Nine Business Review Sites To Use – Instead Of Yelp

Ok, it’s no secret that I’m not a big fan of Yelp – but my disdain is not without reason or merit. It’s just that most of the small businesses I know have all been hit by the dreaded “Yelp filtered review”. This filter is how Yelp hides reviews suspect of being fake, self-written, or otherwise artificially influenced. Sounds great on the surface and on their carefully crafted website, but these filters are also well documented for hiding legit reviews.

I’ve ranted about the filter before so I’ll spare you the details, but instead I want to show you how your online business reviews can still get some great online traction without any help from Yelp.

In looking at the landscape of online review/testimonial websites that have the greatest share factor, would it surprise you to hear that Yelp isn’t at the top of the food chain!

Analyzing the import/export shareability of 22 online review platforms recently (below image), I was thrilled to see that Citysearch.com steamrolls Yelp – besting it by a large distance in online review share volume…

Like Yelp (#6), Citysearch.com (#1) doesn’t import outside reviews into its platform (original content only), but unlike Yelp, Citysearch shares out to 13 other review sites – thus spreading your good news (and branding, and all that goes with it) across the web and around the world (or at least your small local part of it).

Citysearch isn’t the only review service beating Yelp!

Judysbook (#2) and insiderpages(#3) each shares out to 7 other services, and yp.com (#4), mojopages (#5) match Yelp in terms of sharing out.

As for review aggregators, Yellowbot.com(#20) is the best by far; importing business reviews from 16 other sites with city.com(#10), openlist(#11), and Bing(#21) following with 4 inbound referral sites feeding each of their platforms.

So if Yelp is sticking it to you – give the favor back by switching your attention to these other services and watch your online reviews populate across the web without them. As for Yelp – just filter them out.

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