Why Google removes reviews and how Let Google Call checks local stock

Making customers search for your brand instead of giving them a direct review link adds friction without verified protection against removals. Near Media reports a study in which almost 2% of new Google reviews disappeared within a week, with review spikes associated with removals. That is worth paying attention to, especially for businesses relying on local enquiries. But Google explicitly recommends requesting genuine reviews through links or QR codes. I am not going to make that journey harder because a different route might keep a review live.

A busy week is not, by itself, evidence of suspicious reviews. Google confirms that sudden increases in one or five star reviews can inform detection, not that every legitimate burst triggers deletion. The reported association between quick owner replies and fewer removals is not a promise of protection either. Reply because customers deserve a response, not because a study finding has become an unofficial Google rule. If a profile faces review restrictions, Google documents email notification and an appeal process. The suggestion that businesses receive no email and can only wait is not a sound basis for handling it.

Let Google Call has a more immediate commercial use. Someone checking whether a shop has a specific product could be much closer to buying than someone browsing recommendations. Google says it uses Merchant Center inventory instead of calling for that information, so accurate stock data matters beyond what appears in an ad. Paying to attract a local shopper only to disappoint them on availability is wasted opportunity, however good the reported CPC looks.

This was announced in November 2025, rather than being a new October launch, and merchants already have controls. On a verified Business Profile, open More, then Business Profile settings, then Advanced settings, then Google automated calls and text messages, then Bookings and inquiries from customers. That is a profile setting, not a campaign setting, and it should not be confused with approval of each customer facing summary. For me, the practical issue is whether the stock information and shop response help turn that enquiry into a sale.

The earnings claim is a separate matter. Near Media's suggestion that Google partly blamed an advertising revenue miss on AI Mode remains unverified; the official CEO remarks do not confirm it. Apple does confirm conversation recall in iOS 27.2, but that is not enough to call Siri a new default local search engine. Neither headline gives me a reason to shift PPC budget yet. Are customers finding the business, getting accurate information and buying? Analytics tools and sales reporting can help answer that. A claim about Google's revenue cannot tell me whether our next pound of spend will deliver an acceptable CPA.