Yelp introduces “Badge of Shame” to combat fake reviews

Yelp strikes back at fake reviews by introducing “badge of shame.”

Fake reviews have long been a problem for businesses and online marketers, as they not only mislead customers but also harm the credibility of genuine customer reviews. In recent years, businesses have increasingly turned to unethical tactics to rank higher and drive sales, which has made the fake review problem even worse.

To address this issue, Yelp has started labeling some of the offending businesses with a “Badge of Shame.” The badge serves as a warning to potential customers that the business has been caught using fake reviews to bolster their reputation.

As times have progressed, businesses seem to have found new ways for bending the rules to rank high and drive sales on Google Search. The New York Times first brought this to light in 2016 with a report on a plethora of fake locksmith listings. Recently, the same locksmith review problems were reported by the CBC in Canada. The downside is that the fake review problem has made its way to almost all types of businesses. In order to curb and put an end to fake reviews, Yelp recently started labeling some of the offending businesses with the following “Badge Of Shame”.

Yelp badge of shame

Yelp's move comes at a time when more and more instances of fake reviews are being exposed. A simple Google search for “Where can I buy Yelp five star reviews?” shows that there are multiple services that offer fake reviews for a price.

Actionable Strategy

It's important for businesses to avoid using fake reviews to ensure that they are not given a “Badge of Shame” from Yelp, which could have a negative impact on their online reputation. Instead, businesses should focus on getting genuine reviews from real customers. One option for businesses looking to get more genuine reviews is to use a review widget, which allows customers to leave reviews on both Google and Yelp. Positive reviews can also be featured on the business's website, which can help improve their reputation online.

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