Manage Google reviews for every profile in one place

Google gives you the basics free. Turn on alerts for new reviews (Google lists them under Customer activity, and they can reach you by email, Search or Maps; see Manage your notifications). To answer, Google says to go to your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Reply next to the review (Manage customer reviews). You have to verify your business before you can reply, and Google checks each reply against its content policies before it shows: usually within 10 minutes, sometimes up to 30 days.

If you run one location, get a few reviews a week and reply within a day or two, that is enough. You don't need review management software, ours included. Here is a weekly routine that covers it:

1. Read every new review once a week, at least. Low ratings first, because they need the most careful reply.
2. Reply to all of them, short ones included. A rating with no text still gets a one-line thank-you.
3. Answer 1 to 3 star reviews within a day or two. Calm, specific, with a way to reach you offline: phone, email or a visit.
4. Ask a few customers for a review. Send your review link after a job or show the QR code at the counter.
5. Report only what breaks Google's rules. A review you disagree with isn't one of them.

The routine breaks down when the volume or the number of profiles grows: several locations, client profiles you manage for other businesses, reviews in more than one language, or weeks when nobody gets to it. That is the gap Mekomi fills.

Only Google removes reviews, and only ones that break its rules. Its prohibited and restricted content policy covers spam, conflicts of interest (a former employee, a competitor) and paid or incentivized reviews. In Google's words on reporting inappropriate reviews: "Do not report a review just because you disagree with it or dislike it."

When a review does break the rules, Google describes two steps:

1. Report it from your profile. Select Read reviews, then the Report icon next to the review, pick a reason and select Send report. Google says evaluation typically takes several days.
2. Track it in Google's review management tool. The Manage your Google Business reviews tool shows each report as Decision pending, Report reviewed (no policy violation), or Escalated. If Google finds no violation, you get one appeal, which can cover up to 10 reviews, and the result comes by email.

Whatever Google decides, reply. A calm, factual answer under an unfair review tells the next reader more than the review does. Mekomi drafts that reply and holds it for your approval; it doesn't report reviews for you. Our guides on removing Google reviews and spotting fake reviews go through each case.

Google lets an owner add managers to a profile, and Google says managers can respond to reviews. Each person signs in with their own Google Account, so nobody shares a password (Manage your Business Profile owners and managers). For larger businesses with multiple locations, Google points to its Business Profile Manager to manage profiles in bulk (Get started with Google Business Profile).

Mekomi works from that same access. Sign in with the Google account that owns or manages the profiles, pick the ones you want, and their reviews land in one inbox. Each business keeps its own auto-reply switch, daily cap and reply bank, so a dental practice and a pizzeria don't sound alike.

Starter is $35 a month for one profile. Pro starts at $62 a month for 10 profiles and goes up to 120. Every plan has every feature and starts with a 7-day free trial. If you run profiles for clients, see Mekomi for agencies.