How Does the Yelp Review Filter Work?

This Article submitted by Pierre Zarokian of Reputation Stars.

This question is a difficult one to answer since Yelp keeps the workings behind the review filter a secret.  But there are some basics that have been determined by combining common sense with review patterns.  The basics of the Yelp filter is based on its motto, “Real people, real reviews.”  Here are some factors that go into the workings of the Yelp review filter.

1. The number of reviews is a huge factor.  Statistics show that over 80% of the reviews that are filtered come from reviewers who have composed fewer than 5 reviews.  So say you go to a new restaurant in town and loved it so much that you just had to write a review on it.  So you create an account with Yelp and write your review.  Since you may not write many reviews, your chances of logging back into Yelp is pretty slim.  In the eyes of Yelp, you are considered a scared competitor.
2. With the growing world of social networking, most people like to make new friends on various social networking sites.  While Yelp is not considered a social networking site, people still enjoy making new friends on the site.  If you choose not to let your social media friends see your Yelp reviews, the review filter will view you as someone who is just creating reviews for some extra cash.
3. Paid reviewers are often caught in the review filter because their profile is not completely filled out.  These people don’t care about creating a profile, they just want their cash and that’s it.

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About the Author: Pierre Zarokian  is CEO of Reputation Stars. Reputation Stars offers reputation repair and proactive reputation management.