The integrity of Yelp is about the only commodity the site has to attract repeat visits. The authenticity of the reviews posted there is important to consumers looking for new destinations for products and services. With a recent surge of fake and ineligible reviews hitting the site, CEO Jeremy Stoppleman has decided to speak authoritatively on steps Yelp has taken to stop these reviews from becoming commonplace.
Yelp has begun issuing citations in the form of modal popups. These messages warn potential customers that the business they are viewing was caught faking reviews. How the company catches these businesses in the act is still unknown, but Yelp is actively seeking businesses looking for fake reviewers to give them high marks.
CEO of Submit Express, Pierre Zarokian, investigates the depth of this scheme to try and answer one simple question: will online reviews ever regain their integrity? Read the entire article for free at Search Engine Watch.