What Happened to the Yelp Enhanced Profile?

Yelp is a powerful platform for connecting with local customers and getting discovered by more of your target audience. Next to Google, Yelp is the  second-most popular platform U.S. consumers use to evaluate local businesses. By leveraging the tools that Yelp offers its business users, you can take control of the conversations around your brand. 

With options to upgrade your free Yelp business page with more advanced features, you can create a robust profile and a strong first impression with customers who browse your business listing. The Yelp Upgrade Package is one such option that’s similar to the previous Yelp Enhanced Profile. Learn about the Upgrade Package, how it differs from the Enhanced Profile, and what an upgraded listing can do for your business.

A  Yelp Enhanced Profile went beyond the basic free Yelp page that any business can claim. Unlike basic pages with limited functionality, an Enhanced Profile gave local businesses access to profile enhancements to catch the attention of Yelp searchers. 

While the Enhanced Profile is no longer being offered to new business users, its core features remain intact in the Upgrade Package, detailed in the next section. Here are some key benefits of an Enhanced Profile, available only to those with an existing account.

With a custom call-to-action button, grandfathered-in businesses can convert page visitors into engaged prospective buyers. The prominently displayed button can help encourage calls, messages, appointment bookings, and in-person visits. 

For example, a yoga studio might add a call to action of “Try One Week Free.” Users who click the button could be directed to call, visit the website, or fill out a form to claim a complimentary one-week trial.

While a free Yelp business page displays competitors’ ads, an Enhanced Profile eliminates such ads altogether. By removing competitors’ ads from your page, you reduce the chances of prospects seeing your competition’s information, keeping them focused on connecting with your business over others.

With a free Yelp business page, you lack control over the user-generated content that appears with your business listing. In contrast, an Enhanced Profile lets you choose which photos or videos appear first with your listing in search results. You can also select the order of photos, creating a dynamic, high-quality slideshow that continuously rotates and shows off the best of your brand.

Yelp has now introduced the  Upgrade Package to replace the Enhanced Profile for local businesses new to the platform. The Upgrade Package includes all Enhanced Profile attributes but also offers additional features.

With Page Upgrades, you can further enhance your Yelp business page and search listing to capture users’ attention once they find you through organic search or paid Yelp ads. Whether adding a logo or business updates to your listing, these upgrades let you quickly highlight why you’re the right business for their needs. Ultimately, these enhancements can help convert casual browsers into interested buyers. 

So, what do these upgrades entail, and how can they benefit your business? Read on to explore the different features and benefits of an Upgrade Package with Yelp.

The advantages of upgrading your profile can be significant. According to Yelp,  95% of its users say that when shown two businesses alongside each other in search results, they’d choose the business with Upgrade Package features. Here’s a closer look at the various upgrades available and how they can help your business. 

Differentiate your brand from the competition with Business Highlights, which let you add various eye-catching badges to your page, like “Women-owned & operated” or “Free estimates.”

With Yelp Connect, you can share timely, creative updates with your audience via social media-style posts that appear on your page. For example, a nail salon could create a post about a seasonal pedicure offer or its latest nail art.

Give your page a professional face by adding a logo. Users will see it not only on your business page but also in the search bar dropdown.

The Portfolio feature lets you create photo albums that give users a virtual walkthrough of your best work. You can describe projects in your own words, including the average costs and timelines. 

For example, a contractor could create albums showing the business’s remodeling work in kitchens, bathrooms, patios, and more. Yelp also offers a Nearby Jobs feature to connect with local customers who browse your portfolio and want to request a quote.

Note that both the Portfolio and Nearby Jobs features are only available for select business categories.

Also available for select business categories, verified licenses appear with a blue shield and a checkmark, indicating that Yelp has confirmed a business or employee license. 

If your profession requires licensing, applying for and adding this verification can help you earn prospective customers’ trust. Yelp reports that  82% of users say they would choose a verified business over an unverified one.

If you have an existing Enhanced Profile, you can continue using these features, or you can switch to the Upgrade Package with exclusive pricing by contacting Optimize Digital Marketing. You can also grab a bundle of Page Upgrades with a free trial of the  Upgrade Package .

You can also take advantage of other paid features on Yelp to extend your reach. In addition to Page Upgrades, Yelp has released  over 20 new features aimed at elevating both the user and business experience, including a visual home feed and business summaries that leverage artificial intelligence. 

As  Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman tells Restaurant Dive , the goal is to build an “intent-driven” destination where consumers can discover local businesses and fulfill their purchasing needs. To that end, the introduction of Page Upgrades adds to the Enhanced Profile experience, providing businesses with more opportunities to connect with customers and succeed on Yelp. 

At Optimize Digital Marketing, we understand that navigating Yelp’s paid features and choosing your business upgrades can be a significant undertaking. However, we’ve also seen how effective it can be to pair Page Upgrades with  Yelp Ads — increasing lead generation and  landing primary placements on Yelp search results and competitors’ pages. 

To learn more about how Optimize can help you manage your Yelp profile and take the guesswork out of Yelp marketing,  schedule your free consultation today!