Great news! Google announced that reviews and Q&A are available again. This is an update from Google’s March 20th, 2020 announcement indicating there would be a temporary pause of their reviews and Q&A features. 
“Review replies are now available. New user reviews, new user photos, new short names, and Q&A will gradually return by country and business category.”  

Don’t worry if you aren’t seeing your reviews populating just yet as Google is prioritizing availability. We know it’s a critical time for businesses to respond to reviews or questions and our Reputation Team is ready to assist.  

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Google recently made an announcement that they would be reducing the number of employees working in their offices due to the unprecedented COVID-19 situation. 

“As a result, there may be some temporary limitations and delays in support as we prioritize critical services”.  

Google My Business updates, verification, new reviews, review replies, and all Q&A may be delayed during this time. Anyone leaving a Google review may receive a message reading that this function is not available or delayed.

As a Google Premier Partner, our team has been in frequent contact with Google to receive updates. At the moment there is no estimated time when the full functionality of these features will be restored but we will provide important updates as they come along. 

However, other review sites such as Facebook and Yelp have a different approach. Both sites have agreed to limit the mention of COVID-19 in posts as well as reviews. Yelp is even going as far as immediately removing any content that mentions COVID-19 or Coronavirus. Review sites rely on their content to be a true reflection of a consumer’s experience; therefore, they’re taking action and being sensitive to businesses who may be affected by the current situation.

Our Reputation Team is continuing to monitor and respond to reviews on all review sites. We are also performing resident feedback campaigns at our clients’ discretion. Rest assured that once Google releases their reviews, our team will be ready to respond accordingly.

Any reviews or comments that mention COVID-19 have been and will continue to be forwarded to our clients to ensure the brand’s best interest is in mind when responding. We are also flagging these reviews for removal. If you have any questions, please reach out to reviews@apartmentseo.com.

As your digital marketing partner, Apartment SEO wants to assure you that our team is here for you. During times of uncertainty, it’s essential for businesses to protect their assets, employees, residents, and reputation.