Today we’ll reveal Yelp SEO hacks to boost online traffic for businesses and Tradies.
Yes — Yelp’s had a bad rap over the years, and advertising on the platform isn’t recommended. But, one thing’s for sure, an active Yelp profile will supercharge your SEO — so don’t waste this FREE opportunity. When your clients are out and want them to find your business first, Yelp is the guiding light.
Yelp's idea is to provide social proof for users through the ratings and reviews of other customers. As a result, when it comes to customer purchasing decisions, Yelp is a highly influential platform. Search engines also recognise the importance of customer feedback regarding search engine ranking; they want to display only the best businesses in results, so reviews are highly relevant SEO signals.
Despite the growth of Google business reviews, in Australia, Yelp has 1.5 million users. The Yelp mobile app has been increasing sharply, and 72% of reviews were left using a mobile device. While the way customers use Yelp may be changing, the platform remains strong.
There are tons of blogs out there about building Yelp profiles and optimising them for search engine rankings — and they’re all very similar — so I’ve compiled the basics. Make sure you stay tuned for Yelp SEO hacks!
1. Ensure your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) is accurate and consistent across all your online business listings, and your website. Consistency with NAP is a high search ranking factor you need assistance with this check out our free local listing scan tool.
2. Use location-related and service-related keywords throughout your profile, such as your business description.
3. Fill out your profile completely, make sure to enter every detail about your business, including hours, services, features, seating options, unique dietary offerings, and the colour of your undies.
4. Choose 3 categories relevant to your business; you can check out your competitors if you’re unsure. Incorrectly choosing a category can have disastrous effects on SEO and sales, and could spark bad reviews from baffled customers.
Now for the YELP SEO Hacks...
YELP Is An Awesome Backlink!
Yelp is a high domain authority (DA), which means it ranks high in Google; in other words, it’s an “authority” on the internet. Having a link from Yelp back to your website is an excellent backlink, and this will help your website in search rankings.
Remember to interact with other community members on Yelp. You could find great opportunities to request backlinks, and if they have blogs or websites, they could feature your business and vice versa. Remember, don’t create spam backlinks all over the internet, search engines can recognise this. Search engines will also pick up on hyperlink anchor text if you saturate them with keywords, so use keywords wisely.
More Reviews, Higher Rankings.
Yelp is your Social Proof Marketing Strategy, which means to rank you need reviews, and you need the highest ratings possible.
It’s important to note that Yelp has a review filtering mechanism; if someone leaves a good review, but it’s elementary, the review may get pushed down your list by more complex negative reviews. To combat this, become friends with the positive reviewer and endorse their review by clicking one of the below buttons. This is voting, and it will help to validate the review and boost its visibility.
Yelp will help you rank when you receive frequent good-quality reviews. It matters who the reviews come from, and this helps Yelp to weed out fake accounts and reviewers. If you have a long-term loyal Yelper leave a review, you’re winning!
Get Reviews That Contain Your Keywords
Have a business narrative that includes your keywords, and make sure clients see this narrative on your Yelp profile, your website, your emails, and on marketing material — prime customers to use your keywords in their reviews. This is an influential SEO ranking factor.
Respond To Reviews
Yelp recognises business owners who respond to customer reviews and ranks their business higher — even when you respond to a bad review. But remember, responding to a negative review can be an opportunity to show clients you care and that you want to improve, and this can bring business back through the door. Remember to respond in a polite, understanding and respectful way. Put your best foot forward, and build trust with your customers.
Be Smart With Your Keywords
Do some keyword research — try a keyword research tool such as the Google Keyword Planner. You will need to use local and industry-specific words, but you may find some keywords or key phrases with less competition — these are ideal.
Optimise Your Images
While you must use vibrant and relevant images to help customers find you and sell your services, you also need to use your keywords in image descriptions. You don’t need to overload your profile with photos. Make each count towards SEO — quality over quantity.
Yelp Elite Membership
The Elite Membership is a great goal to aim for; it’s an indirect way to boost your SEO. If you are higher in Yelp results when clients use search engines, you are more likely to be found. An Elite profile is free, and you’ll receive badges and highlights on your profile, but it can take some work and dedication to achieve. You’ll need to engage with customers and the Yelp community, vote, provide excellent photos, business descriptions, personal profiles and tips and of course, have high-quality reviews.
Like it or not, your business may appear on Yelp without your input, so it’s best to hop on and take control of your profile. If there is a lousy review lurking in there, you had better get your skates on because this could affect your SEO and rankings in search engines.
Playing Hard To Get?
It might be good for dating, but it’s not good for business! Plug your trades business into the #1 local SEO agency for tradies. Get listed, reviews, and leads — without having to invest in a website. Let's talk!