Yelp has recently sent warnings to 285 businesses for trying to get fake reviews on their platform. These warnings came in the form of Consumer Alerts, and are Yelps way of trying to minimize the number of businesses getting reviews posted in return for payment, gifts, or discounts. If you’re a Yelp restaurant or other business, this is your warning to stop buying or trading for reviews (that is if you weren’t caught in this round of alerts).

Yelp has done this before, but on a much smaller scale. In 2012, Yelp issued it’s first set of warnings (8 were sent out). The second round shortly thereafter issued warnings to about the same number of Yelp businesses. This past round of Consumer Alerts contained almost 15x the number that Yelp had sent out in its history!

Yelp restaurants and additional businesses have tried to maintain good ratings on the platform because it creates insane competition between the companies listed. But with Yelp cracking down on those trying to game the system, it seems the time of buying or trading reviews is over.

What’s A Yelp Restaurant To Do!?

Let me be clear – this doesn’t mean game over for a high volume of strong reviews and testimonials for Yelp restaurants! Matador Solutions knows that Yelp is insanely important for restaurants across the country, which is why we’ve developed a program for getting good reviews online.
Yelp restaurants must still be willing to collect email addresses, but Matador Solutions online reputation management services provide the restaurant with the ability to get more reviews posted on Yelp and other online review sites.
We help Yelp restaurants vet customers online using Matador Solutions Review Engine, a tool to help push happy customers towards posting reviews online and collect testimonials from those who had less than a 5-star experience. This way, reviews get posted online from only your most satisfied and happy customers!

Hope this made sense! Don’t get caught in Yelp’s next batch of Customer Alerts, which are sure to ramp up to an even higher number next time around. Matador Solutions are here to help you and your business.