Yelp is one of the most popular online review platforms. And has a big impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions.

Getting more positive Yelp reviews for your business can help you improve your online reputation, increase visibility, and drive more customers.

But Yelp’s strict guidelines prohibit businesses from requesting reviews from customers. So what can you do to generate more Yelp reviews without breaking the rules?

In this guide, we show you five different strategies for how to get Yelp reviews for your business consistently.

Why Yelp reviews matter

Yelp isn’t just a review platform, it’s a discovery engine that has a big impact on consumer behavior. Getting more positive Yelp reviews can help businesses:

Increase trust: Reviews allow you to establish trust and credibility with potential customers. Seeing plenty of positive feedback on your business will make people feel more comfortable about buying from you.
Improve search engine rankings: Your online reputation plays a part in how Google ranks your business in local search results. Having more reviews on platforms like Yelp can increase your chances of achieving higher rankings for relevant searches.
Drive more revenue: Getting consistently high ratings and positive reviews on Yelp will make it easier to convert interested prospects into customers. And allow you to generate more revenue for your business.

Yelp’s review policy: what you need to know

Yelp’s review policy explicitly forbids businesses to ask for reviews directly.

This includes asking customers for reviews in person, over email, or via text.

Businesses ignoring this rule might get their reviews hidden by Yelp’s algorithm.

So what should you do to get more reviews?

Yelp recommends that businesses strive to inspire customers to leave reviews by providing a great customer experience, engaging with existing reviews, and creating more opportunities for customers to engage with your Yelp page.

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5 ways to get more Yelp reviews

Ready to get more Yelp reviews for your business? Follow these steps.

1. Claim and optimize your Yelp profile

Before you focus on getting more Yelp reviews, you first need to make sure that you’re able to manage your Yelp profile. This will let you update all your business’s information and reply to customer reviews.

Start by visiting this page and typing in the name of your business. Then, select “Add business with this name.”

On the next page, add your business information and email address. You’ll then need to verify your account using email or SMS.

Once you complete verification, you’ll get full access to your Yelp profile.

Next, optimize your Yelp page by doing the following:

Choose the right category: Select a category that accurately describes what you do to make sure customers are able to find your business. Choosing the wrong category might make your business essentially invisible to potential customers.
Update your business information: Make sure your business’s website, phone number, hours, and service information are up-to-date. This will ensure customers can reach and find your business when they need your products or services.
Upload photos: Add high-quality photos of your business to make your Yelp page more engaging. And show potential customers that you’re a real business.

2. Create a review-worthy customer experience

One of the best ways to get more Yelp reviews is to deliver an experience that customers want to talk about. If you make your customers happy, they’ll have no problems leaving glowing reviews for your business.

Here’s how you can create an outstanding customer experience:

Deliver a personalized service: Train your staff members to offer personalized service to customers. This includes remembering each customer’s name and preferences. And offering a service that caters to their specific needs and wants.
Address common complaints: Regularly read through customer reviews and note common complaints. Address the underlying issues to ensure future customers don’t experience the same problems.
Delight customers: Adding small touches throughout the customer experience, such as a handwritten thank-you note or a surprise treat, can leave a lasting impression. And make it more likely that customers decide to review your business.
Be consistent: It’s not enough to offer a great customer experience occasionally. You need to be consistent and make every experience delightful.

3. Encourage reviews (without asking)

While you can’t ask for Yelp reviews directly, there are a few ways you can encourage reviews:

Display a Yelp sticker at your location

A simple Yelp sticker can be a great reminder for customers to leave a review for your business.

Place it at a visible spot, but don’t make it intrusive. A good place to put it is at your checkout counter.

Link to your Yelp page from your email signature

Add a simple link to your Yelp page to your business’s email signature, inviting customers to check out your business’s Yelp reviews.

Keep in mind that you can’t ask them to leave reviews directly. But nudging them toward your Yelp page could potentially remind them to leave a review on their own.

Share top customer reviews on social media

Showcasing positive customer reviews on your social media pages can entice other customers to write their own reviews.

You can use ReviewsOnMyWebsite’s social sharing feature to turn your Yelp reviews into engaging social media posts and share them on your social profiles in a few clicks.

All you need to do is find a review you’d like to share in the review feed section. And then click the “Social share” button.

The social sharing feature in ReviewsOnMyWebsite

Use a QR code

You can create a QR code that leads customers to your Yelp page. And add it to your brochures, receipts, or menus.

ReviewsOnMyWebsite’s QR code feature allows you to create a QR code with ease.

To start, visit the “QR Codes” section under “Collect Reviews.” From here, add a name and link for your QR code, and choose a template and color.

The QR code feature in ReviewsOnMyWebsite

Finally, click on “Create QR code” to generate your code.

4. Respond to reviews (and earn more)

Seeing that you engage with and respond to reviews shows customers that you care about their experience. And can make it more likely that they decide to leave a review themselves.

You should respond to all the reviews your business gets (yes, even negative ones). And do it as soon as possible. According to our research, most consumers expect businesses to reply to reviews within three days.

A graph showing how soon consumers expect businesses to respond to reviews

When it comes to replying to positive reviews, remember to thank the customer for the review and their business, and invite them to buy from you again.

As for negative reviews, be careful not to anger customers further. Acknowledge their frustration and offer to make things right. For example, you could offer them a refund or a do-over.