Why you don’t want to solicit reviews on Yelp

With more than 412 million reviews, Yelp is the most popular review site on the Internet. Positive reviews on Yelp can help any business owner or professional. But the company recently began cracking down on those who solicit positive reviews.

As a general rule, you don’t want to ask for reviews, offer to pay for reviews or offer discounts or freebies in exchange for a review. You also want to avoid asking your employees, family members, customers or potential customers to review your company. Hiring a reputation management or review solicitation company to solicit positive Yelp reviews on your behalf is also a bad idea.

What can you do? You are permitted to let your customers and clients know you’re listed on Yelp. You can request a ‘Find us on Yelp’ sticker to place visibly inside or outside your business or use a Yelp logo in your marketing efforts. You also can respond to any Yelp reviews about you and your business, both positive and negative, in a constructive way. Additionally, you can share positive reviews on social media. For more information about Yelp, go to this link.