INTRODUCTION
According to Statista, Yelp is one of the top 10 most used social networks in the United States. A survey from ReviewTrackers also reveals that Yelp ranks second to Google among review sites customers use to research businesses before visiting or making a purchase.
While perhaps best known for user recommendations and reviews, Yelp also has a variety of tools businesses can leverage to connect with new customers, generate sales and manage their reputations.
Following are some new Yelp features and updates your business can use in 2022.
YELP CONNECT IMPROVEMENTS
Launched in 2019, Yelp Connect is a paid feature that lets businesses post regular updates to their pages so they can share information with prospects and existing customers. These posts also are promoted on the Yelp mobile app home screen and in emails.
Recently, Yelp introduced tailored post templates with sample text for headlines, post descriptions and calls to action to help guide your creative and engage users. Plus, they are easy to customize for special offers or seasonal promotions. There also is a new, more intuitive setup flow to help you make the most of your page.
ADVERTISING UPDATES
Yelp ads are one of the main ways businesses can connect with new customers on the platform. This year, Yelp launched a few features to help businesses improve their campaigns.
Keyword Boosting
Historically, Yelp has generated a list of “related keywords” from the information you include on your business page to show your ads to people searching for similar terms. While this is still the case, the new boosting feature gives advertisers more control over the keywords they’d like to prioritize.
Essentially, you can select the keywords that are the best match for your business and boost them so your ad appears more often for those terms. You also can block keywords that aren’t the best match, like before.
For instance, a residential developer may choose to boost words like “home builders” or “new home builders” and block keywords like “interior design” or “roofing” if they do not offer those services.
To boost or block keywords, go to the Yelp Ads section in your Yelp for Business account. Then select “See all keywords” in the keyword section of the dashboard and click “Manage my keywords.” From there, you can click the green up arrow to boost a keyword or the red “X” to block them.
Custom Location Targeting
All businesses can now use the custom location targeting (CLT) feature to specify which geographical areas they’d like to target. This is especially useful for businesses that have service areas that extend beyond their physical location.
To update your target locations, navigate to the “Where your ad is reaching” section on the Yelp Ads dashboard and click “See full map.” Then click “update location targeting” at the bottom of the page. You can then set up a radius around your business or assign up to 25 specific locations to target.
Smarter Budget Recommendations
Yelp updated its ad budgeting experience to account for more data points, using information from the business profile, historical campaign performance and target market. The new interface shows you various recommendations, along with estimated performance data so businesses can make more informed decisions. You also can set a manual budget if you prefer not to use one of the recommended budgets.
REQUEST A CALL FEATURE FOR SERVICE BUSINESSES
Over the last few years, Yelp has worked to differentiate product-focused businesses from service businesses to improve the user experience. Most recently, it launched a “Request a Call” feature that allows Yelp users to request a call directly from service-oriented companies to discuss specifics of a project or obtain a custom quote.
It works by allowing potential customers to request a preferred call time. Businesses can then confirm the call time or send them a message to reschedule, which allows businesses to capture new leads while creating a better customer service experience.
The “Request a Call” feature builds on the existing “Request a Quote” feature and is available to Yelp business pages that have opted into leads via Request a Quote.
NEW ECO-FRIENDLY BUSINESS ATTRIBUTES
Yelp has continuously updated its platform so users can find businesses that align with their preferences and values. For instance, people can search for businesses that are “women-owned” or “Black-owned,” or look up establishments that are “open to all” or have “gender-neutral restrooms.”
Launched on Earth Day, the newest category of search filters is centered on eco-friendly attributes. Some examples include, “plastic-free packaging,” “EV charging stations available” and “bike parking.”
If your business has any of these features, you should update your Yelp listing to include these attributes and help attract environmentally conscious individuals. It may help you stand out from your competitors.