When you want to boost awareness (and sales) for your small business, a well-maintained, digital footprint is crucial. The majority of customers search for businesses online, and 93% of people on Yelp compare business pages before making a final decision. Keeping your profile updated and accurate will not only capture their attention, but it’ll provide them all the information they need to choose you.
It starts with a strong foundation: If you haven’t already, claim your free business page on Yelp, where 90% of Yelp users make a purchase within a week of visiting the site. Once you begin the set-up flow, strengthen your profile with accurate information, such as your website, hours, and categories; add photos with captions to display your best work; and turn on notifications to stay connected with potential customers.
Once you’ve laid down the groundwork, a great Yelp Page requires maintenance. Whether you make updates to your page daily, monthly, or quarterly, figuring out the timing of crucial tasks—such as responding to reviews and adding holiday hours—can help you get the most out of Yelp. The exact timing and frequency will depend on your business and industry, but you can use this checklist as a guide to decide which tasks to tackle and when.
Bonus: After reading the tips, check out our downloadable checklist.
Daily
Keep an eye on your Yelp inbox
- Read and respond to messages and requests in a timely manner, giving you the best chance to secure the sale
- Turn on email or push notifications to be alerted as soon as you have a new message or request
- If you receive a number of messages with questions about the same topic, you may consider updating parts of your Yelp Page or website to proactively answer these questions
Bonus resources:
- 4 tips for turning job requests into sales
- How to change the emails and notifications you receive for your business
Respond to reviews
- Over 75% of consumers expect businesses to respond to reviews within a week, and 20% of consumers expect to receive a response within one day
- The best way to manage reviews is through public responses, including responding to positive reviews with a thank you
- If you want to also address something privately or in more detail, post a public response, and add that you’ll follow up directly, then send a direct message
- 88% of people who read reviews are more likely to look past a negative review if they see the business has responded to it and adequately addressed the issue*
Bonus resources:
- Tips for responding to reviews on Yelp
- What’s in a 1-star review?
- How to respond to negative reviews
Weekly
Add recent photos plus captions
- Customers want to see the latest and greatest from your business
- Show off your newest renovation, product, or menu item
- Always add captions so people know what they’re looking at; plus, captions help you appear in more relevant search results on Yelp
Bonus resources:
- Choosing the right photos for your page
- Why it’s important to upload quality photos on Yelp
- Why all your business photos should have captions
Review your Yelp metrics
- It’s free to track the customer activity on your Yelp Page. Monitor page visits, details about your audience, and customer leads (mobile check-ins, directions and map views, mobile calls, clicks to your website, and more)
- You can also check your activity notifications and when they occurred by clicking the bell icon in the top right of your account on desktop
- For example, “A Yelp user viewed the map for your business, 22 hours ago”
Tip: If you aren’t seeing the results or reaching the customers you want (basically if customers aren’t finding you as easily as you’d hoped), it may be worth considering Yelp Ads, which can help you target the right customers in the right places.
Monthly
Keep existing information up to date
- Continue to make sure your basic business information is accurate and reflects your current operations
- Adjust your upcoming holiday hours and special hours; think ahead to the days and months ahead that you may operate differently, like over the winter holidays or in the summer for 4th of July
Bonus resources:
Add new information or offerings as your business evolves
- If you’re offering new things, update your categories, service offerings, and specialties section to make sure you’re appearing in the right customer searches
- New service offerings are always being released to help you communicate the goods and services you provide; check in periodically to see what new features may have been added since the last time you logged in
Quarterly
Make seasonal updates
- Add season-specific images and descriptions if your goods or services change throughout the year
- You can make those updates as frequently as appropriate for your business type (and if you’re using Yelp Ads, you can adjust your ad image and text based on the season too)
- For example, if you run a company that does snow removal half of the year and warm-weather landscaping half of the year, your page should reflect that
Tip: Add content to your page, but only remove content if it’s something you no longer offer.
Manage your check-in offer
- Consider adding a unique check-in offer based on what you’re offering around that time of year, current events, or upcoming holidays/special occasions
Consider Yelp Ads or Page Upgrades
- Paying to enhance and elevate your digital presence can help you get in front of more customers
- Yelp Page Upgrades improve the look of your page, as well as how your business appears in places like search results
- Yelp Ads puts your business in a number of key places on the site and app, including above relevant search results and on your competitors’ pages; this means customers are more likely to find you while searching for the services you offer
- Both products are simple and easy to set up, and you can even walk through the process yourself via your Yelp for Business account; start, pause, and cancel anytime throughout the year
If you’re already running Yelp Ads, monitor and measure how it’s going and adjust accordingly to make sure you’re maximizing your paid presence throughout the year
Bonus resources:
- A guide to Yelp Page Upgrades
- 5 things to know about advertising on Yelp
- Getting started with Yelp Ads
*Based on a survey commissioned by Yelp and conducted by Kelton Global, a Material Company, in 2021. This survey was fielded among 1,500 people aged 18+ in the United States. The survey was conducted online during the period of October 13-20, 2021 and has a margin of error of +/- 2.5%.
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.