Raise your hand if you have ever felt personally victimized by Yelp? (Mean Girls).

Almost every business owner and the non-business owner has been on Yelp it’s one of the first review sites to pop up when you google something in your area.  As business owners, especially within the beauty community we often forget about Yelp. There are so many other review platforms we have to concern ourselves with; The Knot, Wedding Wire, and so many more. Yelp is difficult to work with, you never know what kind of review you will receive and there is no way to take people’s false comments. who is even looking for an MUA on Yelp anyway?? What’s the point in claiming your business? I thought the same things but it turns out that Yelp happens to be more important than we all thought. 

Yelp Google Searches Ranking 

Google your business’s name.  Did you do it? Well if you did you will most likely see that right on your first page of Google search results is Yelp. This is because Yelp has optimized the keywords people are most commonly searching for. Search terms like “A Makeup Artist in the Washington DC Area” or “Makeup Artist specializing in Indian Weddings”.These are terms that Yelp knows and their platform is set up to highlight them. A way to improve your Google Search Ranking is to also optimize these commonly searched keywords on the first page of your website. Make sure your business name, phone number, and address are visible on the first page of your website for easy access. Another way around this would be to increase your online presence. Step up your social media game and make sure all of them are linked back to your website.

More Exposure

The more platforms you are on the more exposure you will get. You never know where your next job will come from but if you stay up to date on all platforms offered you’ll probably have a better chance of snagging that job. It also helps with your Google ranking if your Yelp is all filled out. By claiming your Yelp listing you can at least respond to comments as your business, control the keywords used on the platform, and you probably won’t worry as much about the ranking because well you can control it. But the more exposure you receive the more likely you are to book a client that would have never found you. 

Look More Professional 

Claiming your business on Yelp can be a headache trust me. You can’t get negative reviews taken down, they are impossible to contact, and all the special features you have to pay for. However, at the end of the day without even knowing it your business could be on yelp unclaimed. This means the wrong information about your business could be out there. By claiming your business not only does your Yelp page already look more professional but you have control over the information about your business. What time do you open? What days are you closed? How are you handling COVID? What are your prices? Think of Yelp as an extension of your website.  You want all the information to be correct, the photos to be your best work, and give others easy access to your website. The more correct information on your Yelp page the more professional you will look as a business owner. If you’re worried about reviews whenever a client tells you how great your service is or compliments you on your work ask them to leave you a Yelp review. It will take them two minutes and you’ll have a positive review on your page to balance out the bad (that hopefully, you don’t have any of). 

I know Yelp has its downsides and some business owners dread to use it but I hope quick read gave you encouragement and guidance on using Yelp.  It may not always be perfect but you can always make it better. Good luck with the Yelp! And I hope this Helped.