Leveraging online review tags: when experiential tags improve helpfulness – and when they don't

Purpose This research examines how attribute-based and experience-based review tags are associated with review helpfulness in online consumer reviews (OCRs), drawing on accessibility-diagnosticity theory (ADT). Design/methodology/approach We conceptualize review tags as platform-curated cues and test hypotheses on 8,119 OCRs of 12 smartphone models from BestBuy.com, using logistic and zero-inflated negative binomial regression, with predictive analytics as robustness checks. Findings Experience-based tags show a stronger association with review helpfulness than attribute-based tags, though this association exhibits diminishing returns as tags accumulate and is stronger for higher- than lower-involvement products. Originality/value This research extends ADT from review-level content to tag-level interface cues, showing that tag's informational orientation, not merely presence or number, shapes review helpfulness, offering guidance as platforms rely on automated tagging.