Yelp used to be a sound that dogs made. Now that Yelp is a trademark name, dogs are only allowed to bark. If they yelp, it is a trade-bark infringement.
Yelp is an odd name for an online directory, especially for one that has become the king of online, local directories: the kind that not only lists businesses, but also posts reviews that are intended to help seekers make informed decisions about places to go and services to use.
Why Yelp Is King
Yelp is king for the same reason most other kings have ascended to their thrones. Yelp has been winning the battles of the online directory wars. On June 30th, Search Engine Land published the results of research conducted over the 12-month period ending May 2015. Here are some of the eye-opening results:
- Compared to 29 other large (12) and small (16) similar service sites, when those sites were aggregated into their two groups, Yelp’s usage rate had increased 6% while the large sites’ usage had declined by 18% and the small sites had declined by 13%
- Only one other site had a greater individual increase in usage rate than Yelp. That was the Better Business Bureau.
Yelp listings are absolutely free for local businesses. Business owners can post descriptions and photos at no charge. To that extent, Yelp is a directory in which consumers are encouraged to post reviews of local businesses. In that sense Yelp is an OWOM – Online Word-of-Mouth service.
Marketing 101 Review: The best form of advertising is word of mouth.
Yelp has given WOM a power it has never had before – and it is still FREE. (Yelp’s revenue stream is generated exclusively from paid advertising.) Plus, Yelp’s automated recommendation software uses algorithms designed to “select the most useful and reliable [reviews] to help find the business that is right for you.” The software emphasizes quality over quantity.
Why Yelp Is Good for Home Improvement Lead Generation
On June 25 Yelp released the results of a study conducted by Software Advice to determine how effective its service is specifically for home services lead generation. You might want to sit down, because the results are amazing!
- 74% of all people who used a review site to search for home services used Yelp, making it the undisputed king and leaving all others in its dust.
- Yelp is #1 in searches for cleaning, electrical, HVAC, lawn care, pest control and plumbing.
- More than 46,000 home service website visits originate from Yelp every day.
Lead generation is the lifeblood of the home improvement business, necessary to maintain and sustain growth. OWOM is absolutely necessary, and the best online source of OWOM appears to be Yelp.
The Yelp concept works well with the Keyword Connects model of proactively-generated, exclusive, and qualified lead generation. Our researched and vetted leads yield an average conversion rate of between 60% and 80%. We make real connections with real homeowners with real needs, giving your business the chance to reach them before your competitors (who may also be on Yelp) do.
Contact us today to learn how your home improvement lead generation can improve using Keyword Connects.
