Yelp unveils 3 new features to transform user experience and boost engagement

The new features simplify finding businesses tailored to users' needs and promote valuable content contributions.

Yelp is set to unveil 3 new features to enhance user experience and give businesses more ways to connect with their customers. The features are:

• Yelp Guaranteed. A satisfaction guarantee program designed to provide peace of mind to users who request quotes from home service professionals.
• An advanced search experience powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs), helping users discover and connect with appropriate businesses for their needs.
• Immersive video, interactive topics, and new reactions in reviews, which are designed to make Yelp contributions more engaging.

Yelp Guaranteed is a satisfaction guarantee program that offers users up to $2,500 back if something goes wrong with their home improvement project.

By participating in the Yelp Guaranteed program, businesses signal their commitment to quality service and customer satisfaction. Program participants post a Yelp Guaranteed badge on their listings.

How it works. Users get the protection if they engage and an eligible business through Yelp’s Request a Quote feature. Users can submit a claim if they encounter difficulties resolving an issue directly with the business – whether it is due to dissatisfaction with the work performed, property damage related to the project, or the business failing to show up for a pre-paid job.

Availability. Yelp Guaranteed is currently available for eligible Request a Quote-enabled advertisers, based on various qualification factors. Users find business participating in the program using a “Yelp Guaranteed” filter in search or looking for the Yelp Guaranteed badge on eligible business pages and in the ‘Projects’ tab.

Yelp Guaranteed is available on iOS devices in San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Seattle, and Washington D.C. The program is expected to be available nationwide on all platforms by summer. It covers some of the most in-demand home service categories, e.g. movers, plumbers, HVAC, contractors, landscapers, and electricians.

Advanced Search. Yelp is working to enhance its search experience by with AI-trained Large Language Models.

Search features announced include:

• Review highlights that make discovering relevant businesses easier by better understanding users’ search intent and highlighting pertinent information from reviews in new snippets that appear under business listings.
• Search suggestions that assist users finding a business anywhere based on search intent, and not limited by location.
• A “Surprise Me” feature for making dinning suggestions.
• Clickable category tags that enhance discovery in search. The tags enable users to refine their search and connect with the appropriate businesses, particularly in the restaurant, food, and nightlife categories.

Yelp expects these features to increase exposure and lead to more inquiries, reviews, and, ultimately, more business opportunities for businesses.

New engagement features. Yelp is introducing new visual and interactive features for users to share their experiences with businesses and engage with or react to reviews.

The new features will aid business growth by showcasing their offerings more effectively, increasing user engagement, enhancing storytelling, improving reputation, and boosting visibility. The features are:

• Videos in reviews: Users can now post high-resolution videos up to 12 seconds in length alongside their text reviews and photos, providing a unique glimpse into their experiences with businesses.
• Review topics for easier writing: To assist users in overcoming writer’s block when crafting reviews, Yelp is introducing interactive review topics – “food,” “service,” and “ambiance” – for restaurant, food, and nightlife businesses. These topics help users keep track of their coverage and suggest other aspects to address. Once a topic is covered, it will automatically turn green with a checkmark at the top of the draft review. Yelp plans to expand relevant review topics to additional categories, such as services, beauty, health, and shopping, in the coming months.
• New review reactions: The “Useful,” “Funny,” and “Cool” review reactions have been synonymous with Yelp for the past 15 years. Now, Yelp is introducing more expressive ways to appreciate users for their reviews with new “Helpful,” “Thanks,” “Love this,” and “Oh no” reactions. These new reactions have resulted in a six-fold increase in reactions to reviews, Yelp said.

Dig deeper. Learn more about the new features here.

Why we care. These new features enhance targeting, visibility, and user engagement for businesses, ultimately leading to better advertising outcomes. The AI-driven search features, personalized recommendations, and visually rich content help connect users with businesses that match their specific needs, increasing the chances of conversion. Furthermore, programs like Yelp Guaranteed can instill trust among users, further benefiting advertisers who participate in the program.