Ongoing Fixes for Google Review Count Discrepancies
Google has been addressing a widespread issue where the number of reviews displayed on Google Business Profiles was inaccurately reduced. While this problem has largely been fixed, some accounts may still experience discrepancies that should be resolved shortly.
Over the past week, businesses noticed that their listed review counts were lower than expected. However, despite the incorrect totals, no reviews were actually removed from the profiles. Google has since worked on restoring accurate counts and has made significant progress, though some lingering cases remain.
Google’s Official Update
Victoria Kroll, a Google representative, provided an update in the forums, stating:
“Most affected profiles now display accurate ratings and reviews. However, while we have made significant progress, some profiles may still experience a temporary lower count. These profiles should recover to pre-issue levels over the next few days. No reviews were unpublished due to this issue. If your review count does not return to the level it was before this issue in the next few days, please contact support.”
What Businesses Should Do Next
If your review count hasn’t returned to its previous level by early next week, it’s advisable to contact Google support. Assistance can be sought through Google’s official forums or the contact options available in the footer of the support page.
Background on the Issue
The issue was first noticed last week when users on the Google Business Profiles forums began reporting sudden drops in their review counts. Initially, it was unclear whether this was a bug or an intentional change. Google later confirmed it was a technical issue and started rolling out a fix on Tuesday.
Many small businesses were alarmed, fearing their customer reviews had been permanently deleted. However, Google clarified that this was purely a counting error, and all reviews remained visible on the profiles.
Why This Matters
Customer reviews are essential for a business’s online reputation, often influencing potential customers’ decisions. The temporary loss of visible reviews led to concern and frustration for business owners and local SEO professionals. While Google has corrected most of the inaccuracies, it continues working to restore the remaining review counts fully.
The company expects to resolve the outstanding issues by the end of the week, helping businesses regain the accurate representation of their customer feedback.
