While Yelp ranking is primarily determined by reviews, the sheer number of positive ratings is not the sole factor in determining the placement on the page. There’s no concrete way to determine the exact algorithm used for page ranking, but there are many steps you can take to make sure your business listing is fully optimized for users to find, contact and visit your location.
Make sure all of the necessary information is filled out
First, claim your listing if you are starting a new business. It is vital to make sure you are in control of all listings for your business to prevent incorrect information from driving away potential customers and sales. Make sure your name, address, and phone number are completely filled out with the correct information, able to be verified by Yelp through a phone call. Include information about your services, pricing, whether you offer in-store pickup or delivery options and your hours. The more you include, the better the opportunity for the user to make an informed decision about which company to do business with.
Add photos of your locations, offerings, and services
Photos from the owner and users are allowed on your Yelp listing, which can help users on the fence make their choice! Especially for restaurants, include photos of your menu offerings and encourage customers to do the same, especially if they could potentially leave a positive review.
Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative
Every review your business gets is a potential learning experience. Responding to every review, whether the customer had a perfect experience or leaves constructive feedback or criticism. This lets customers know that you are active on your business listing and willing to listen to their opinions.
Include keywords and categories
Like your website, you want to make your listing easily digestible by readers and by bots, containing the keywords relevant to your business in a way that makes sense. However, on Yelp you can also search by category of business. Make sure you have selected all relevant categories to your business, from broad to the more niche. Irrelevant categories can cause your rankings to drop so it is critical to pay attention during the selection process.
Listing Management & Optimization
Once your listing is live, it is critical to continue making updates to it, from responding to reviews to adding photos and information about your services If you do not have the time to keep track of your Yelp listing as you wear the many hats that go along with running a business, contact Boston Web Marketing today! We will be able to provide a consultation of your current search engine optimization efforts and make recommendations on what to focus on. Boston Web Marketing can be reached by filling out our online contact form.