Yelp is great for both small businesses and local consumers because consumers can get information to help them make a decision about a business, and businesses can find out what people are really thinking about their product or service.
So how do you get your small business to appear on Yelp business search? We have an answer to that, plus more common Yelp questions, like “What are the benefits of claiming your business on Yelp?” or “Is claiming a business on Yelp free?”
Small businesses are known to have a superior level of quality and customer service. Yelp helps that shine through! Find out how you can make your business a Yelp superstar.
Contents
- What is Yelp?
- What are the benefits of claiming a business on Yelp?
- How to add your business on Yelp
- How to claim a business on Yelp
- Yelp tips and best practices
What is Yelp?
Yelp is a local-focused website and app where consumers can find information and leave reviews for all types of businesses. Yelp brings customers and businesses together by allowing businesses to respond to reviews and provide helpful information about their business.
Plus, Yelp allows users to contact businesses directly from the platform for things like reservations or directions. Additionally, Yelp has a social aspect as users can interact with other people’s reviews.
Looking for more ways beyond Yelp to increase your local business’s online presence? Download our free pocket guide to local SEO!
What are the benefits of claiming a business on Yelp?
With over 178 million monthly users, Yelp helps to increase your web presence by allowing your business to get easily discovered on its platform.
Yelp can help your small business successfully bring in new, local customers who wouldn’t have been able to find you otherwise. Aside from awareness, Yelp can have an impact on your credibility, your customer base, and your budget. See for yourself with these data-backed benefits below:
Yelp reviews can increase trust with your business
Nearly 90% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they would a personal recommendation when making a purchase. That makes Yelp a huge asset to your small business marketing plan due to its review-centric nature.
Ready to grow your business on Yelp? Download our free small business marketing plan template to get your strategy started!
Yelp helps you get discovered by new customers in your area
On top of building trust, Yelp helps you to extend your reach to new customers. In fact, 92% of Yelp users make a purchase after visiting a business’s page on the site or in the app.
It’s clear that claiming your business on Yelp to get more customers will result in a marketing ROI boost, as businesses with higher reviews have historically grown the most revenue.
It’s free to claim your business on Yelp
The best part about Yelp is that it’s completely free for both businesses and consumers to use. There are higher-tier, paid options available, too. However, we find that for someone looking to grow their business, using Yelp for free does the job!
How to add your business to Yelp
In order to claim your business, it needs to have a listing on the platform in the first place! If your business is not already on Yelp, follow these steps:
- Search for your business on biz.yelp.com (this is the Yelp for Business website) or by using the Yelp for Business app.
- If you don’t see your business listed, select Add Your Business to Yelp.
- Enter your business information and email for confirmation.
- Click Add Business.
How to claim your business on Yelp
Once your business is listed on Yelp, you can claim it. Here are four simple steps to do so:
- Navigate to your business’s Yelp page.
- Select claim this business towards the bottom right of the page.
- You will be prompted to create a Yelp for business owners account or log in if you already have one.
- Follow the prompts to verify your business.
Congratulations! Your business has now been claimed and you can start managing your reputation on Yelp.
7 Yelp profile tips and best practices
Now that your business is claimed on Yelp, here are a few tips to start optimizing your profile.
1. Double-check your business information
Yelp makes it easy for visitors to give you a call, go to your website, or find your store location in just a few clicks. That means that accurate business information is vital to the efficacy of your Yelp listing.
Take the extra minute to ensure your business description, address, operating hours, and contact information are all correctly updated.
2. Spice up your profile photo
A fun profile photo will help to catch your audience’s eye when they’re comparing you to a bunch of other listings. Yelp is one of the few instances when you might want to stray from using your logo and use an eye-catching image that represents your business instead, like your storefront or the inside of your location.
For example, a tasty signature dish or a sparkling clean car will help you stand out from your Yelp competitors.
3. Add plenty of extra photos
The more photos, the merrier! People retain about 55% more information if it’s paired with an image. Adding photos of your business, products, and community will help you be more recognizable later.
4. Respond to all reviews
Yes, even the bad ones. Bad reviews can be good for business… If you turn it into a positive experience through a response! Regardless of whether the review is positive or negative, responding to your customers’ feedback is a way for your business to interact and engage with your audience.
Get more tips for responding to reviews on Yelp here.
5. Share your best reviews
Leverage Yelp for its main purpose: to showcase your business! You can screenshot any stellar reviews you get on Yelp and share them elsewhere. Try including a “reviews” or “testimonials” section on your website where you share your best Yelp reviews. Or, turn those reviews into social media posts thanking your customers for their support. You can even use those top review stats to “brag” in your paid ad copy.
6. Put yourself into a few categories
Yelp for Business allows you to select up to three categories that your business relates to. This helps people find you when filtering down the Yelp results page. Think of them as “tags” for your business. They’re templated out for you by Yelp and could be industry-related or service-related, like “delivery available” or “walk-in availability.” You can quickly pick a few on your profile page with a few simple clicks.
7. Prep your profile for Yelp ads
Once you claim your business on Yelp, you’ll be eligible to run ads on Yelp. For many businesses, advertising on Yelp is the natural next step once a profile is claimed and set up. That’s because Yelp ads help your business show up at the top of Yelp business searches, alongside competitors’ Yelp pages, and more. In fact, Yelp ads have been proven to yield nearly three times more leads than an organic Yelp listing.
Since you’ll have to put a bit of marketing budget behind your Yelp ads, you want to ensure you get the most bang for your buck. Preparing your profile to build out Yelp ads is the first step. Some of the tips we already covered can impact your Yelp ads strategy. For example, Yelp ads dynamically pull in images you’ve already added to your profile. However, you may want to consider how other profile options, like setting up message leads and email notifications, could streamline your Yelp ad reporting and setup.
Claim your business on Yelp like a pro
Claiming your business on Yelp can be a quick win for any small business because it’s free and easy. Yelp is ideal for anyone looking to improve their customer experience based on actual feedback. It’s also key to any small business marketing strategy since it drives awareness, grows your presence, and builds your customer base. Is your business on Yelp? Try claiming it today!
For more help with all things Yelp, Yelp ads, and more, see how our solutions can maximize your local listing strategies!
The post How to Add or Claim a Business on Yelp (+7 Tips!) appeared first on LocaliQ.
