![\"Yelp](\"https:\/\/www.seofirst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/yelp-racist-alert.jpg\")
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When I read the news of this, I had to do a double-take (and a spit take). Yelp is really introducing a \u201cRacist Alert\u201d for businesses.<\/p>\n
This kind of flagging of businesses accused of racism by consumers can be problematic.<\/p>\n
Here’s how the process works according to Search Engine Land: “Yelp said it will place a new category of consumer alerts on the profile pages of local businesses that are accused of discrimination or racist behavior.<\/p>\n
“Warning shuts down new reviews. The new ‘Business Accused of Racist Behavior’ alert serves as a warning to consumers and reads, ‘Recently someone associated with this business was accused of racist behavior\u2026’ It also links to news reports documenting the alleged conduct or incident(s).<\/p>\n
“When the alert goes up, Yelp disables any new reviews for that business profile. That prevents the page from being flooded with reviews from non-customers expressing political or ideological viewpoints or otherwise objecting to what the business is accused of doing.”<\/p>\n
The problems lie in ambiguous cases along with misuse. As far as ambiguity it\u2019s not always easy to come to a consensus of what racist behavior actually is.<\/p>\n
In regard to misuse, negative SEO and fake negative reviews have been around for many years. This gives black hat SEO\u2019s and others who want to hurt a competitor\u2019s business another tool in the toolbox to do so.<\/p>\n
Hopefully Yelp will address this in a robust and meaningful way. But that remains to be seen.<\/p>\n
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