![\"Can](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/delete-google-reviews-in-post.png\")
<\/figure>\n\ud83d\udca1 Quick Answer: You Can\u2019t Delete Google Reviews ( But Here\u2019s What You Can Do)<\/h4>\n
Unfortunately, you can\u2019t manually delete reviews that other people post on your Google Business Profile \u2014 only the reviewer or Google itself can remove them.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what you can<\/em> do instead:<\/p>\n This way, you stay in control of your brand\u2019s image \u2014 even when you can\u2019t control every review.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Here is a quick overview of all the topics that I\u2019ll be covering in this guide:<\/p>\n Business owners<\/a> often want to delete negative Google reviews because they directly impact how customers see their brand. When a review is fake, overly harsh, or personal, it can feel unfair and damaging. <\/p>\n Here are the most common reasons business owners want certain reviews gone\u2014and why it\u2019s risky to ignore them:<\/p>\n In short, negative reviews can shape both public perception and search performance, which is why learning how to manage them is so important.<\/p>\n The short answer is no. You can\u2019t delete reviews left by others unless they clearly break Google\u2019s policies.<\/p>\n Google allows honest feedback from real customers, even when it\u2019s negative. You can\u2019t remove a review just because you disagree with it or think it\u2019s unfair. <\/p>\n However, if it clearly violates Google\u2019s rules \u2014 for example, if it\u2019s spam, fake, or abusive \u2014 you can flag it for removal.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a quick checklist you can use to see if a review might violate Google\u2019s policies:<\/p>\n \u2705 Reviews Google may remove:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u274c Reviews Google won\u2019t remove:<\/strong><\/p>\n It can be discouraging to see negative feedback, but Google\u2019s main goal is to protect authentic customer voices. If a review clearly crosses the line, you can report it for removal.<\/p>\n If not, the best approach is to reply calmly and focus on getting more positive reviews<\/a> to balance things out.<\/p>\n If you come across a review that clearly breaks Google\u2019s rules, like spam, fake claims, or personal attacks, you can report it for removal right from your Google Business Profile.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve found this process to be quick and straightforward. <\/p>\n First, search for your Google Business Profile. The easiest way is to type \u2018my business\u2019 directly into Google Search while logged into your account. <\/p>\n Once you do that, you\u2019ll see your business profile appear right at the top of the search results. <\/p>\n From here, click the \u2018View Profile\u2019 button.<\/p>\n This will open a section titled \u2018Your Business on Google\u2019, where you can edit your profile, manage bookings, add a Q&A section, and read your customer reviews. <\/p>\n Simply click the \u2018Read Reviews\u2019 button to open the reviews panel.<\/p>\n Here, you\u2019ll see a list of all your customer reviews. <\/p>\n To report a specific one, just click the \u2018Report Review\u2019 icon on the right side of the screen.<\/p>\n Google will then ask why you\u2019re reporting it. <\/p>\n Be sure to choose the most relevant reason \u2014 for example, spam, off-topic content, conflict of interest, profanity, or harassment. <\/p>\n Picking the right category increases the chances of Google removing the review. Once you\u2019ve selected the reason, click \u2018Send Report\u2019 to submit it. <\/p>\n That\u2019s it. You\u2019ve successfully reported a review to Google for evaluation.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve reported a review, Google will send you an email confirming that they\u2019ve received your report. <\/p>\n In that email, Google will mention that the review is under evaluation to see whether it violates their content policies<\/p>\n From here, it\u2019s mostly a waiting game. Google\u2019s review process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the volume of reports they\u2019re handling.<\/p>\n During this time, their team will check if the review contains spam, fake information, offensive language, or any other policy violations.<\/p>\n You can check the status of your report by visiting your Google Business Profile and opening the \u2018Reviews Management\u2019 section. <\/p>\n This area shows which reviews are currently under review and which have already been processed.<\/p>\n If Google finds that the review breaks their guidelines, they\u2019ll remove it automatically, and you\u2019ll usually get another email confirming the action.<\/p>\n However, if Google determines that the review doesn\u2019t violate their policies, it will stay visible on your profile. <\/p>\n You can\u2019t always delete negative Google reviews, but you can control which ones appear on your website. That\u2019s where Smash Balloon\u2019s Reviews Feed Pro<\/a> comes in.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the best Google reviews plugin<\/a> for WordPress that lets you display reviews from Google, Yelp, and Facebook in one beautiful feed on your business website.<\/p>\n With its powerful filtering options, you can choose to show only positive reviews or specific star ratings \u2014 giving you complete control over what visitors see on your site.<\/p>\n I really like how simple it is to use. You just connect your Google account, customize the layout, and your best reviews automatically appear on your website. It\u2019s a great way to protect your brand image while building trust with new visitors.<\/p>\n If you need more information about the tool\u2019s features, then take a look at our complete Smash Balloon review<\/a>.<\/p>\n First, you\u2019ll need to install and activate the Smash Balloon Reviews Feed<\/a> plugin on your WordPress website. <\/p>\n For instructions, see our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcccNote:<\/strong> The Reviews Feed plugin has a free version<\/a> that lets you display Google reviews on your site. However, to unlock advanced features like review filtering and multi-platform support, you\u2019ll need the pro plan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Once the plugin is activated, go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Reviews Feed \u00bb Settings<\/strong>. Here, you\u2019ll see a field to enter your license key. <\/p>\n You can find this key in your account on the Smash Balloon website. Just copy it, paste it into the field, and click the \u2018Activate License\u2019 button.<\/p>\n Once your license is activated, it\u2019s time to create your first review feed.<\/p>\n From your WordPress dashboard, go to the Reviews Feed \u00bb All Feeds<\/strong> page and click the \u2018+ Add New\u2019 button.<\/p>\n This will open a setup screen where you can choose your review source.<\/p>\n Simply select Google from the list of available platforms. <\/p>\n Smash Balloon also supports Yelp, Facebook<\/a>, and TripAdvisor reviews<\/a>, but for this guide, we\u2019ll be focusing on connecting your Google reviews.<\/p>\n After that, click \u2018Next.\u2019<\/p>\n Smash Balloon will now ask you to link your Google Business Profile. This helps the plugin know exactly which business reviews to pull.<\/p>\n To do that, you\u2019ll need two things \u2014 your Place ID and Google API key (optional).<\/p>\n The Google API key helps the plugin fetch and refresh your reviews automatically and more frequently. However, it\u2019s an optional step for more advanced users. <\/p>\n Your reviews will still display even without an API key, but the updates might be less frequent.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to add one, you can create it in the Google Cloud Console by creating a new project and enabling the Places API.<\/p>\n Copy the key, paste it into the popup in Smash Balloon, and click \u2018Next\u2019 to continue.<\/p>\n But don\u2019t worry if this seems too complicated\u2014the plugin will still work perfectly without it.<\/p>\n Next, you\u2019ll need your Google Place ID, which tells Smash Balloon exactly which business profile to pull reviews from. <\/p>\n Think of it like a unique street address for your business on Google Maps.<\/p>\n For this, go to the Google Place ID Finder<\/a> website and scroll to the section titled \u2018Find the ID of a particular place.\u2019<\/p>\n In the search bar, type your business name and address. When it appears in the dropdown, click on it.<\/p>\n A small popup will appear on the map showing your Place ID.<\/p>\n Simply copy that code, go back to your WordPress dashboard, and paste it into the \u2018Place ID\u2019 field in Smash Balloon.<\/p>\n Then, click the \u2018Finish\u2019 button.<\/p>\n At this point, your Google Business Profile is successfully linked, and Smash Balloon will start automatically pulling in your reviews.<\/p>\n Once your Google account is connected, Smash Balloon will automatically add your Google Business Profile as a source.<\/p>\n Make sure the box next to it is checked, and then click \u2018Next.\u2019<\/p>\n Now you can choose a starting design for your feed. Reviews Feed Pro offers several templates, including carousels, grids, and simple lists.<\/p>\n I recommend choosing a layout that matches your website\u2019s overall style \u2014 for example, use a carousel for a dynamic homepage display or a simple list for a clean, minimal look.<\/p>\n After selecting a template, click \u2018Next\u2019 to open the visual feed editor.<\/p>\n Once the editor opens, you\u2019ll see a live preview of your reviews feed on the right and all the customization settings on the left. <\/p>\n This visual interface makes it super easy to design your reviews section exactly how you want, no coding required.<\/p>\n You can adjust everything, including the layout, header style, review elements, and button design, and instantly see your changes in real time.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to explore more customization options, I recommend checking out our step-by-step guide on how to show Google, Facebook, and Yelp reviews in WordPress<\/a>.<\/p>\n This tutorial covers more advanced styling tips and design ideas to help you create a reviews section that perfectly fits your website\u2019s look and feel.<\/p>\n After customizing the look of your reviews feed, the next step is to control which reviews actually appear on your website.<\/p>\n This is where Smash Balloon really shines \u2014 all the filtering and moderation tools are built right into the visual editor, so you don\u2019t need to jump between different settings pages.<\/p>\n Smash Balloon gives you three main tools to manage your reviews:<\/p>\n I recommend exploring all these options before publishing your feed \u2014 it\u2019s the easiest way to make sure only the most positive and relevant reviews appear on your site.<\/p>\n You can start with the star rating filter. From the left-hand menu, open the \u2018Settings\u2019 tab and click on \u2018Filters.\u2019 <\/p>\n Here, you\u2019ll see options to show only reviews with specific star ratings. For instance, if you\u2019d like your reviews feed to highlight satisfied customers, you can display only 4- and 5-star reviews.<\/p>\n This simple step helps create a positive impression and keeps your website focused on genuine, high-quality feedback.<\/p>\n Next, you can use the keyword filter to refine things even further. <\/p>\n Still in the same section, scroll down to find two boxes \u2014 one only to show reviews containing certain words, and another to hide reviews that contain specific keywords.<\/p>\n This is helpful if you want to feature reviews that mention phrases like \u2018great experience,\u2019 \u2018highly recommended,\u2019 or \u2018excellent service,\u2019 while excluding reviews that use words like \u2018delay\u2019 or \u2018issue.\u2019 <\/p>\n I recommend combining the keyword and star filters because they give you fine-tuned control over which reviews appear on your site.<\/p>\n If you want even more control, you can turn on the manual moderation feature. To do this, open the \u2018Settings\u2019 tab inside the visual editor and select \u2018Moderation.\u2019<\/p>\n This will take you to a new screen where you can toggle the switch to enable moderation for your feed. Once it\u2019s on, you\u2019ll be able to manually choose which Google reviews appear on your website. <\/p>\n There are two modes you can use here:<\/p>\n As soon as moderation is active, you\u2019ll see all your reviews listed on the right side of the editor in a live preview. <\/p>\n From here, you can simply click to select or deselect reviews. You can also search or filter by keywords, star rating<\/a>, or date to quickly find specific reviews.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve picked the ones you want to display, click \u2018Save,\u2019 and your feed will instantly update with the selected reviews.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re happy with how your Google reviews look, it\u2019s time to display them on your website. <\/p>\n The good news is that Smash Balloon makes embedding your reviews super easy, and you can do it right from the WordPress block editor.<\/p>\n Simply open the page or post where you want to display your reviews and click the \u2018Add Block\u2019 (+) button. Once the block menu opens up, locate and add the \u2018Reviews Feed\u2019 block from the list.<\/p>\n As soon as you do that, your Google reviews feed will appear inside the editor \u2014 complete with your custom layout, filters, and design.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re happy with how it looks, go ahead and click the \u2018Update\u2019 or \u2018Publish\u2019 button to store your settings.<\/p>\n That\u2019s it! Your Google reviews will now appear live on your website for everyone to see.<\/p>\n I recommend opening your page in a new tab afterward to make sure everything looks just the way you want. <\/p>\n You\u2019ll see your filtered and fully customized reviews feed, beautifully displayed for your visitors.<\/p>\n Deleting reviews isn\u2019t always possible, but managing your online reputation the right way can make a huge difference. The key is to stay proactive, not reactive.<\/p>\n Instead of panicking when you get a bad review, I recommend focusing on building a steady stream of positive feedback that reflects your business\u2019s real customer experience.<\/p>\n Here are some tips. <\/p>\n In my experience, the best way to handle a few bad reviews is to consistently earn more positive ones. However, always keep your approach ethical \u2014 never buy or fake reviews, as this violates Google\u2019s policies and can hurt your reputation.<\/p>\n Instead, you can follow the same simple tips many of our partner brands use to earn genuine 5-star reviews:<\/p>\n This approach not only helps you maintain control over what appears on your site but also encourages more people to leave reviews since it\u2019s quick and convenient.<\/p>\n Replying to reviews, whether they\u2019re glowing or critical, shows customers that you care about their experience.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve noticed that how you respond often matters more than the review itself. A thoughtful, professional reply can turn a bad situation around or reinforce a positive impression.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a simple structure you can use for different situations:<\/p>\n For negative reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\n For positive reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\n Public responses like these help potential customers see that you take feedback seriously and genuinely care about improving. <\/p>\n That transparency naturally builds trust and leads to more conversions over time.<\/p>\n Another smart way to get more genuine 5-star reviews is by collecting feedback right on your website. For this, I recommend WPForms<\/a>, which is one of the best survey plugins<\/a> available.<\/p>\n With WPForms, you can quickly create survey forms using its drag-and-drop builder, pre-built review templates, and AI-assisted form creation.<\/p>\n You can also customize the design<\/a> to match your branding, making forms feel like a natural part of your website.<\/p>\n Some useful WPForms templates include:<\/p>\n My favorite is the \u2018Video Testimonial\u2019 Form, which lets customers record short, authentic videos directly on their computers or phones.<\/p>\n These forms can be displayed on key pages like checkout or order confirmation pages to capture feedback immediately after a purchase.<\/p>\n For a detailed walkthrough on designing and customizing your own forms, check out our tutorial on creating surveys in WordPress<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re still unsure about what you can and can\u2019t do with Google reviews, you\u2019re not alone. These are some of the most common questions business owners have asked me:<\/p>\n Can I delete a Google review I wrote?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, you can remove your own review anytime. Just sign in to your Google account and go to the Google Maps \u00bb Your Contributions <\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> Reviews<\/strong> section. Here, find the review you want to delete, click the three dots icon, and select the \u2018Delete\u2019 option.<\/p>\n How long does it take for Google to review a report?<\/strong><\/p>\n Google\u2019s review process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. If they find the review goes against their guidelines, they\u2019ll remove it automatically.<\/p>\n If not, the review will stay visible on your business profile.<\/p>\n Can I turn off Google reviews entirely?<\/strong><\/p>\n No, Google doesn\u2019t let businesses turn off reviews. A better approach is to highlight your best ones on your website using a plugin like Smash Balloon Reviews Feed Pro.<\/p>\n You should also focus on collecting more positive feedback to balance out any negatives.<\/p>\n Is it okay to pay customers for Google reviews?<\/strong><\/p>\n No \u2014 paying or offering incentives for reviews goes against Google\u2019s policies and could get your Business Profile suspended. It\u2019s always best to collect genuine feedback from real customers who\u2019ve actually used your products or services.<\/p>\n I hope this article helped you learn how to delete Google reviews and what to do if you cannot. You may also want to see our guide on how to embed a YouTube playlist in WordPress<\/a> and our tutorial on displaying recent tweets on your website<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our\u00a0YouTube Channel<\/a>\u00a0for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n The post Can You Delete a Google Review? Here\u2019s What You Can Do Instead<\/a> first appeared on WPBeginner<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Negative Google reviews can be stressful, especially when they\u2019re fake, unfair, or harming your business\u2019s reputation.\u00a0 These reviews don\u2019t just influence customer trust. They can also impact where your business appears in the Google search results. The truth is that you usually can\u2019t delete reviews left by others. But there are ways to deal with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Can Negative Google Reviews Hurt Your Business?<\/h4>\n
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Can You Actually Delete Google Reviews? (The Truth)<\/h4>\n
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How to Report a Google Review With Your Business Profile<\/h4>\n
![\"Type](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/type-my-business-in-google-search.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Click](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/click-view-profile-button-to-view-your-google-business-profile.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Click](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/click-read-reviews-button-in-your-google-business-profile.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Click](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/click-report-reviews-icon-in-google-business-profile.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\n![\"Choose](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/choose-a-reason-for-reporting-google-review-1.png\")
<\/figure>\nWhat Happens After You Report a Review<\/h5>\n
![\"Email](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/email-about-assessing-google-review.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"View](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/view-reported-google-reviews-status.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Email](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/email-about-a-google-review-being-removed.png\")
<\/figure>\n\u2b50 The Real Solution: Control Which Google Reviews Appear on Your Website<\/h4>\n
![\"Reviews](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/reviews-feed-pro-smash-balloon.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 1: Install And Activate Smash Balloon Reviews Feed Pro<\/h5>\n
![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/add-license-key-for-reviews-feed-plugin.png\")
<\/figure>\nStep 2: Create a Review Feed and Select Google as Your Source<\/h5>\n
![\"Creating](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/reviewsfeedpro-creating-reviews-feed.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/google-feed-add.png\")
<\/figure>\nStep 3: Add Your Google Business Profile (Using API Key And Place ID)<\/h5>\n
![\"Create](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/create-api-key-for-displaying-google-reviews-in-smash-balloon.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/add-google-api-key-in-smash-balloon.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/add-place-id-in-smash-balloon.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/googlemaps-find-place-id.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Getting](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/google-place-id.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/enter-place-ID.png\")
<\/figure>\nStep 4: Customize Your Google Reviews<\/h5>\n
![\"Choosing](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/reviewsfeedpro-choosing-google-review-source.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Choosing](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/reviesfeedpro-choosing-yelp-template.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Edit](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/edit-your-google-reviews-feed-in-smash-balloon.png\")
<\/figure>\nStep 5: Filter and Control Which Reviews Show Up<\/h5>\n
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1. Filter by Star Ratings<\/h6>\n
![\"Select](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/select-filters-option-in-smash-balloon.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Filter](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/filter-google-reviews-by-star-rating-in-smash-balloon.png\")
<\/figure>\n2. Filter by Keywords<\/h6>\n
![\"Filter](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/filter-google-reviews-by-keywords-in-smash-balloon.png\")
<\/figure>\n3. Manually Moderate Reviews<\/h6>\n
![\"Choose](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/choose-moderation-in-smash-balloon-settings-tab.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n
![\"Choose](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/choose-allowlist-or-denylist-for-google-reviews-in-smash-balloon.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Filter](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/filter-reviews-using-smash-balloon-moderation-feature.png\")
<\/figure>\nStep 6: Embed the Filtered Google Reviews on Your WordPress Site<\/h5>\n
![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/add-reviews-feed-block-in-wordpress-page-or-post.png\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Preview](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/preview-of-filtered-google-review.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nBest Practices for Managing Your Online Reputation<\/h4>\n
1. Get More 5-Star Reviews (The Ethical Way)<\/h5>\n
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2. Respond Professionally to Every Review<\/h5>\n
\nHi [Name], thanks for sharing your experience. I\u2019m sorry to hear things didn\u2019t go as expected. Please reach out at [email\/contact info] so we can make things right.\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
\nThank you so much, [Name]! We\u2019re happy to hear you enjoyed your experience \u2014 your support means a lot.\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
3. Collect Reviews Directly on Your Website<\/h5>\n
![\"WPForms\"](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/wpforms-website-3.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n
![\"Video](\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/video-testimonial-form-template.png\")
<\/figure>\nFrequently Asked Questions About Google Reviews<\/strong><\/h4>\n