If your Google review count dropped recently, you?re not crazy?and you?re not alone.

In 2025, multiple industry reports showed Google removed reviews at unusually high levels, and it?s not limited to ?bad? reviews. Even legitimate 5-star reviews can disappear. (Search Engine Land)

If you?re a local service business in Solano County (Fairfield, Vacaville, Vallejo, Suisun City, Benicia, Dixon, Rio Vista) or the Sacramento region (Sacramento, Elk Grove, Roseville, Rocklin, Citrus Heights, Folsom, Rancho Cordova), this matters because Google Maps can be a major source of calls and bookings.

This article breaks down what?s happening, what causes review removals, whether U.S. businesses should be concerned, and a simple checklist to protect your Google Business Profile (GBP).

Why Google reviews matter more than ever for local service businesses

For contractors, cleaners, landscapers, plumbers, HVAC, tax pros, restaurants, and other local businesses, reviews aren?t decoration.

Reviews influence:

• Trust (people choose who feels safe)
• Conversions (calls, quote requests, bookings)
• Local visibility (Maps and ?near me? results)

If your leads rely heavily on Google Maps, a review drop can impact revenue?fast.

What the data says: Google is deleting reviews at record levels

An industry analysis published by Search Engine Land (based on 60,000 Google Business Profiles) reports that review deletions increased significantly during 2025 and are being driven by a mix of factors like automated moderation, industry risk, enforcement against incentivized reviews, and regulatory pressure. (Search Engine Land)

Another Search Engine Land report highlights a trend that surprised a lot of owners: Google is deleting 5-star reviews at higher rates than many expected, especially in categories that attract spam or manipulation. (Search Engine Land)

The bottom line: Google is tightening quality control, and legitimate businesses can get caught in the crossfire.

The part most business owners miss: 5-star reviews can disappear too

Most owners assume Google only removes fake-looking one-star attacks. Not true.

Good reviews can be removed when Google?s systems flag:

• unnatural patterns (review spikes)
• accounts that look low-trust
• network/device signals that look coordinated
• business categories where spam is common

Google has also publicly stated it uses machine learning to detect and remove policy-violating content at scale, including reviews. In 2023, Google said it blocked or removed over 170 million policy-violating reviews (45% more than 2022). (blog.google)

So yes?Google is actively filtering.

Why reviews disappear: 4 real causes (and what to do about each)

1) Policy violations (the big one)

The fastest way to trigger review removals is the stuff that seems ?normal? in small business marketing but violates platform rules.

Common examples:

• Incentives: ?Leave a review and get a discount/freebie/raffle entry?
• Buying reviews (or using vendors who do)
• Employees, friends, or family reviewing (especially in clusters)
• Review gating: only asking happy customers to leave a Google review

Google?s policies prohibit deceptive or manipulated review practices, including incentivized reviews and other forms of misrepresentation. (Search Engine Land)

What to do instead

• Ask for reviews without offering anything in return
• Ask consistently across all customers (not just the happiest)

2) Automated filters (even if the reviews are real)

Google?s spam systems can filter legitimate reviews if the pattern looks suspicious.

Triggers include:

• lots of reviews in a short time (?review burst?)
• reviews from brand-new Google accounts
• many reviews coming from the same device or same business Wi-Fi
• reviews coming from unusual locations (relative to your market)

What to do

• Avoid asking customers to review on a tablet at your front desk
• Don?t push review ?bursts? during promotions
• Spread requests consistently (steady > spiky)

3) Profile-level restrictions for ?fake engagement?

Google can apply restrictions when it detects suspicious behavior tied to a Business Profile. That can include limits on new reviews or removals related to policy enforcement. (Search Engine Land)

What to do

• Treat reviews like compliance: clean process, steady volume, no shortcuts
• Document your workflow so you can spot what changed when issues appear

4) Bugs and display issues (yes, this happens)

Sometimes review counts drop temporarily due to platform issues. In those cases, reviews may still exist but the visible total changes.

What to do

• Confirm whether reviews are actually gone or if it?s a display/count issue
• Don?t overreact until you can verify what changed

Should U.S. small businesses be concerned?

Yes?but the right mindset is: be prepared, not paranoid.

In the U.S., there?s also increased pressure on deceptive review practices. The FTC has guidance and enforcement focus around deceptive endorsements and reviews, and published Q&A guidance on the Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule. (Federal Trade Commission)

This doesn?t mean ?your reviews will be deleted tomorrow.? It means:

• If your team is offering incentives for reviews, you?re increasing risk.
• If you hired a shady ?reputation company,? you?re increasing risk.
• If you run a clean system, you?re in a stronger position long-term.

Important: This article is not legal advice?if you have questions about compliance, talk to your attorney.

Solano + Sacramento checklist: how to protect your reputation in 2026

Stop doing these (today)

• ? Discounts, giveaways, raffles ?for a review?
• ? Asking customers to review on your business tablet/device
• ? Review spikes that look unnatural
• ? Vendors that promise ?50 reviews this month? (usually junk)

Start doing these (simple + effective)

1) Build a clean review request system

• Ask for a review after the job/service using SMS and/or email
• Use one clear link (short link is fine)
• Use consistent timing (ex: 2?24 hours after service)

2) Ask every customer (no gating)

Don?t cherry-pick. A healthy profile is built on consistency, not perfection.

3) Do a ?review health check? on a schedule

• High-volume businesses (restaurants): weekly or bi-weekly
• Most service businesses: every 2?4 weeks is often enough

Track:

• total review count
• new reviews posted
• any unusual drops
• patterns (was there a promo? a staff change? a new tool?)

4) Build ?reputation resilience? outside Google

Don?t let one platform hold your business hostage.

Add:

• Testimonials on your website
• Review screenshots (with permission)
• Social proof posts (customer quotes, before/after, video testimonials)

Bug vs. enforcement: quick ways to tell what?s happening

If your count drops:

1. Check if the reviews still appear individually (not just the number)
2. Check if it?s widespread (industry chatter / multiple businesses noticing it)
3. Look back 7?30 days: did you run any incentive/promo? did you ask for a burst?

If you can?t diagnose quickly, that?s a sign you need monitoring and a documented review process.

How we help (DigitalTrack approach)

At DigitalTrack, we treat reviews like a system, not a one-time ask.

A proper review process typically includes:

• SMS/email review request setup
• A compliant request script (English/Spanish if needed)
• Monitoring + alerts for drops
• Response rules (especially for negative reviews)
• A plan to repurpose reviews as website/social proof

If you want a second set of eyes on your profile and your review workflow, we can review it with you and recommend the cleanest path forward.

Book a free consultation

Use our booking page to schedule a call and we?ll walk through what to fix and what to implement next.

FREE CONSULTATION

FAQs

Why did my Google reviews disappear in Fairfield, Vacaville, or Vallejo?

Most commonly: policy enforcement, spam filters triggered by suspicious patterns, or a platform display issue. The best next step is to confirm whether reviews are truly removed and review your last 30 days of review activity.

Can Google remove legitimate 5-star reviews?

Yes. Industry reporting shows it can happen, especially when patterns look manipulated or when filters flag signals that don?t look natural. (Search Engine Land)

Is it okay to offer a discount if someone leaves a review?

It increases risk and can violate platform rules depending on how it?s done. The clean approach is: ask for honest feedback with no incentive attached.

How often should a Sacramento-area service business monitor reviews?

Most service businesses can check every 2?4 weeks, unless you?re getting high volume weekly. Restaurants often benefit from weekly or bi-weekly monitoring.

What?s the safest way to get more reviews?

Consistent SMS/email requests after service, no incentives, no review gating, and avoiding asking customers to review on your device or Wi-Fi.