Wednesday

29Prime: Yelp and Bing Integrate

By Jessica Stevenson


Search engines are a tricky part of the Internet for business owners. They can either work really well for them or against them. Review websites can often be troublesome for business owners. If someone is unhappy with your services, they are more likely to go to a review website to vent their frustrations. However, if someone is pleased with your business, they can praise your business and hopefully you will gain more customers because of that review. It truly depends on the experience you provide to your customers.

Google recently integrated the Zagat ratings into their search engine. Other search engines have taken notice and are now making necessary changes within their systems to keep up with Google. As a business owner, you may be wondering: what does this mean for me? Well, reviews are now going to pop up in search results whenever someone is looking for a specific business. This means that potential customers will be able to see these reviews immediately.

Bing decided to up the ante this week and buy Yelp. Yelp is a review-based website that offers reviews on everything from spas to flower shops. Along with this acquisition, Bing made it possible for users to connect with their Facebook friends and read reviews that they have written on whatever they are searching for. People tend to trust the reviews written by their friends and family.

Search engines are struggling when it comes to competing with the leader, Google. Bing is the second most popular search engine and Yahoo! Search is in third place. Google has been in the lead for a while. Bing and Yahoo! are going to have to work extra hard to try and top Google.

Business owners must constantly be aware of what is being written about them online. With these integrations, it is easier for people to search for a business and immediately read reviews. If a negative review is written about your business, address it in a calm and respectful manner. Customers enjoy being acknowledged, especially by the business owner. So get ready to start writing!




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