You may notice after automatically loading in your review site links that your Yelp link (if you have one) is toggled off by default. Why do we do this?
We believe it’s pragmatic to play by the rules that review site operators establish. Yelp, in particular, discourages businesses from asking for reviews. Doing so may be a violation of the “Content Guidelines” in their terms of service. From their site:
Why does Yelp discourage businesses from asking for reviews?
- Would-be customers might not trust you. Let’s face it, most business owners are only going to ask for reviews from their happy customers, not the unhappy ones. Over time, these self-selected reviews create bias in the business listing — a bias that savvy consumers can smell from a mile away. No business is perfect, and it’s impossible to please 100% of your customers 100% of the time.
- Solicited reviews are less likely to be recommended by our automated software, and that will drive you crazy. Why aren’t these reviews recommended? Well, we have the unfortunate task of trying to help our users distinguish between real and fake reviews, and while we think we do a pretty good job at it with our fancy computer algorithms, the harsh reality is that solicited reviews often fall somewhere in between. Imagine, for example, the business owner who “asks” for a review by sticking a laptop in front of a customer and smilingly invites her to write a review while he looks over her shoulder. We don’t need these kinds of reviews, so it shouldn’t be a surprise when they aren’t recommended.
So, we toggle the Yelp link in the review funnel off by default. It is up to you to decide whether or not you want to go against Yelp’s advice. If you use Yelp’s site or apps, you may be bound by their terms of use. And by using our site and service, you have already agreed that you are solely responsible for complying with any such third-party contracts.
You can toggle the link back on by clicking the ‘Check Mark’ icon next to the link in Dashboard > Funnel > Links > Your Review Site Links.