Yelp is one of the largest review sites around.  They allow you to have a free listing.

Some people are complaining that they got reviews that have now disappeared.

Hmmm… why would Yelp delete reviews.  Of course all the complainers of deleted reviews are complaining that good reviews were deleted and it is very understandable.

In a recent interview with a Yelp executive the PR answer is they have an algorithm that deletes reviews that look false or manufactured.  One example they give is that a receptionist could go create multiple yelp accounts and review a business many times.

So it looks like to me that they are tracking I/P addresses that reviews are left from.  And possibly if a business has a bunch of reviews from people that only review that one business.

I can see both sides of the problem and there is only one real solution.

Get people that use yelp regularly to review you on yelp.

Get people that use google regularly to review you on google.

Get people that use yahoo to review you on yahoo.

You get the point?

Social proof is important and there have been liars since before time so I guess it is good that companies try to protect us from scammers with rules like this.  Will it piss some people off yes.

Is it because you didn’t pay yelp.  Maybe.  Probably.

But these are the rules of the game.

I didn’t make them I just play by them and hope that this will help you play by them and win!

So solicit REVIEWS HELL YES!

But do it smart so they don’t fall down.  (or get taken down)

Until next time.