How to build a strong Yelp profile

Add great photos

Yelp users love photos! Bring your business and Yelp listing to life with some pictures. Navigate to the “Photos and Videos” section of your Yelp dashboard to get to the upload page, and follow the prompts. You can show examples of your products and services or pictures of your team hard at work. Many businesses showcase customers and the interior and exterior of their shop.

A good rule of thumb is to upload at least 10 photos. These should be a mix of exterior and interior shots, as well as close-ups and wide shots. And be sure to add some fun photos that capture the spirit of your business! For instance, if you have a vibrant restaurant with a unique atmosphere, show that off.

Online review management can get overwhelming, especially if you are active on multiple sites. Broadly can help your business with this! If you’d like to learn how, get in touch.

Report fake reviews

Unfortunately, Yelp’s platform is sometimes abused by businesses that post fake reviews in an attempt to game the system. These businesses will often pay for positive reviews or write them themselves. As a business owner, it’s important to be on the lookout for these sorts of abuse.

Here are the steps you can take to report a review:

1. Login to your Yelp page.
2. Go to the “Reviews” tab.
3. Locate the review you want to report.
4. Click on the three dots on the right and select “Report review”.

Once you submit a report, Yelp’s moderators will investigate and determine if the review should be removed. You can check on the status of your report by going to your “Reports” page.

Use Yelp advertising

If you’re interested in driving more traffic to your business’s Yelp page, you can sign up for Yelp Ads. Yelp uses targeted advertising, so your ad will appear on the pages of people who are searching for businesses like yours. Unlike organic searches, this is paid advertising.

Yelp Ads come in two forms:

• Cost-Per-Click (CPC) Ads: You’re charged a set amount every time someone clicks on your ad. The amount you pay depends on how much competition there is for your keywords.
• Cost-Per-Thousand-Impressions (CPM) Ads: You’re charged a set amount each time your ad is shown 1,000 times. These ads are best for building brand awareness rather than driving clicks to your website or Yelp page.

Experiment with Yelp deals and gift certificates

Yelp Deals are special offers that businesses can create to attract new customers. For example, you might offer a discount on your products or services. You can also create gift certificates that customers can purchase and redeem at your business.

Unlike advertising, you pay nothing upfront for Yelp Deals. You only earn a smaller profit when someone buys your deal or gift certificate because Yelp takes a transaction fee.

Frequently asked questions

We get that this is a lot of information to take in at once, and you probably have a few questions! Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about Yelp for business owners.

• Do I have to pay to be on Yelp?

No, you don’t have to pay to be on Yelp. You create a free business profile and take advantage of many of the features we discussed in this article.

• Can I advertise on Yelp without claiming my business page?

No, you need to have a claimed business page before you can create an ad campaign. Without it, you won’t be able to track your results or see how much you’re spending.

• What’s the difference between a business page and a personal page on Yelp?

A business page is a free profile that you can create for your business. A personal page is a profile that individual users create for themselves. Business pages can’t be used to review businesses, while personal pages can. Further, business pages get access to Yelp dashboard features like Insights, while personal pages don’t.

• What happens if I get a negative review on Yelp?

If you get a negative review, don’t panic! Respond to the review in a professional and polite manner. Flag the review if you believe it violates Yelp’s content guidelines or is fake. Lastly, consider reaching out to the customer offline to ‌resolve the issue.

• How do I get more reviews on Yelp?

Surprisingly, the best way to get more reviews is to simply ask your customers! You can do this in person, over the phone, or through email. You can also encourage customers to leave reviews by offering a discount or other incentive. However, make sure that the incentive is not restricted to customers who leave a positive review.

• How much does it cost to advertise on Yelp?

The cost of Yelp Ads depends on how much competition there is for your keywords. For example, if you’re in a highly competitive market, you might pay $1 per click. If you’re in a less competitive market, you might pay $0.50 per click.

Build your Yelp profile with Broadly

At Broadly, we understand that managing your online reputation while running a business can be difficult. That’s why we offer a platform that makes it easy for you to monitor your business’s online presence, respond to customer reviews, and capitalize on reputation marketing. 

Broadly offers a suite of services to help you build and manage your Yelp profile. Our team can help you with everything from setting up your page to responding to reviews.