Business Support

Login to your Google Account that owns the Google Business Profile and Visit Google’s Business Support page to report your missing reviews.

Select your business profile and choose the “Review Missing” option

If you manage multiple profiles, choose the specific business account that’s experiencing missing reviews. This ensures your request goes to the right place. Under the “Tell us what can we help with” field, type “Missing genuine Google Reviews” and choose the [Review missing] option.

Complete information about your business and contact details

You will next see an icon that says “Email.” When you click it, you will see a long form requesting basic contact and Google Business Profile information. Try to complete this form as thoroughly as possible, as it will help the support team better understand your situation.

Fill in all the required business details, including:

• Your business name
• Business address (exactly as it appears on your Google Profile)
• Your  Google Business Profile ID – here’s how to find it

Provide information about the missing reviews

Add as much information as you can about the profile and missing reviews (the more specific information you have, the better).

• You will select “no” to the school question
• If reviews are still being published, mention this otherwise, choose “I’m not sure” or “no”
• The approximate number of reviews lost
• How long ago the reviews started going missing
• If you know the names of people from whom you are missing the reviews, list their names

Submit and wait for a response

After submitting your request, keep an eye on your email, and check your junk folder. Google typically responds within 24-48 hours. Don’t be discouraged if the first reply seems automated—it’s often just an acknowledgement of your submission. The automated response will come from googlebusinessprofile-support@google.com with the subject line:

“Your Business Profile support inquiry”

Respond to the email with detailed information

If the initial email response is generic (like mine above), which in most cases it will be – reply with more context:

• Include screenshots of your current review count and previous screenshots (if you have them)
• Provide evidence (e.g., screenshots from reviewers’ accounts where the review is still visible).
• Explain the timeline of events—mention the sudden drops in review count after specific events or dates.

My response to the automated email:

 

Thanks for your response to my Missing Google Reviews query, the resources provided in the email did not help me resolve the issue.

I estimate that we have lost approximately 50 Google Reviews, perhaps more, around the 7th & 8th February Please find atatched some screenshots of geniune reviews that are no longer appearing on our profile. In one case a review by Dr Aak Nehra dissapeared but after contacting her she edited it and it reappeared instantly. There doesnt seem to be any issues in customers posting new reviews but older ones have just dissapeared.

Please could you advise on how I can get my reviews reinstated.

Kind Regards,

Prav Solanki

Wait patiently for a response

Google will have received thousands of requests, and it will take time for them to consider your case and respond; there’s nothing you can do to speed this process up and submitting the request several times won’t help your cause either – it’s not like buying lottery tickets.

And one more thing, I don’t have a special contact at Google who can help you skip the queue!

Ask affected reviewers to repost their reviews

If you know which reviews are missing ask the reviewers to check if the review still appears in their account and request them to edit and save the review. This simple action has been known to trigger the review’s reappearance, just as it did with Dr Aak’s review in my case.

Document your reviews

As a best practice, take screenshots of your reviews regularly. This not only helps in recovering missing reviews but also serves as proof in case of future disputes. I advise using your Google Review screenshots in your day-to-day marketing anyway – embed them in emails to patients, print them in a book to show patients and share them on other social channels.

Insights from industry experts and regulatory updates

The disappearance of reviews isn’t an isolated incident. Countless businesses around the world are reporting similar issues. Just recently, there have been dozens of forum posts and complaints about review counts dropping unexpectedly—from practices losing 12 to 20 reviews overnight to some reporting discrepancies between the actual number of reviews and what’s displayed. It seems like Google may be under-counting the reviews on some profiles.

Google Product Expert Vinay Toshniwal recently mentioned in a forum thread, “Google has been actively removing reviews globally, likely due to non-compliance with their guidelines.” While this might sound alarming, it’s a reminder that Google’s filters are evolving and, occasionally, legitimate reviews get caught in the net.

Moreover, the CMA has recently secured commitments from Google to tackle fake reviews more aggressively. Their press release highlights that:
Businesses boosting star ratings with fake reviews will face visible warnings.

Repeat offenders (both businesses and reviewers) might be sanctioned or even banned from posting further reviews.
Google will be reporting to the CMA over the next two years, ensuring that these measures are implemented and maintained.

These developments underscore the importance of vigilance. While Google works on perfecting its algorithms, our best course of action remains proactive monitoring and prompt reporting.

Final Thoughts

Losing your hard-earned Google reviews is more than just a numerical setback—it directly affects your reputation and the trust potential customers place in your business. I’ve been through the frustration myself: after a successful workshop for MyDentist and ClearCorrect, followed by a Sales Mastery Course delivered to a group of 30 clinicians, TCOs, and receptionists on consecutive days, I was left scratching my head as my review count inexplicably dropped from 299 to 263 and then to 260.

And if that wasn’t enough of a kick in the teeth this morning (10th Feb 2025), my reviews have tanked further to 250!

But there’s a silver lining – Google can’t count!

After Dr Shilpa commented on this article, and Marc Northover pointed me in the direction of some Google forum posts suggesting that Google might have its maths wrong. I counted my reviews manually, and I had exactly 302 Google Reviews! This means that although we are still missing lots of reviews, the situation is not quite as bad as I’d anticipated, and my mission of hitting 300 is accomplished.

Update 11th Feb 2025 – Google now reports we only have 231 reviews – the count dropped, but the number of reviews remained the same at 302!

Update 12th Feb 2025—All is restored—panic over! Some of the missing reviews have reappeared, and the count is at 313, but we are still missing some. Maybe we simply won’t get those back!

Update 13th Feb 2025 – 321 reviews today, missing reviews restored, but is this the end? Will Google have another wobble?

So don’t lose hope. Follow the steps outlined above, keep meticulous records, and stay in touch with Google support. If you know a review is still visible on the reviewer’s end, ask them to edit and resubmit it—it might just do the trick.

Our online reputation is paramount, and every review counts. With a bit of persistence and by taking the proper steps, you can recover those missing reviews and continue building the trust and credibility that your business deserves.

Have you lost reviews?

Leave your story and details in the comments below, including your business profile name, how many reviews you’ve lost when you noticed this, and the impact it’s having on you. If I get further information or contact from Google support, I will point them in the direction of this article.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please do get in touch. Let’s navigate these challenges together and ensure our online presence remains as robust as ever.