> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nearmedia.co/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Yelp Elites Bribed, SMBs Do SEO, What's After Google? - URL: https://www.nearmedia.co/yelp-elites-bribed/ - Published: 2022-02-23T18:52:44.000Z - Updated: 2022-02-23T19:01:31.000Z - Author: Greg Sterling - Tags: News ### Fake Reviews: Bribing Yelp Elites, Amazon Sues We've previously written about [review fraud](https://www.nearmedia.co/meh-ta-moment-fake-reviews-gmb-a-big-lead-driver/) and the platforms' inconsistent takedown efforts. Yelp is probably the most consistent, but it takes a blunt and arguably overbroad approach – nearly [30% of its results are "filtered](https://www.nearmedia.co/yelps-progress-cookie-denial-doordash-capitalizes-on-smbs/)" as untrustworthy, even though many may be legitimate. So-called review brokers are getting around this by bribing Yelp Elites, the most trusted users on the platform. According to a local NBC affiliate [investigation](https://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/consumer/yelp-elites-and-others-paid-for-fake-reviews-in-plain-sight/2816914/?ref=nearmedia.co), brokers are paying a subset of Yelp elites to post fake reviews: "one former Yelp Elite told us he was part of an invitation-only online chat that included a few thousand Yelp Elite members who are paid $25 to $50 per fake review." Separately, Amazon is [making PR hay](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220222005994/en/Amazon-Sues-%E2%80%98Fake-Review-Brokers%E2%80%99-Who-Attempt-to-Profit-From-Generating-Misleading-and-Fraudulent-Reviews?ref=nearmedia.co) out of a lawsuit filed against two review brokers, AppSally and Rebatest, which match sellers and consumers willing to write reviews for free products or money. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2022/02/Screen-Shot-2021-11-08-at-9.32.21-AM.png) Source: Uberall-Transparency Company (2021) **Our take:** - Amazon has filed lawsuits in the past to address review fraudsters. These are band-aids; the problem needs more radical intervention. - Google's Local Guides was inspired by Yelp's Elite Squad. There's no data on Yelp Elite review numbers; [62% of Google reviews are written by LGs](https://www.nearmedia.co/local-guide-reviews/). Elites likely dominate Yelp's review corpus as well. - Transparency Company data suggests something approaching 20M reviews on Yelp may be fake (vs. a potential 200M on Google). ### More 'SMBs' Doing PPC than SEO Most SMBs have de-emphasized SEO in favor of other channels, especially social media. For example, a 2021 Call Rail [survey](https://www.nearmedia.co/amazon-passes-walmart/) found only 15% of SMBs engage in SEO or local SEO, while 57% do social media marketing. A new UpCity-Pollfish [survey](https://upcity.com/experts/how-small-businesses-handle-seo-survey/?ref=nearmedia.co) (n=600) of US and Canadian SMBs finds more SEO usage but still not by the majority. The bulk (62%) of respondents were B2B marketers; half had 50 or fewer employees. Under half (44%) had an existing SEO strategy, though 34% planned one this year. Yet 50% said they did PPC advertising (see graphic below). Strangely, social media was a top SEO tactic for these marketers, though there are many others as well, especially content and on-page SEO. Most (75%) of these SMBs believed their SEO efforts were at least somewhat effective. Just under 40% had in-house SEO teams, the rest were using an agency/freelancers. LinkedIn was the top source for consultants. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2022/02/Screen-Shot-2022-02-23-at-8.40.26-AM.png) Source: UpCity (2022) **Our take:** - Even in this SEO-centric survey the results show an emphasis on social. Most social won't help with SEO (e.g., Facebook, Instagram). - It's unclear how many of these SMBs were online only; just 12% were doing local SEO -- probably reflects ignorance more than e-commerce. - The [vast majority of traffic and revenue](https://www.nearmedia.co/local-seo-value-vaccine-passports-arrive-22-agnostic-shoppers/) comes from organic search vs. social. This suggests a marketing misalignment among these businesses. ### We Can't Imagine a Post-Google World The article "[Google Search Is Dying](https://dkb.io/post/google-search-is-dying?ref=nearmedia.co)" is just the latest to complain about declining search quality, the gaming of SERPs and too many ads. It's being promoted in You.com's email campaign. (You.com is [a new search engine](https://www.nearmedia.co/search-you-com-yelps-instagram-move-googles-big-eu-loss/).) The screed argues that "Reddit is currently the most popular search engine," because its results are more trustworthy. Perhaps more "authentic" but, as a statistical matter, Reddit isn't the most popular search engine – Google [has 92% market share globally](https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share/desktop-mobile-tablet/worldwide/?ref=nearmedia.co#monthly-202101-202201) and slightly less in the US. However, the point and larger argument are provocative. Below is a survey I posted on Twitter asking about the hypothetical market position of Google in 10 years. The survey responses are all digital marketers. And 88% either assume Google will still be in the same position or they "can't predict." Only 12% believe Google will have been replaced by something else. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2022/02/Screen-Shot-2022-02-23-at-9.30.50-AM.png) Source: Twitter survey, 300+ responses **Our take:** - While search is a powerful and important tool, quality is eroding. But we collectively have trouble envisioning a true alternative. - Social media was once thought of as a more trustworthy way of gaining information. But that dream (save Reddit perhaps) is all but dead. - Search in its current form won't continue indefinitely. But, so far, there's a failure of creative imagination in envisioning what comes next. ## Recent Analysis - **TikTok Embracing Location-Based Marketing** [by Adam Dorfman](https://www.nearmedia.co/untitledhow-might-tiktok-embrace-location-based-marketing/). - **Near Memo, episode 52**: [Google AI: understanding SERPs, Privacy Sandbox comes to Android, Wix makes us reconsider the SMB "addressable market](https://www.nearmedia.co/will-google-make-seo-superfluous-is-android-sandbox-real-or-pr-wixs-q4-s-how-big-is-the-smb-market/)." ## Short Takes - **Google**: [No SEO boost](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-no-seo-bonus-for-keyword-based-domains/438324/?ref=nearmedia.co) for keyword-based domains. - **BrightEdge** [buys](https://searchengineland.com/brightedge-acquires-oncrawl-380733?ref=nearmedia.co) Oncrawl, which will continue to operate. - No **E-A-T** score but it [indirectly impacts rankings](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-no-eat-scoreimportant-indirectly-ranking-algorithm-32961.html?ref=nearmedia.co). - Facebook's **TikTok clone Reels** [rolls out internationally](https://techcrunch.com/2022/02/22/facebook-reels-rolls-out-worldwide-along-with-new-ads-and-creative-tools/?ref=nearmedia.co). - **Facebook** to advertisers: [Metaverse "a few years away](https://www.reuters.com/technology/meta-tells-advertisers-mixed-reality-could-be-few-years-away-2022-02-18/?ref=nearmedia.co)." - Almost all consumers [expect to buy](https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/371412/?ref=nearmedia.co) on **social networks** in 2022\. - Stratechery: Why **Shopify** should [create an ad network](https://stratechery.com/2022/shopifys-evolution/?ref=nearmedia.co). - Big Tech firms [claim](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/19/race-and-ethnicity-debate-complicates-tech-antitrust-fight-00009952?ref=nearmedia.co) **antitrust bills** will harm Black, Hispanic businesses. - **Digital ad fraud** [approaching](https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/371418/digital-advertising-fraud-expected-to-hit-68b-glo.html?ref=nearmedia.co) $70 billion globally this year. - **Amazon grocery business**: "Expensive hobby [with a cloudy future](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/19/amazons-sprawling-grocery-business-has-become-an-expensive-hobby.html??ref=nearmedia.co)." - Trump's **Twitter clone TruthSocial** [popular](https://www.reuters.com/technology/trumps-truth-social-app-launches-apple-app-store-2022-02-21/?ref=nearmedia.co)**,** [botches launch](https://www.axios.com/truth-social-app-store-donald-trump-6a365023-ad45-43ce-ac1b-9aa484da5ba4.html?ref=nearmedia.co). - **MSFT Edge browser** about to [surpass Safari ](https://www.techradar.com/news/microsoft-edge-is-about-to-leapfrog-safari-in-the-desktop-browser-rankings?ref=nearmedia.co)desktop share. - Study: Humans [can't tell](https://www.pnas.org/content/119/8/e2120481119?ref=nearmedia.co) **AI-generated faces** from real ones. - **AI-created art** [can't be copyrighted](https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/21/22944335/us-copyright-office-reject-ai-generated-art-recent-entrance-to-paradise?ref=nearmedia.co) says US Copyright Office. - **Copyright infringing sites** [can lose](https://searchengineland.com/googles-pirate-update-leads-to-89-drop-in-search-traffic-380699?ref=nearmedia.co) nearly all their traffic. - **iGoogle redux**: Google [testing content widgets](https://9to5google.com/2022/02/16/google-search-widgets/?ref=nearmedia.co) on its homepage. Listen to our [latest podcast](https://www.nearmedia.co/memo/). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2021/02/near_memo_banner.png)](https://nearmedia.co/memo?ref=nearmedia.co) How can we make this better? Email [us](mailto:gsterling@nearmedia.co) with suggestions and recommendations.