Nearly 4 in 5 Americans regularly read reviews of local Business for Yelp before visiting or making a purchase, and according to Bright Local, an even higher proportion of consumers are likely to use companies that respond to their online reviews. That’s why it’s crucial to use the best review sites like Yelp to successfully market your business locally.
Yelp is the second most popular online review site in the US, and half of Americans consult it before buying. Here’s how to make the most of Yelp.
What is Yelp?
Yelp is a crowdsourced review site launched in 2004 and available online and through an app. The website provides listings of millions of customer-focused companies in a particular region. Users can rate local businesses and leave comments about their performance.
What type of companies should use Yelp for Business
When it comes to reviews, Yelp is one of the most trusted business directories on the web. With over 130 million monthly users, using Yelp for Business can be a very powerful — and even free — tool for local businesses that want to be found online. Every day, people publicly share thousands of opinions and ratings of local businesses, from restaurants and comedy clubs to pet grooming services, contractors and home cleaning services.
Here are nine main types of businesses that Yelp is suitable for:
- Restaurants and catering
- Local retailers
- Nightlife including bars and clubs
- Entertainment
- Home services such as contractors, electricians, plumbers, cleaners and movers.
- Auto services such as auto repair, detailing, dealers and towing.
- Health and fitness
- Cosmetic services
- Professional services such as accountants, consultants, legal services, and food service providers.
- General services such as computer repair and pet care.
If you don’t see the main category that fits your business, try searching Yelp for the business services your company offers. To do this, go to Yelp.com and enter keywords related to your business into the search bar. Then check the business categories that appear in the search results. techroyce
Why Use Yelp for Business
Companies often use Yelp to increase their business’ online visibility, increase brand awareness, and in turn increase sales. Yelp has a high domain authority, so listings can rank high on Google for search terms that small businesses might struggle with. Millions of people visit Yelp from Google search results or directly, giving businesses the opportunity to be found online without investing heavily in other local search engine optimization (SEO) services.
Taking it one step further, businesses using Yelp can take advantage of the platform’s marketing and advertising features. From pay-per-click (PPC) ads that place a list of businesses at the top of Yelp results, to a call-to-action button that allows consumers to easily request a quote or make a purchase, these audience-engaging features generate more sales for businesses using Yelp.
How to Use Yelp for Business Owners
For local small businesses and brick and mortar stores, using Yelp for business owners should be a must. Customers in your area are looking for small businesses like yours, so your business should show up in Yelp search results.
But you can’t just sign up for Yelp for Business Owners and expect immediate results. You have to put in some effort to get the most out of your Yelp business page before you notice an influx of customers or brand awareness. Also, you need to decide how active you will be on Yelp and how much you are willing to pay to use their features to reach new customers.
List your business on Yelp
If you enter your business details and find that an ad already exists on Yelp, you will need to claim it.
Often, a business is already listed on Yelp because a customer left a review. If your business already has a Yelp profile with multiple testimonials, you will need to follow the steps below to get it.
Note that it’s important to get your business listed on Yelp. If it goes unclaimed, anyone can log in and update your Yelp listing profile and add information.