In sectors like finance, real estate, legal or governmental with high-trust requirements, online reviews can make or break you. There is nothing worse than discovering a scathing online review about your company. It’s right there, top of Google, even above your official website. Worse still, it’s on a high-authority domain like Trustpilot, Reddit, or a local news site. Your first reaction? Panic. “Why is this review so visible? Is there anything I can do to fix it?” Let’s explore why bad reviews happen, how they impact your brand, and most importantly, how to bury bad reviews.
Are you a finance brand? Read more on our 2025 Online Reputation for Finance article.
Why Do Bad Reviews Happen?
Bad reviews can come from multiple sources, some fair, some malicious:
- Poor service or product quality: The customer genuinely had a disappointing experience.
- Miscommunication or mishandled expectations: Expectations and reality just didn’t align.
- Scam accusations: Especially in finance or crypto sectors, these reviews often appear even in the absence of wrongdoing.
- Competitor manipulation: Unfortunately, some companies leave fake bad reviews to damage rivals.
Understanding the context behind the review is the first step to fixing it. Is it constructive criticism? A red flag about internal issues? Or an attack without merit?
How Bad Reviews Impact Your Brand
The impact of a bad review goes far beyond one disgruntled customer. It shapes public perception, search engine visibility, and even business performance:
- 94% of consumers say a negative review has convinced them to avoid a business, and 87% of people will reverse a buying decision after reading negative online content.
- 67% of customers only trust reviews from the past 3 months, so even a single recent bad one can weigh heavily.
- For every one negative article, a business risks losing up to 22% of new customers; with four or more, the number jumps to over 70%.
- Online reviews surpasses recommendations from family and friends (24%), brand claims (18%) and opinions from influencers and media (both at 2%)
Why Is A Bad Review Showing Above My Website in Google?
If a bad review is showing up above your official website, it’s usually because of the Domain Authority (DA) of the site it’s hosted on. DA is a metric used by SEO tools like Moz and Ahrefs to predict how likely a website is to rank highly in search engines. Sites like Trustpilot, Reddit, Medium, Glassdoor, and Quora often have DA scores over 80, making them extremely high ranking. Your company website might only have a DA of 10–30, especially if it’s new, small, or lacks inbound links. As a result, even if the review is inaccurate or unfair, it can still rank higher than your carefully curated homepage.
Can I Get the Site to Remove a Bad Review?
Good question. Unfortunately, in most cases, no, unless the review violates the platform’s terms of service or contains illegal content (e.g., hate speech, doxing, libel).
Here’s what you can do:
- Respond professionally and politely, even if you disagree.
- Acknowledge the concern, clarify the facts, and offer to take the conversation offline for resolution.
- Never retaliate, aggressive or dismissive replies tend to backfire, showing potential customers that you’re defensive rather than solution-oriented.
Responding well matters. Businesses that engage with negative reviews are 33% more likely to turn a critic into a supporter, and 45% of consumers say they’re more likely to visit businesses that respond to reviews.
Was the Bad Review True?
This can be a hard question to answer honestly. Sometimes, the review is justified. In such cases, a defensive response won’t help but organisational change will. Sometimes a bad review can be a blessing in disguise, helping uncover client dissatisfaction which you can fix internally.
Here’s what you can do:
- Share the complaint internally with customer support, operations, or product teams.
- Use it as a feedback mechanism to improve processes, policies, or service quality.
- Communicate those changes publicly—through blog posts, email updates, or even a press release if the issue was severe.
Case in Point: United Airlines
In 2017, United became a global example of reputation damage after a paying customer was violently dragged off an overbooked flight. The video went viral, causing a $1 billion drop in share price within days. Initially, United defended its policy, then changed tack, apologising and pledging changes. The damage was done, but a measured PR response helped rebuild its image over time. United was no new player to dealing with reputational fallout. A disgruntled customer that could have been easily dealt with by customer support, instead became a viral sensation. Dave Carroll’s “United Breaks Guitars” got millions of view on YouTube.
More Lessons in Managing Bad Reviews
United Airlines is not by any means the exception. Negative reviews and reputation damage has been felt by many brands over the years. Some have dealt with it better than others. Here are two more horror stories that could have been better managed:
Trustpilot’s Fake Review Crisis
What happened:
Ironically, the review platform itself came under fire when Watchdog and The Guardian published investigations into fake and manipulated reviews hosted on Trustpilot. Several fintech and crypto firms appeared to use inauthentic 5-star reviews to bury poor ones.
Impact:
- Media backlash resulted in reduced trust in review sites in general.
- Regulatory bodies, like the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), began clamping down on fake reviews and urging platforms to show more transparency.
Response:
Trustpilot responded by enhancing verification processes and removing thousands of suspect reviews. They also issued statements supporting better review hygiene.
Outcome:
While the brand still operates widely, many consumers now take review scores with more caution. The incident revealed that even review platforms must manage their own reputation vigilantly.
British Airways – Twitter Backlash
What happened:
A frustrated customer spent money to promote a tweet complaining about lost luggage, saying “Don’t fly @BritishAirways. Their customer service is horrendous.”
Impact:
- The tweet was seen by thousands of users and quickly gained media coverage.
- The incident highlighted BA’s slow social media response, as they took nearly 8 hours to reply, outside of “normal business hours”.
Response:
BA eventually located the luggage and apologised. Since then, the airline has ramped up social media monitoring and 24/7 customer care channels.
Outcome:
This case became a lesson in why real-time engagement matters, especially for high-ticket service brands. It’s still cited in marketing blogs today.
How Can I Bury Bad Reviews?
Now we get to the core of the strategy: you don’t remove reviews, you outrank them. Here’s a quick guide:
Step 1: Publish High-Authority, SEO-Optimised Content
Start pumping out positive, keyword-optimised assets. These should mention your brand name and key services. Use:
- Press releases on sites with 60+ domain authority
- Guest blogs on industry-leading publications
- YouTube videos with brand-name titles
- LinkedIn articles by your CEO or team
These pieces begin to replace bad reviews in the top search results. This will require a consistent and professional effort for at least six months. Speak to our team about PR for your brand.
Step 2: Encourage Real Positive Reviews
According to Fera.ai, 68% of consumers will leave a review if asked. Follow up with customers post-purchase or post-service and make it easy for them to leave feedback.
Never write fake reviews. In the UK, the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) is cracking down on inauthentic endorsements. Violators face fines and removal from Google entirely.
Step 3: Target “Scam” Keywords Strategically
If people search “ABC Brand scam”, don’t let a forum thread dominate the results. Create content that includes those keywords but tells your side of the story. For example: “Is ABC Brand a Scam? Here’s Why Customers Say No.” One article won’t be enough to outrank a high ranking site. Talk to our team about strategic monthly content that achieves the right outcomes.
Step 4: Monitor and Adjust
Use tools like Google Alerts, Brand24, or Semrush to track where and how your brand appears. Or, outsource this task to an agency like Contentworks. W can also monitor your brand on social media to assess sentiment and brand mentions. Social media listening is essential for understanding and engaging with your audience in a meaningful way. By monitoring online conversations, mentions, and trends related to your brand, industry, or competitors, you can gain valuable insights into customer needs, preferences, and pain points. This real-time feedback helps organisations adapt their strategies, improve products or services, and address potential issues before they escalate. It is not just about being present on social platforms, but about truly hearing and responding to what people are saying.
Reputation Isn’t What You Say, It’s What Google Says
In an ideal world, your hard work, good intentions, and excellent customer service would speak for themselves. But online, Google speaks louder. A single bad review can spiral into a reputation nightmare, but only if you ignore it. By taking control of your brand’s search presence and building SEO firepower through high-authority content and genuine engagement, you can bury bad reviews and create a new narrative.
Need to grow a healthy online reputation? Contentworks Agency has a team of strategists, SEO experts and reputation marketers ready to get you started. Book a free Zoom with our team now.