Study Finds Claiming Business Pages Can Hurt Online Ratings

Research shows that when businesses claim their Yelp pages, they experience a sharp decline in ratings and an increase in negative customer feedback.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 10:47pm

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A study from Florida International University found that when businesses claim their Yelp pages, their average ratings drop by more than 10% due to an influx of one-star reviews and a decrease in five-star reviews. The researchers say this is because claiming a page signals to customers that the owner is present and available to address complaints, which encourages dissatisfied customers to voice their concerns in more critical and detailed reviews.

Why it matters

The findings suggest that while claiming a business page on review platforms can provide useful features, it may also come with hidden costs, particularly for small businesses that lack the resources to effectively monitor and respond to the increased customer feedback. The study highlights the importance of businesses being operationally ready to manage their online reputation before claiming their pages.

The details

The study, led by Jong Youl Lee of FIU's College of Business, analyzed data from newly opened popular restaurants in the nation's 200 largest metro areas. The researchers found that after a business claims its Yelp page, the likelihood of a one-star review rises by nearly 10%, and the negative reviews also become substantially longer, with customers directly addressing owners or managers about service failures. An analysis of the review text showed a clear increase in negative language and a decline in positive sentiment.

  • The study was published in January 2026 in the journal Information Systems Research.

The players

Jong Youl Lee

Assistant professor of information systems and business analytics at FIU's College of Business and the lead author of the study.

Yelp

An online review platform that allows businesses to claim their pages and access features such as photo control, analytics, and the ability to respond to reviews.

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What they’re saying

“When customers see the page is claimed, they believe the owner is watching. That motivates very unsatisfied customers to write reviews they otherwise might not have written, and they tend to be more critical and more detailed.”

— Jong Youl Lee, Assistant professor of information systems and business analytics at FIU's College of Business (Mirage News)

What’s next

The researchers suggest that businesses should only claim their online review pages when they are operationally ready to effectively monitor and respond to the increased customer feedback that can come with claiming the page.

The takeaway

This study highlights the potential hidden costs of claiming a business's online review page, particularly for small businesses that may not have the resources to manage the increased customer feedback. The findings suggest that businesses need to carefully consider their readiness to handle online reputation management before claiming their review pages.