3 Ways to Prevent “Non-Recommended” (Filtered) Reviews on Yelp
You have a happy customer–so pleased, in fact, that they take you up on your request to leave a rave review on Yelp. But then it happens–again. Their blurb doesn’t show up. Seems to happen all the time with Yelp, especially after you worked so hard making sure you have a satisfied client.
You may not realize it, but Yelp filters out reviews it deems unreliable (through some complicated algorithm), and then, to add insult to injury, labels them as “non-recommended.”
Fortunately, there are ways to prevent that aggravation and earn the great reviews you’ve acquired.
- Do Not Bribe Customers for Yelp Reviews
Though you can choose to run ads on Yelp promoting your business, you should never incentivize customers to post a review. For example, imagine a company offers its customers 50% off their next visit if they write about their positive experience on Yelp. As customers flock to your company page and start posting to land the discount, Yelp’s algorithm will quickly recognize a sudden spike in activity. As a result, most of these reviews will be filtered and will not impact the company’s overall star rating.
- Accept Positive Reviews Everywhere
Yelp is, by no means, the end all be all. There are numerous popular review sites, all of which may be helpful to your business. Pressuring customers toward reviewing on Yelp may lead to endless non-recommended (and useless) reviews. If a customer is unfamiliar with review platforms, request a testimonial that you can feature on your website and share on social media. Any positive review is better than no review at all.
- Do Not Allow Employees to Leave Yelp Reviews
Yelp reviews for your business should come from customers, not employees. It is unethical for your employees to post reviews on Yelp and these reviews will likely be filtered.
