How to Help Customers Become More Legitimate for the Yelp Review Filter

Yelp_Reviews_CAST

Most business owners are frustrated with the Yelp review filter because it also filters out the positive reviews. We tell our clients to request reviews from customers, their email list, people who tweet at them, etc.

On one hand, you want to generate positive reviews to help your social reputation management. On the other, you are probably frustrated when so many of them get filtered out. I can relate – I’ve been there myself. So what makes for a filtered yelp review that goes to the not currently recommended section? Yelp takes a look at a variety of criteria, and will generally filter out reviews that:

  • Are from someone who has only written 1 review
  • Are from someone who has no profile info (profile photo, additional info, link to Facebook, etc.)
  • Are strongly slanted both positively and negatively
  • Short and lacking details
  • From a location other than where the business is located

If Yelp is trying to filter reviews from not real people as spam, help your customers through the filter by instructing them to complete their profile and start leaving reviews regularly. Ask them to invest in creating a real Yelp footprint – and get the benefit of the leading local review site.

I have left 18 reviews, have 376 friends and I have a realistic review distribution between 1 and 5 stars.

As a result, not only do my reviews never get filtered, but even better, my Yelp reviews always appear on the front page. This is because I am real. I have left real, useful reviews to businesses I frequent and look like a real person to Yelp.

 

 

 

Here are things you can do to help you and your customers through the Yelp Review Filter:

  • Write a bunch of Yelp reviews. Take 10 local businesses and leave Yelp reviews for them. Your favorite local businesses will thank you and you’ve done good in the world by helping them. But remember, Yelp wants real people giving real reviews. Not every experience is positive and your Yelp reviews should run the spectrum from 1-5 stars.
  • Connect your account to Facebook. It’s more trouble, and more likely that you are real.
  • Make friends. Use Facebook or Email to quickly send invites to lots of friends on Yelp. You might be surprised how many friend you back. Then interact with their reviews by marking them Useful, Funny, etc. Yelp accounts with friends are more likely to be real.
  • Download the Yelp app and Check In. If you are hooked up to a mobile phone, it’s more likely that you are real.
  • Leave tips. Show that you are about more than just review scores.
  • Take time. You don’t go from 0-100 reviews in a weekend. Give it some time to build your reputation before you give that coveted Yelp review that makes a difference. Plus it doesn’t look real to go from 0-50 in a night.

 

 

 

Resources:

https://vivial.net/blog/how-to-avoid-the-yelp-review-filter-and-get-more-positive-reviews/

Let us show you how we can help, ask questions, and make sure the synergy is there.