For information on how to sign up for Yelp and claim your listing, you can visit Yelp’s business portal. But with the prevalence of Google, is there any point in dividing your marketing efforts into Yelp? Absolutely.
We talked last year about how more families are turning to Yelp for reviews about senior care. Families tend to find Yelp more reliable and more relatable—especially since reviewers on Yelp are families of seniors (and seniors themselves) who need care. So how do you go about using Yelp to your advantage?
Claim Your Listing
As mentioned above, you can find and claim your business on Yelp through their business portal. Your business exists on Yelp whether you claim it or not, but without your claim, you can’t respond to reviews or receive notifications about feedback on your services. This means reviews go unanswered, which as we know, is a big no-no.
$8,000 a Year in Possible Revenue*
Yup, you read that right. One 2013 study found that customers were more likely to visit or buy from a business that had a verified page on Yelp. Consumers are more likely to engage with a business presence that is reputable, and verifying your listing is the strongest way to build that trust.
*$8,000 average increased revenue over businesses that did not claim and verify their free Yelp business page.
Accurate Information
Unclaimed, your listing may be subject to some weird information. Incorrect addresses, phone numbers, hours, and more are common woes among unclaimed business listings. The only way to ensure that all the information is right is to, of course, claim your listing.
Reviews
Yelp reviews, again, are more “human”. Your customers are more likely to turn to Yelp than they are CMS, which is often vague and incredibly data-driven—which isn’t necessarily something you might want when you’re trying to determine how kind or caring the physical therapist might be. Yelp allows for first-hand experiences that you can share on your social media platforms. You can also report them (for things such as language, irrelevancy, etc.), or even message the reviewer privately (especially handy if they had a negative experience with you).
You can also boost your Yelp visibility on your website, or even in your front window. The Yelp Review Badge is an embeddable asset you can feature on your website or a physical sticker you can request. The Yelp Review Badge can be a small, subtle reminder for your customers to review you. It’s free and easy to get, but you have to—you guessed it—claim your business listing first.
Photos
Users can always submit their own photos, but with a claimed listing, you can submit official photos of your resident apartments, physical therapy gyms, or skilled nursing services. These photos, much like with Google, help people see your facility through a positive lens and give prospective families a peek into life at your facility or under your care.
Boost Your SEO
Unsurprisingly, Yelp is seen as a very authoritative source by Google. Inbound links from reputable sources to your content can do wonders in helping you get to page one of those pesky search results—a battle that may always seem uphill. Claiming your listing allows you to link to your website’s content in a reputable way, which in turn boosts your visibility with search engines through link-building.
Need help getting started? Give us a call ((800) 448-5213) or contact us online.