How to Remove Bad Yelp Reviews

Removing bad Yelp reviews is something every business owner needs to take seriously. Business reviews – especially ones in a major directory like Yelp – can make all the difference to a business’ reputation. Here’s how you can try to remove a bad review that your business received on Yelp.

Before we go any further, we all know how popular Yelp is among consumers. According to DMR Business Statistics, Yelp has a total of 145 million unique monthly visitors utilizing its wealth of local business information and has a (cumulative) total of 148million reviews on-site. And one important thing about the mammoth online directory is that it takes consumer reviews for businesses very seriously. Just take a look at Yelp’s take on business reviews in 25 characters or less.

“The best reviews are passionate and personal. They offer a rich narrative, a wealth of detail, and a helpful tip or two for other consumers.”

– Yelp

So, we’re going to list out three ways that you can try to remove bad reviews on Yelp for your business.

Grounds for Reporting and Removing a Bad Yelp Review

Before we get to removing and flagging malicious or false reviews, let’s take a look at Yelp’s content guidelines and regulations. Here are the grounds for removing bad Yelp reviews.

When a business review is not from a customer’s perspective;;
When the reviewer is not talking about a personal experience;
When a review is disputing an existing review;
If the reviews are plagiarized;
When the reviews are posted on the wrong business page;
When the reviews talk about business policies, service offerings, or policies.
Reviewers cannot post the names or other personal details of the business employees they interact with. For example, they cannot add the name or address of a restaurant’s waiter to the review. On these grounds, you can remove the review.Although, there is an exception to this rule. If the review contains the personal details of a business that has the name of the employer, the use of names is solicited. Example: If the business is named “X” Realty, you can mention X’s name in your review.

In addition to this, reviews that include threats, lewdness, hate speech or any displays of bigotry can be reported and removed. In case the review is talking about extraordinary circumstances, they can be removed as well. However, reviewers are excused if they use profanity or colorful language. You can’t dispute that if it is the case.

If your customer’s review is blatantly making any of these violations, you can report them for removal. Subsequently, these cases will be evaluated by Yelp moderators, and action will be taken accordingly. Yelp also mentions that in some cases, the removal of these reviews will be automated.

Respond to the Unhappy Reviewer

This is probably the least messy and fairly productive way to handle removing bad Yelp reviews: respond to the reviewer and help change that bad impression. Not only can this help you get a shot at improving your online review score or star ratings, but it will leave a positive impression on your other (potential) customers.

If your reviewer is unhappy with your services, you can always attempt to rectify their experiences by offering to give them a better experience. For example, if you’re a landscaping company, you can offer to redo your project and add in a gift coupon at your local Ikea.

Report the Bad Review on Yelp

Go to the review that you want to remove and click on the “flag” icon at the bottom of the review.

Click on the flag icon to remove the bad Yelp review.

Now choose the reason for removal and proceed. Once the moderators evaluate your request, the bad Yelp review can be removed. Although, you need to know that reporting doesn’t always result in removal.Additionally, you’ll need to have evidence supporting your request for removal. In most cases, you probably won’t be able to get to remove the review unless it is a blatant violation of Yelp’s Terms and Conditions and its Content Guidelines.