It appears that Yahoo seems to have forgotten that they have the Yelp review API or update it so infrequently that it is effectively useless. The reviews Yahoo is showing for many businesses are often 3 to 11 months out of date.

Last year to much hooey and horse puckey, Yahoo “upgraded” their review system to grab reviews from Yelp via the Yelp review API rather than manage their own review system. At the time I thought it was more reflective of the sad state of Yahoo local than of any bold move by Marissa Mayer. It was obviously sadder than I had imagined.

Reviews are generally aggravating for most small businesses, even more so if they are out of date and don’t reflect major updates and changes that a business has implemented.

This problem of Yahoo not updating their Yelp reviews came to light while exploring the reviews for a GetFiveStars* client, Cadillac Jack’s in Ellicottville. They had reopened just after the first of the year at a new location with a new menu and dramatic changes in their quality. Their reviews at Yelp and their Google+ page  captured these changes faithfully.

However when I clicked through their Knowledge Graph link to their Yahoo page the Yelp reviews showing were over a year old and reflected their work at their previous establishment.

Upon investigating a  number of other Yahoo listings, I found that most reviews had not been updated in at least 3 months at Yahoo and many had not been updated in 11 months. Isn’t the idea of an API that the data can flow in virtually real time?

I recognize that Yahoo Local has mostly turned out the lights and gone on auto pilot. But if anyone there is reading this, the autopilot needs a nudge.

Full disclosure: I am a partner in the GetFiveStars reputation platform.