As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to reach new customers and grow your bottom line. Advertising is one of the most effective ways to do this, but it can be tough to decide which is the right platform to use.
However, Yelp is one option you might want to consider to grow your business. Here’s what you need to know about Yelp advertising, including its costs and benefits.
Key Points
- What Is Yelp Advertising
- How Does Yelp Advertising Work
- How Do You Set Up Ads on Yelp
- How Much Does Yelp Advertising Cost
- Pros of Yelp Advertising
- Cons of Yelp advertising
- How to Cancel Yelp Ads
- Our Takeaway
What is Yelp Advertising?
Yelp Ads is a form of online advertising that allows businesses to target potential customers who are searching for products or services on Yelp. Here’s why you should care—97% of users purchase a product or service after visiting Yelp.
Companies can create ads that appear in the search results when someone searches for keywords related to their business. That’s not all. They can also choose to display their ad on specific Yelp business pages.
How Does Yelp Advertising Work?
When someone goes on Yelp and searches for a keyword that’s related to your business, your ad may appear in the search results. Your ad will not only be displayed on your business’s Yelp page, it may also be shown to people who have searched for similar businesses in the past.
Yelp Ads works on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis, which means you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.
How Do You Set Up Ads on Yelp?
Considering that almost 9 in 10 buyers complete a purchase within a week with a local business they found on Yelp, it is crucial for your company to get started with Yelp Ads. Here’s how.
Select a Goal for Your Ad Campaign
When it comes to advertising on Yelp, the first step is to select a goal for your ad campaign. The options include letting Yelp optimize it, getting more phone calls, or having more website clicks.
Choose a Photo for Your Ad
The next step is to select a photo for your ad. You can either upload an image from your computer or leave it to Yelp to test different pictures and learn which one generates the most clicks.
Write Your Ad Text
After you’ve chosen a photo, you’ll need to write your ad text. This should include a headline, a description, and a call-to-action (CTA).
For instance, your text should contain valuable information about your company’s history, the products and services you offer, and the costs.
Choose Your Keywords
Choosing the right keywords for your ad will help you reach people who are already looking for your product or service. You can either choose from Yelp’s suggested keywords or enter your own.
Choose Your Ad Location
The next step is to choose the location where you want your ad to be shown. You can set the range of how far away from your business location your ad can reach. You can either focus on potential customers near you or cast a wider net and service farther areas.
Set Your Daily Budget
After you’ve completed all of the steps above, you’ll need to set a daily budget for your ad campaign. Apart from choosing among existing budget options, Yelp allows you to set your own daily budget.
Add Your Billing Information
The final step involves reviewing your previous selections and making changes as necessary. This is also when you’ll be asked to provide your billing information. Yelp will automatically charge your credit card each time someone clicks on your ad.
How Much Does Yelp Advertising Cost?
When it comes to Yelp advertising, the cost depends on several factors, including business location and industry.
However, companies can expect to pay anywhere from $300 to $1,000 per month. The latest data from Yelp shows that advertisers who spend anywhere along this range had three times more impressions than before they advertised. While the cost may be too much for some businesses, the potential traffic makes it a worthwhile investment for many companies.
Pros of Yelp Advertising
Now that you have a better understanding of Yelp Ads, it is time to highlight which benefits come with using this platform.
Reach
Over 178 million people visit Yelp every month, so businesses have the potential to reach a large audience by advertising on the platform.
Visibility
When someone hops on Yelp and searches for keywords related to your business, your ad will be displayed prominently in the search results.
Engagement
Yelp users are actively engaged with the platform, and they’re more likely to click on ads that are relevant to their interests.
Tracking
Yelp provides businesses with detailed insight into the performance of their ads. This allows them to track their ROI over time.
Cons of Yelp Advertising
Like every platform, Yelp Ads comes with some considerable downfalls. Here are some.
Cost
Yelp advertising will usually cost more compared to other PPC advertising platforms like Facebook Ads or Google Ads. So, it might be an expensive choice for many companies, especially small businesses.
Competition
The higher the number of Yelp users, the more aggressive the competition is. That said, it’s not a secret that many businesses might find it challenging to stand out from the crowd.
Commitment
Managing a successful Yelp ad campaign requires a lot of time and effort.
How to Cancel Yelp Ads
If you are in a non-term contract with Yelp Ads, you can stop or pause your campaign anytime. Here’s how to do it:
- Log in to Yelp for Business and visit the Billing page
- Go to Your Products and select Manage.
- Click on the Cancel icon next to every campaign you want to delete. On the other hand, if you only want to pause the campaign, select the Pause icon.
- Follow the prompts and refresh the page to make sure your cancellation is successful.
If you decide to resume your Yelp ad campaign, you can do so at any time by following the steps above, and instead of selecting the Cancel or Pause button, just click the Resume button.
Yelp Advertising: Our Takeaway
All in all, we can conclude that Yelp advertising is definitely worth your time and effort. It is a great way to reach potential customers that are already looking for the products and services you offer.
With various ad options and the ability to specifically target your desired audience, Yelp provides an efficient way to reach new customers. Moreover, with Yelp’s pay-per-click model, you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.
If you’re looking for a new way to reach potential customers, consider giving Yelp Ads a try.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yelp advertising worth it?
Despite what some small business owners may think, advertising on Yelp is definitely worth the investment.
Not only does it give businesses the chance to put their best foot forward with a well-crafted ad, but it also provides an opportunity to reach a wider audience if needed. So, if you’re wondering whether or not Yelp Ads is worth it, the answer is a resounding yes.
Where do Yelp Ads appear?
Yelp Ads appear on business listing pages and search pages for specific businesses or categories. Companies can choose how their ads look by adding images, videos, and call-to-action buttons.
How much is Yelp advertising?
While Yelp advertising cost depends on the type and location of your business, the average monthly range can be anywhere from $300 to $1,000.
This may seem like a lot, but keep in mind that Yelp is one of the most popular review sites alongside Google Ads.