7 Ways Yelp Listings Affect SEO
SEO can be a tricky thing to navigate, and there are a lot of different factors that can affect your ranking. One thing that’s often overlooked is the role that Yelp listings can play in SEO.
What is Yelp?
Yelp is one of the most popular online directories for finding local businesses ranging from restaurants, bars, cafes, dentists, doctors, plumbers, electricians, and so much more. There are over 1,200 business categories on Yelp. Yelp has become the go-to source for customers searching for local businesses and services.
You could even argue that Yelp is the second-best site for those looking for local services behind Google. Yelp allows consumers to rate, comment, and post photos about their experiences with businesses.
If you have a business, you need to be on Yelp. Why? Because it’s one of the most popular directories for finding local listings. Plus, it can help improve your page SEO.
7 Ways Yelp Listings Affect SEO
Fig. 1. Customers try Yelp as a high-quality source of information and reviews
(Source: Freepik)
Yelp can have a significant impact on your business’ SEO for several reasons. Here are several ways that Yelp listings can affect your business’ ranking in search engines:
1. Google considers Yelp a high-quality site
Google algorithms consider many factors when determining where to rank a website in search results. One of those factors is the quality of the sites that link to your website. Because Yelp is a high-quality site, having links from Yelp can improve your ranking in Google search results.
2. Yelp listings are often at the top of search results
Because Yelp is such a popular and well-respected site, its listings often appear at the top of search results – even before your own website’s listing. That can bring a lot of traffic to your Yelp listing, and can ultimately lead to more customers finding your business.
3. Yelpers are active searchers
Yelpers are known for being active and engaged users of the internet. They’re also avid searchers – always looking for new businesses and services to try out. That means that if your business is listed on Yelp, you’re more likely to show up in search results when Yelpers are searching for businesses like yours. This can drive traffic to your listing and website.
Yelp photos can also help to improve your SEO. Customers searching for businesses on Google often see Yelp photos in the search results, which can lead them to your listing and website.
4. Customers trust Yelp reviews
Customers trust Yelp reviews more than they trust reviews on other sites (like Google or Facebook). For them, Yelp has built a reputation for being an unbiased, trustworthy source of information about businesses. Business reviews and ratings can influence a potential customer’s decision to do business with you. So when customers see positive reviews on your Yelp listing, they’re more likely to trust that your business is a good one.
5. More citations and link-building for your business
One of the biggest factors in local SEO is citations. A citation is simply a mention of your business name, business location, and phone number (NAP) on another website. The more local search citations you have, the better. And because Yelp is such a popular site, having a listing on Yelp can help boost your citation count.
Another positive way that Yelp can impact your SEO is through link building. If your business listing on Yelp is popular and well-trafficked, then other websites may start linking to it, which can help improve your overall link profile and boost your SEO.
6. More social shares
When someone shares your Yelp listing on social media, it can help to improve your SEO. The more social shares you have, the higher you’ll rank in the search results.
7. Increased click-through rate
Yelp listings can affect SEO by way of click-through rate (CTR). CTR is a measure of how often people click on your listing in search results. The higher your CTR, the better. And because Yelp listings tend to get clicked on more often than other types of listings (such as organic listings), having a strong Yelp listing can help improve your CTR and, in turn, your SEO.
Overall, Yelp can have a big impact on your business’ SEO – both in terms of getting your website ranked higher in search results and in terms of driving traffic to your listing. Make sure to claim business listings and keep them up-to-date to take advantage of all the benefits Yelp can offer.
If you haven’t claimed your business’s Yelp listing yet, now is the time to do it!
How to Maximize Yelp Listings for SEO
Fig. 2. Maximize your SEO rankings with the help of Yelp listings
(Source: Freepik)
Yelp allows consumers to rate, comment, and post photos about their experiences with businesses. This can be helpful for small businesses looking to improve their SEO. Here are a few ways that Yelp listings can affect SEO:
1. Optimize your business page on Yelp
Be sure to fill out all the information on your Google My Business page, including your hours of operation, price range, etc. Adding keywords in your business description can also be helpful. If your business has multiple locations, you must also indicate the information.
2. Encourage customer reviews
Encouraging customer reviews can help improve your business’s ranking on Yelp. You can do this by sending follow-up emails or postcards after they’ve used your services.
3. Respond to reviews
Both positive and negative reviews can affect your ranking on Yelp. It’s important to respond to all reviews, especially negative ones. This shows that you’re paying attention and caring about your customers’ experiences.
By following these tips, you can help improve your business’s SEO through Yelp listings.
Can Duplicate Yelp Listings Affect SEO?
Fig. 3. Can duplicate Yelp listings affect SEO? Yes, definitely
(Source: Freepik)
Yelp is a popular directory for finding local businesses, and it can be a great way to get your business noticed. However, if you’re not careful, you can wind up with duplicate listings that can hurt your local SEO efforts.
So, how can duplicate yelp listings affect SEO? Are duplicate listings harmful?
When someone does a local search for a business on Yelp, the site uses an algorithm to determine which businesses to display in the search results. Part of this algorithm is designed to find duplicate listings of a business. If there is more than one listing of the same business, Yelp will assume that the business is trying to game the system and will penalize it accordingly.
Additionally, a duplicate listing may mean that your business could end up being buried in the search results, making it much less likely for potential customers to find you. Not only can this hurt your local SEO strategy but also your entire business.
So, if you’re thinking about creating a listing on Yelp, be sure to check first to see if there are any duplicate listings for your business. If there are, you’ll need to take steps to remove them before proceeding. Otherwise, you could end up doing more harm than good.
Now that you know how duplicate yelp listings affect SEO, be sure to check first to see if there are any duplicate business listings. If there are, you’ll need to take steps to remove them before proceeding. Otherwise, you could end up doing more harm than good.
Keep Track of Page Rankings With ProRankTracker
How do you know if your Yelp listing is helping your SEO efforts? By tracking it with the leading rank-tracking tool – ProRankTracker!
If you’re not already monitoring your website’s SEO rankings, now is the time to start. ProRankTracker can help you track rankings across Google, Amazon, Bing, Youtube, and Yahoo!. With our powerful SEO tracking and reporting tools, you can see how your listing is affecting your overall SEO and make necessary changes to improve your ranking.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you track your website’s SEO rankings.