Yelp is an online directory used to help users find businesses in their area. The primary goal of Yelp is to connect businesses and consumers via an online platform. It's been growing in popularity each year since its founding in 2004, and is one of the best platforms to list your business on alongside Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Facebook.

Why You Should Care

Even with the knowledge that Yelp is a fairly big deal in today's online business environment, you may still be thinking "Why do I care? I don’t need a business listing on Yelp." While you might feel like you don’t need to claim your business on Yelp, the fact of the matter is that it’s in your best interests to do so. There are many reasons you should care.

• Your business may have a Yelp listing you aren't aware of, as Yelp will create listings themselves sometimes. In this scenario, you need to get control of the listing so you can respond to customer reviews, update your business info, etc. Even if you don't want to be on Yelp, you may already be there, so you need to at least put yourself in a position to manage the existing listing.
• Every time you list your business on a different platform, you are steadily improving the digital footprint of your business. It increases your website visibility and improves credibility of your business on the internet. The link to your website from that platform is extremely valuable.
• You always want to ensure your business info is accurate. The first two points above go hand-in-hand with this point. You want to have your business in as many different places on the internet as you can, and you want the information in those places to be correct.

Claiming Your Business on Yelp

So, how do you claim your business on Yelp? It's a very simple process, and we'll walk you through it here.

1. First, go to yelp.com and enter your business name and city in the search bar. There is the chance Yelp has created a listing previously. If this is the case, you will find that your business has a Yelp listing. If you do find your business, scroll down until you see the "Add a business" button. Click on that to create a Yelp listing from scratch, and then skip to Step 3.

2. If you business does have an existing listing, go to that listing and check if it is a claimed or unclaimed listing. You will be able to tell, as it will have it marked as one or the other next to the business name. If it is a claimed listing, you will need to call Yelp and have them assist you with logging in. If it is unclaimed, click on the word "unclaimed" to be taken to the page to begin the claiming process.

3. Whether you're claiming an unclaimed listing or creating one from scratch, the process is roughly the same. Enter/edit your business info until it is fully updated and correct.

4. Once finished, you will be taken to the account creation page where you will be asked to provide an email. This will be your Yelp Business Owner Account, and it is what you will use to log in and manage your Yelp listing in the future.

5. Once you've provided an email and password, you will be taken to the verification page. This is the step where Yelp verifies your connection to the business. This is done through a phone call to the business phone number. Click the cal lbutton, and a 4-digit code will be shown to you. Enter this code into the dial pad on your phone when the automated Yelp phone call prompts you to do so.

6. After you've entered the code, you should be verified and ready to go. Yelp sometimes takes up to 48 hours to review and confirm listing verifications, so just be patient for a bit and let Yelp go through their process if you get a message about it once verification is finished.

Finishing Up and Managing Your Listing

Once your listing is verified and published, you can log in with the email and password you provided earlier to manage your listing. Managing your listing is recommended to get the most out of your business listing on Yelp. Important aspects of managing you listing include:

• Responding to reviews. Users leave reviews on Yelp frequently, and you need to ensure you respond to those reviews regardless of if they are a positive or negative review. For negative reviews, you have the opportunity to respond privately to try and resolve the matter and possibly get the user to change their review as will.
• Update your business info. If you change addresses, change your business hours, etc., you need to log in and make that change on Yelp as well. You don't want your customers to be misinformed about your business.
• Add photos and tell people about your business. Adding photos lets users see what you have to offer. You can also write blurbs about your business, your staff, your history, etc. to let people know more about you.
• Yelp Analytics. While not super high tech, Yelp has some basic analytic information that can give you valuable information into how customers interact with your Yelp listing and what kinds of keywords they search for to find your business.

So, have you claimed your Yelp listing yet? If you haven't, use this information to get it done and help improve your business's digital footprint and online visibility today.