New Yelp Relevance, AIO Contrarians, AI Browsers, ChatGPT 700M

ChatGPT, AI Mode Give Yelp New Relevance

For the past several years at least, Yelp user traffic and review growth have been flat. But over the past 12-18 months product and UX improvements have helped to generate usage growth. (Ad revenue increases have come largely from higher CPCs.) Generally, Yelp is eclipsed by Google in both traffic and review volume. But inclusion as a frequent source by both ChatGPT and AI Mode is breathing new relevance into Yelp for local marketers. For local searches, across service-business categories, Yelp is routinely cited by ChatGPT, often prominently. AI Mode and, sometimes, AI Overviews source from Yelp as well. AI Mode is more unpredictable since Google relies so heavily on Google Business Profiles. But Yelp is often present there. When I asked ChatGPT why it so frequently cites Yelp it said, "Yelp usually has the most detailed and recent user reviews for local businesses [and] Yelp’s listings are often among the top organic Google search results for service-related queries." It cited Yelp's "rich metadata" (e.g., hours, photos, menus, services) and that it captured "authentic, community-sourced feedback" (it also likes Reddit for that reason). Interestingly, ChatGPT said that it cross-references Yelp with other sources such as "Healthgrades, Opencare, and Zocdoc for doctors and dentists; Reddit for local nuance and less-commercial advice; Diamond Certified or Houzz for contractors; and Google Maps and the BBB for corroboration or complaint tracking."