Whether it's negative or positive, Yelp is a critical aspect that restaurant and small business owners must manage while operating their businesses. It's a valuable online platform where customers share their thoughts and experiences, but occasionally, you might come across comments that misuse the platform by posting fake or irrelevant content. Fortunately, Yelp removes spam comments and provides a way to report these fake comments as spam, ensuring the accuracy of your Yelp review page.

Despite Yelp's automated spam removal system, some negative reviews may slip through the cracks, potentially affecting your business's Yelp rating. While spam comments differ from negative reviews, every restaurant reviews and small business needs to understand how to address these spam comments to protect their reputation and prevent confusion among future customers. In the following sections, we'll explain how you can recognize, monitor, and eliminate spam comments on Yelp.

How to view Yelp reviews

Before delving into removing spam comments on Yelp, it's crucial to ensure that positive reviews are not hidden on the platform. This step not only provides a more accurate representation of your business but also contributes to an improved overall Yelp rating.

Yelp's algorithms may mistakenly hide certain positive reviews, assuming they aren't relevant to other users. Fortunately, these positive Yelp reviews are not deleted, and you can often restore them to your business's front page on Yelp. To do this, claim your Yelp business page and take specific actions to bring these positive reviews back into the spotlight.

Learn more about the timing of asking for reviews from customers.

How to Remove Spam Comments from Yelp:

Step 1: Identify spam comments

Make it a habit to visit your Yelp business page regularly to review the comments left by users. You can do this by logging into your Yelp business account.

Look for common signs of spam

While reviewing comments, keep an eye out for common signs of spam. These may include:

• Irrelevant or unrelated content to your business.

• Multiple comments with the same or similar content.

• Comments with excessive links or promotional content.

• Reviews or comments that seem overly positive without specific details.

  
  

Step 2: Flag the spam comments

Click on the comment: To flag a spam comment, click on the specific comment you want to report. This will open the comment for further action.

Locate the "flag" option: Within the comment, you should find a "Flag" button or option. This is typically located near the comment, often represented as a small flag icon.

Click the "Flag" button: Click on the "Flag" button. This action initiates the process of reporting the comment as spam to Yelp's moderation team.

Step 3: Provide detailed information

Explain why it's spam: After flagging the comment, Yelp removes spam comments that may prompt you to provide specific details about why you believe the comment is spam. Take this opportunity to be thorough and clear in your explanation.

Mention suspicious characteristics: Describe any suspicious characteristics that led you to flag the comment. For example, if the comment contains irrelevant links or seems to come from a fake or duplicate account, mention it.

Include patterns or red flags: If you notice patterns of spammy behavior, such as multiple spam comments from the same user or similar wording across different comments, highlight these patterns in your explanation.

Step 4: Review and submit

Review your report: Before submitting your report, review the details you've provided to ensure they accurately explain why the comment should be considered spam.

Submit the report: Once you're satisfied with your explanation, submit the report. Yelp's moderation team will review your report and take appropriate action.

Enabling comment moderation on Yelp:

• Comment moderation on Yelp removes spam comments and gives you the power to decide which comments are visible on your business page. Here's a detailed breakdown:

  
  

• Access Your Yelp Business Account: Log in to your Yelp business account using your credentials.

  
  

• Navigate to Your Business Page: Once logged in, navigate to your business page on Yelp. You should be able to find it in the "My Business" section.

  
  

• Access the "Comment Moderation" Settings: Look for the "Comment Moderation" settings or options within your business account. This setting is typically located in your account dashboard or profile settings.

  
  

• Enable Comment Moderation: Within the "Comment Moderation" settings, you'll find an option to enable comment moderation. Turn this feature on to activate comment approval for your Yelp page.

  
  

• Configure Moderation Preferences: Depending on Yelp's features, you may have additional settings to configure. For instance, you might be able to set preferences for receiving notifications when new comments are submitted.

  
  

• Save Your Settings: After enabling comment moderation and configuring any preferences, be sure to save your settings. This ensures that your moderation preferences are applied to your Yelp remove spam comments page.

Utilizing the Approval Process

Once you've enabled comment moderation on your Yelp remove spam comments page, it's time to manage comments effectively through an approval process:

• Receive Notification of New Comments: With comment moderation enabled, you will receive notifications when new comments are submitted to your Yelp page. These notifications typically go to the email address associated with your Yelp business account.

  
  

• Review New Comments: When you receive a notification, log in to your Yelp business account to review the new comments. Take the time to read each comment carefully.

  
  

• Distinguish Genuine Comments: Identify genuine and authentic comments from your customers. These are reviews or comments that accurately reflect their experiences with your business.

  
  

• Remove Spam or Inappropriate Comments: During your review, be vigilant for any comments that appear to be spam, contain irrelevant content, or violate Yelp's content guidelines. These should be promptly removed.

  
  

• Approve Genuine Comments: For the comments that pass your review as genuine and relevant, approve them. This action makes them visible on your Yelp page for other users to see.

  
  

• Decline Inappropriate Comments: If you encounter comments that do not meet your standards or Yelp's guidelines, decline them. These comments will not appear on your Yelp remove spam comments page.

  
  

• Maintain Consistency: Continue this approval process for each new comment that arrives on your Yelp page. Consistency in managing comments helps keep your page informative and spam-free.

  
  

How to respond to negative and positive reviews on Yelp 

Responding to positive Yelp reviews

Thoroughly read the entire review:

Always make an effort to read the complete review, even if it's lengthy. Address any valid concerns, regardless of the overall rating.

Warmly address the customer by name:

Boost personalization by using the customer's name in your response. This establishes a positive emotional connection.

Craft a personalized response:

Tailor your reply to their specific review. Show that you're not using a generic response template.

Express gratitude for their review:

Take a moment to thank customers for their time in leaving a review and for their loyalty. Encourage them to share their positive experiences.

Offer to go the extra mile:

Even if the customer is content, extend an offer to assist further and express openness to their feedback at any time.

Surprise and delight:

Consider going above and beyond by offering them swag, treats, or an exclusive discount as a token of appreciation.

Responding to Negative Yelp Reviews

A timely response is key:

Respond promptly, ideally within a week, to prevent potential customers from seeing unresolved issues.

Use the customer's name in your response:

Show that you value and take their feedback seriously by addressing the customer by name.

Sincerely apologize for the issue:

Offer a heartfelt apology, take responsibility for any faults, provide a clear explanation, outline the next steps, and follow up on the issue.

Avoid arguments:

Maintain professionalism and refrain from engaging in arguments with customers. Use negative feedback as a catalyst for improvement.

Make amendments if appropriate:

Resolve valid complaints fairly, ensuring equitable concessions. Address the issue privately whenever possible.

Explain preventive measures:

Describe the proactive measures you're taking to prevent similar issues in the future, demonstrating your commitment to improvement.

Highlight resolution efforts:

If the problem was resolved in person, mention it in your public response to assure potential customers of your dedication to addressing concerns.

Track feedback trends:

Identify recurring themes in negative reviews and take steps to enhance the customer experience based on this feedback.

Regularly monitor your Yelp profile

Once you've handled those pesky spam comments, it's crucial to be prepared for occasional future occurrences. Regularly monitoring your Yelp remove spam comments page to ensure accuracy and tidiness is essential. This process also helps you keep an eye on new reviews, valuable for identifying areas for improvement in your business. Thankfully, you can simplify this task with review management software that covers multiple platforms, including Facebook, Google My Business, and more.

With Cloodot's point-of-sale systems, you gain access to integrated tools that gather multi-channel reviews, enable you to track feedback trends and offer more efficient ways to engage with your customers. Cloodot provides a range of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions that harness the power of AI and automation to help businesses streamline and enhance their customer experience management by focusing on reviews and messaging.