Yelp...

[Snckr]

So, a very close friend of my dads is opening up a restaurant. Opens in late February, and I was thinking if I make a few Yelp accounts, make them look real, make reviews for other places, manage with different AT&T LTE IPs and link Facebook, would I be safe?

I know for a fact he is spending $3000++ a month already on SEO and has already paid the dude for the first month.

Snckr

 

[veheme]

It's not that easy buddy. The first hurdle is to make it past Yelp's filter which I highly doubt you can do with a new accounts that reviews "a few businesses" in its first month of existence. You can try now and see what I mean

 

[Logician]

Yes, just make sure you don't answer the phone when yelp calls.

 

[Masterptc]

$3000+ a month for SEO is kind of ridiculous for a restaurant... he's getting ripped off, anyways why go through all that trouble creating Yelp accounts when you can easily pay someone else to leave reviews, shouldn't cost u more than $25 a review.

 

[funkybunker]

I disagree that $3000 a month is a rip off. He takes his business seriously as I wish more people would. Why settle for less?

I also believe in trusting the pros with this matter since they know the ins & outs of shitty sites like Yelp (unfortunately the general public likes them).
Of course you can follow through your plan and test the results.

 

[paradisse]

The best way is to invest "something" a month to yelp. It is like buying yourself a freedom. And it will worth every penny you pay them since it has a lot of potential. Where were you when he agreed paying 3000$ to SEO services. OMG

 

[radiant13]

Snckr,
The accounts you create will be tracked by their s/w. You must make it look like you are a real yelp user, cruise their site a bit looking at other shit, etc. You can't just log in, write a review and log out and don't come back for ages. A computer savy friend tells me they can even track the computer the account is associated with, so I created one account using my Kindle Fire, another account using the wife's lappy, in addition to my account created on my puter. I only log on with the other 2 accounts at places like the public library not at home.
I log in at least once a week and cruise around a bit and write some other reviews before I write one for my target. So far, the reviews are sticking and not hidden.

 

[YelpMyAss]

Y3lp reviews are going for $40-50. Really. Thanks for their filter :bling:

 

[YelpMyAss]

Don't bother. Restaurant do not have issues with regards to receiving Yelp reviews. If you have good service, good food, you will get them for sure. There was a research done on Yelp reviews and one of the things that it mentioned is that restaurant receive plenty of reviews -good and bad.

But to answer your questions, it's more work & hassle bro. Just hire someone to post it for you. 3K for SEO, what's another $500 for several reviews?

 

[mickyfu]

I disagree that $3000 a month is a rip off. He takes his business seriously as I wish more people would. Why settle for less?

Because $3000 a month for what I am guessing is local SEO is ridiculous, especially when the person is probably pocketing $2990 and buying two fiverr gigs each month.

 

[tony_d]

Because $3000 a month for what I am guessing is local SEO is ridiculous, especially when the person is probably pocketing $2990 and buying two fiverr gigs each month.

But you know, as I do, that all the profit in SEO is in the selling rather than the doing... If those guys on Fiverr were out there selling, they'd make the $3k instead of the $5

 

[mudbutt]

Because $3000 a month for what I am guessing is local SEO is ridiculous, especially when the person is probably pocketing $2990 and buying two fiverr gigs each month.

Local SEO isn't exactly a walk in the park as most seem to believe. The space is dominated by rather large authority directories. That said- 3,000 for local SEO is bullshit for a restaurant unless hes in some huge fucking metro area with a zillion competitors.

 

[netmoney1]

How about they just serve up good food and you get creative in rewarding those patrons who leave REAL reviews. Wow, what a concept...real honest reviews. Seriously, all the trouble and bs you will go through for fake reviews...why???

 

[veheme]

How about they just serve up good food and you get creative in rewarding those patrons who leave REAL reviews. Wow, what a concept...real honest reviews. Seriously, all the trouble and bs you will go through for fake reviews...why???

If you have tried doing ORM for a local business with an existing bad rating on Yelp then you would understand why business owners go all the trouble and bs for fake reviews (especially if they haven't signed up for the Yelp advertisement).

 

[Vesania]

Offering coupons or other types of incentives for reviews can help as well. Ever since this yelp fiasco, it has made it a pain the ass.

 

[netmoney1]

If you have tried doing ORM for a local business with an existing bad rating on Yelp then you would understand why business owners go all the trouble and bs for fake reviews (especially if they haven't signed up for the Yelp advertisement).

lol yeah I'm very aware...but...

He is talking about a NEW place...that is going to be opening. I understand you sell reviews - but in this situation there is no need to buy fake ones. Get the clients to leave real ones. There isn't a need for reputation management here...there is no reputation to fix....it doesn't even exist yet.

 

[Wilson Grant Fisk]

lol yeah I'm very aware...but...

He is talking about a NEW place...that is going to be opening. I understand you sell reviews - but in this situation there is no need to buy fake ones. Get the clients to leave real ones. There isn't a need for reputation management here...there is no reputation to fix....it doesn't even exist yet.

Exactly, if anything fake reviews will obviously be fake and are likely to be damaging.

 

[PrinceVisi]

Man, give me his contact details.

For $3,000 a month I will make his restaurant very famous in no time.

 

[mikestern]

I can provide reviews in Los angeles area and New york area.
Pm me if u interested.

 

[dreadpixel]

You better exchange reviews on forums, you should try opening a thread gathering yelp reviewers. Thats going to be better, because creating accounts the same date (even with different IP) and then posting on that Yelp ID? Wouldnt that be logic that thats spamming? Yelp and many networks are getter better servers and better logics with machine learning, you cant fool them that easily. Otherwise you should cook accounts from today and age them a little between start using them to review any Yelp ID you want.
Hope this helps.