How To Avoid The Yelp Review Filter
Are you frustrated by your customers' reviews getting filtered out by the Yelp review filter? It's a common problem that can hinder your business's reputation and growth.
But don't worry, there are 9 steps that you and your customers can take to increase the chances of your reviews making it through. Let's start with three things that you can do as a business owner.
What Businesses Can Do
Below are three measures that businesses can take to ensure that their customers' reviews do not get caught in Yelp's review filters:
1. Add Reviewer as a Friend
As a businesses you can add the reviewer as a friend on Yelp. By doing so, the reviewer's reviews are more likely to be seen as genuine and not fake or spammy, and thus more likely to make it through the Yelp review filter.
2. Upvote the Review
Businesses can up-vote the reviews that they find funny, useful, cool, or otherwise engaging. This helps to show Yelp's algorithm that the review is not only genuine but also relevant and helpful to other users.
3. Send a Compliment
Business owners can use Yelp's "compliment" feature to send the reviewer a positive message. This feature allows other Yelpers to call out a user for an awesome review, and it helps to establish a stronger connection between the business and the reviewer. By doing so, the review is more likely to be seen as genuine and thus less likely to be caught in the Yelp review filter.
What Customers Can Do
Here are six actions that you, as a customer, can take to ensure that your review doesn't get filtered out by Yelp's review filters:
4. Write Lots of Yelp Reviews
If someone’s account has obviously been made with the purpose of just reviewing one restaurant or business, that brings up some serious red flags for Yelp. The more reviews you write, the more authentic you seem. At least 10 reviews will make you much less likely to sound the Yelp review filter alarm. Make sure your reviews are legitimate though – you should use the range of 1-5 stars. Writing all fantastic or all terrible reviews look suspicious.
5. Fill Out Your Profile
Filling out your profile with profile pictures, a personal description, and other relevant information can help establish your credibility as a reviewer. This can make it less likely for Yelp's filters to flag your review as suspicious or fake.
6. Connect Your Social Accounts
Connecting your Yelp account to other social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can provide an additional level of authenticity. When your Yelp reviews are linked to your other social media profiles, it can increase your perceived trustworthiness and legitimacy as a reviewer. This can also make it less likely for your reviews to get filtered out by Yelp's review filters.
7. Add Yelp Friends
Add friends to Yelp and interact with them by complimenting, voting their reviews as funny, etc. Your engagement with other users shows that you're a real user who is part of the Yelp community.
8. Leave Tips
Tips are for users to add a quick pithy statement when they check in somewhere using the Yelp mobile app. Leaving tips in addition to your review shows your full range of motion as an online user.
9. Be Consistent
Don't just blast a hundred reviews in the span of a few days. Take the time to strengthen your reputation by reviewing various local businesses over the course of several weeks or months.
Don't Fear The Yelp Review Filter!
I know we've talked a lot today about some of the scarier aspects of Yelp with its raging customers rants and threatening filters, but Yelp really is a pretty neat community that’s just trying to help consumers make smart decisions in regards to local biz.
Don’t be afraid – most Yelp reviews are great! A study in 2022 and found that 88% of Yelp reviews had 4-star and 5-star ratings! For the most part, Yelpers are users who want to give small local businesses credit where it is truly due.
As long as you operate a great business that gives folks a reason to smile and manage your bad reviews with grace and poise, you’ll find Yelp can do amazing things for your business!
Click here to obtain further information about the Yelp review filter. This will lead you to a resource that can help you better understand the reasons why Yelp filters certain reviews, and how you can spot and handle fake Yelp reviews.