Yelp Isn’t the Authority — You Are - DODSON Management Consulting

How to Control Yelp So It Doesn’t Frustrate You

I’ve never met a business owner who likes Yelp. Most feel manipulated—especially when great 5-star reviews get filtered out while negative ones stay up top. You’re not imagining it. Yelp’s algorithm routinely hides authentic, positive reviews and then tries to sell you ads as the “fix.”

But here’s the truth:

You don’t have to play that game. You can win without Yelp—and we’ll show you how.

At Dodson Management Consulting (DMC), we give small businesses and growth-stage brands a better way to manage their reputation, gain visibility, and build local trust—without ever paying Yelp a dime.

The Real Problem: Yelp Is No Longer a Growth Engine

The platform’s credibility is eroding. What used to be a place for honest discovery is now cluttered, censored, and inconsistent. Their business model relies on fear: “If you don’t advertise, we’ll bury your good reviews.” But you have better tools at your disposal now—and we help you use them.

The Better Playbook (How We Help Clients Regain Control)

1. Start With the Digital Basics Score℠

DigitalBasicsScore.com

If Yelp is a filter, Digital Basics is your foundation. This proprietary tool audits your visibility across Google, Apple, Bing, Facebook, Instagram, Waze, Nextdoor, and over 60 other directories. When your business shows up consistently across those trusted platforms, Yelp becomes less relevant—because your customers are already finding you elsewhere.

Key Tip: A high Digital Basics Score means your business is found before someone even gets to Yelp.

2. Run a Net Promoter Score (NPS) Engine

We help you install a real system for capturing 5-star reviews consistently—on your terms:

Ask for feedback using a 1-question NPS prompt: “Would you recommend us?”
Route positive responders to review on Google, Facebook, and other major sites
Use that content in your ads, social posts, website, and email campaigns

This is how you turn great service into a marketing advantage.

3. Optimize Yelp — Without Ever Paying

We don’t pay Yelp. Ever. But we do help our clients make their free profile work harder:

Add high-quality images weekly (activity signals help visibility)
Post screenshots of Google or Facebook reviews
Feature your Digital Basics Score or NPS feedback as images

Example image:

“We’ve earned 1,000+ five-star reviews across trusted platforms. Yelp is just one of them.”

Caption idea:

“Real clients. Real results. Yelp can’t filter this.”

This flips the script—Yelp doesn’t own your story. You do.

4. Turn Reviews Into Local Trust at Scale

What sets DodsonMC apart is that we don’t just collect reviews—we turn them into media.

Using SourceLocalMedia, we distribute your best stories across:

Middle Tennessee Source
A network of 1,000+ independent, high-integrity local publishers
Ad units embedded in trusted, uncancellable environments

Your customers don’t just see the stars—they see the story behind them.

Final Word: Yelp Isn’t the Judge—You Are

When you partner with DodsonMC, you’re not just managing your reviews—you’re owning your digital presence from top to bottom.

We help you:

Improve your Digital Basics Score to become visible everywhere that matters
Build a review engine using Net Promoter Score
Reduce your Yelp dependency with strategic content distribution
Tell your story in trusted media, not filtered platforms

Ready to Take Control?

Let’s put Yelp in its place—and put your business in front of the right people.

Get your Digital Basics Score: DigitalBasicsScore.com

Schedule a meeting: Click here to book Zoom call

Call or Text Kip Dodson: 615-717-7616

Learn more: DodsonMC.com

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