The engineers at Yelp had performed a major update to their systems around late October. According to a professional, roughly 90 percent of the phone calls he receives are business owners upset about losing reviews.
About Ghost update
This was likely the most significant Yelp update to have ever occurred on it’s platform. The update received it’s name for three reasons
- This started on or around Halloween.
- The review of several users are now “ghosted,” disappearing into the “not recommended” section.
- The update seemed largely unseen. Barely anyone (besides those affected) noticed the major update occurred.
To get an idea of who was affected by Ghost, a dataset of 696 monitored Yelp business profiles was examined. There were nearly 507 businesses that had not lost any reviews. Out of this sample size, roughly 1 in 4 businesses were affected.
This update was a cross-platform wide update. Everyone was affected. The reviews that were filtered into “Not Recommended” were not all 5-stars. Of the 187 business that lost reviews, two businesses lost enough reviews to lose one full-rating point.
Whether or not a business was an advertiser with Yelp did not matter. Reviews which have been on the platform for several years were filtered.
What can you do to improve your Yelp presence
- Have a “Check-In” offer and share positive Yelp reviews on social media from its platform.
- Install the Yelp review widget onto your website and log into your profile and respond to reviews.
- You may monitor your reviews on Yelp.
What should you avoid?
- Directly asking your customers for reviews.
- Sending out direct links to your business profile.
- Using review solicitation software that allow you to send out solicitations for Yelp reviews.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Yelp’s latest update, aptly named ‘Ghost,’ showcases the ever-evolving nature of digital marketing platforms. As businesses worldwide strive to stay competitive and maintain a robust online presence, adapting to such changes is essential. To harness the power of digital marketing effectively and capitalize on updates like ‘Ghost,’ partnering with a reputable digital marketing company is crucial. If you’re looking for high-quality Search Engine Optimization to enhance your rankings, you can contact a renowned Digital Marketing Company in India like Branconn Digital. For more information, please feel free to contact us.
