When you post a photo without a caption, it’s like watching a foreign film without subtitles, inviting thoughts like: The image is nice, but I’m a little confused. What am I seeing here? Do I want to keep investing my time in this? Adding captions to your business photos on Yelp makes your products or services more memorable and approachable, helping entice potential customers who are deciding if they want to choose your business.
The goal is to give those prospects every reason possible to choose you over your competitors. With descriptive captions, that bit of extra information on each image helps them better understand your business offerings, mission, and values. As a business with a claimed Yelp Page, there is no limit to the number of photos you can add to your business page, meaning your caption capabilities are endless.
As an added bonus, captions can help you get more organic visibility through search results on Yelp. When customers search for a specific word or phrase that matches your caption—like “pool cleaning” or “bottomless brunch”—you’re more likely to return as a result.
3 tips for crafting the best captions
1. Less is more
Try to keep your captions short, for example:
- Sunday brunch menu
- Wood-fired margherita pizza
- Selection of vintage jackets
- Our friendly office staff
- Before-and-after paint job
Users will know at a glance what you’re offering and be able to easily determine if they want to give you their business.
2. Be clear and concise
Steer clear of filler words and hyperbole, like “the most amazing mac and cheese” or “best roof job in town.” A good photo caption should use descriptive adjectives to convey how high quality or delicious an item is without telling the customer what they should think.
That same dish might be described as “three-cheese macaroni with caramelized onions and crispy bacon” while the roofing caption might say “roof installation with durable cedar shake shingles.”
3. Assume customers don’t know
A photo’s content might seem obvious to you, but a customer who isn’t sure what they’re looking at might move on to a competitor who provides more clarity. Add captions to all of your photos to provide transparency and make browsing convenient for visitors to your page. This also makes it easier for customers to tell you exactly what they’re looking for if they’ve already seen the dish, product, or service described in the caption of a photo.
How to add captions
It’s quick, free, and easy to add photos and captions to your Yelp Page. Log in to your Yelp for Business account and click the “Photos and Videos” tab on the left to get started. Beyond adding new photos with captions, you can also go back and add or update captions on existing photos.
Lastly, while your captions should be short, your photos are free to say a thousand words. Check out these resources for snapping the best shots:
The information above is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice and may not be suitable for your circumstances. Unless stated otherwise, references to third-party links, services, or products do not constitute endorsement by Yelp.