After 3 years as an “Elite” Yelper, I get this email out of the blue:
I’m only surprised by how long it took them to wisen up. My Yelping was an experiment from the very beginning. Also, since my profile has had a link to my site from day one.
Of course, their “conflict of interest” concern is ridiculous in my case. An unethical business owner wouldn’t need to be “Elite” to sabotage his or her competitors’ reputations. And if being “Elite” makes them better able to do so, I’ve laid out the rhyme and reason to that program. Unethical business owners could easily do it, and Yelp’s either unable or unwilling to stop them.
Which one of my deep crawls into Yelp’s rotting guts got their attention?
Yelp Elite for 3 Years with Only 66 Reviews: How?
How to Bulk-Identify Prime Yelp Reviewers with Yelp’s “Find Friends” Feature in 7 Easy Steps
New Spammy Emails from Yelp to Business Owners
20+ Depressing Observations about Yelp Reviews
Can You Repurpose Customers’ Yelp Reviews on Your Website? An Answer from Yelp HQ
Yelp Monetizes the Description?
(Yes, there are even more.)
I’ll keep reviewing businesses from time to time. I’ll also continue to use Yelp as my little laboratory, and share with you everything I discover about how the sausage is made.
In the meantime, let us join in a glorious death-scream.
What are some questions you’d like me to explore next, as part of the ongoing “Yelp experiment”? Leave a comment!