TrustJun 20267 min read
How to spot a fake vendor review
Six patterns that separate a real review from a purchased one — and why the fixes most platforms apply do not work.
Sarah ChenHead of Trust & Safety
All articles
TrustMarch 22, 20264 min read
Why we publish how our ranking works
Almost no marketplace explains its algorithm. Here is our reasoning for doing the opposite.
Sarah ChenHead of Trust & Safety
The standard argument against publishing ranking rules is that people will game them. It is a real risk, and it is also a convenient excuse for the much more common reason: the rules would embarrass the platform if anyone read them.
If position is decided by advertising spend, publishing that is bad for business. If it is decided by verified work, publishing it is the best marketing available.
What we publish, and what we do not
We publish the factors and their relative weight: host reviews and reliability matter most, peer endorsements and verified events next, badges and recency after that. We do not publish the exact formula, because that is the part that would be gamed rather than understood.
The practical consequence is that there is no shortcut. The only route to a higher position is doing real, consistent, reliable work at real events — which is the outcome we wanted the incentives to produce.
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Eleven questions to ask before you book any vendor
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Find the professionals to pull it off
Every professional in the directory has been vetted, and every review is attached to a confirmed event.