Attracting more than 178 million unique visitors monthly, Yelp is one of the most prolific marketing platforms a brand can use to promote its business locally. It also happens to be one of the platforms actively incorporating AI capabilities into its features, including its own ad platform, Yelp Ads.
Yes, AI has become more than a trendy term. It has had an enormous impact on digital marketing platforms in recent years. For Yelp ads, marketers who have learned to use AI have seen an improvement in advertising results and better lead quality generation.
If you haven’t started integrating AI into your Yelp ads, this article can help. Here are seven ways AI-optimized Yelp ads can bring in more local leads for your business:
1. AI-Powered Audience Targeting
Did you know that 97% of Yelp website visitors make a purchase? This shows the potential impact of reaching the right audience with Yelp Ads.
Through AI-powered audience targeting, an AI tool analyzes user behavior and data from Yelp users who have interacted with your business or similar local businesses. By giving you a detailed report on user patterns, preferences, and demographics, AI can help you narrow down your target audience so your ads can reach the people who are most likely to engage with your business.
You can use the Yelp Ads Platform and its built-in targeting features and combine them with tools like AdRoll for better audience insights.
2. Optimized Bidding with AI
AI-driven bidding strategies allow you to automatically adjust your bid prices to maximize ad placement and visibility. This reduces our cost-per-click (CPC) while making sure your ads are displayed at peak times so you can get the best ROI (return on investment) possible. Yelp has a built-in feature exactly for this, and it’s called Automated Bidding.
For example, if Yelp detects that local users are searching for your business/product on Saturday afternoon, then it will automatically raise your ad bids during those times for better visibility.
3. Ad Creative and Copy Optimization
If you haven’t used AI to create your ad copy, you’re likely behind most businesses. According to an Adobe survey, 46% of marketers are already using AI for their ad creation and optimization.
AI tools will not only help you by recommending headlines and descriptions. They will analyze successful past campaigns with popular Yelp search queries to generate an ad copy that will engage your target audience.
A/B testing can also be done more quickly with AI, as it can test multiple versions of your ad copy to learn which combinations generate the best results. One tool you can use for AI-driven ad optimization is Wordstream; it can help you refine your ad messaging based on performance data.
4. AI-Driven Photo Selection
Yelp uses AI to optimize photo selection by automatically selecting the best photo for your ad. It analyzes the performance of different images on your business profile and identifies which ones have historically driven the most engagement.
By selecting the most engaging photo for your ads, Yelp’s AI feature makes sure that your ad visuals will resonate with users to increase the click-through-rate of your ads.
For example, if you own a local restaurant, Yelp’s AI may choose a photo of your most popular dish, boosting the appeal of your ad.
5. Boosted and Negative Keywords for Targeting
Yelp allows advertisers to use boosted and negative keywords to improve ad targeting. And AI happens to play a big role in automating and optimizing this process.
For boosted keywords, AI identifies the most relevant keywords that drive high-intent consumers to your business. This way, your ads are prioritized to show when users search for related key terms. For example, if you’re a dentist in LA, Yelp’s AI might boost keywords like “dental care” to make sure your ad appears at the top when users search for those terms.
AI can also block irrelevant searches by identifying negative keywords. This prevents your ad from showing when users search for certain key terms or phrases that are not relevant to your business. This feature ensures that your budget is only spent on clicks with a high conversion rate.
6. Personalized Recommendations
According to Google, 90% of leading marketers say personalization greatly contributes to business profitability. Another report from McKinsey stated that 76% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase from companies that personalize their marketing content.
Applying personalization to all your marketing channels may be a difficult task. Good thing, though, that AI can actually help you. When it comes to Yelp ads, you can use AI to personalize an ad recommendation based on a user preference or past Yelp activity.
For example, if a Yelp customer frequently checks for vegan restaurants in your city, Yelp’s built-in targeting feature will show an ad specifically promoting your restaurant’s vegan options.
7. AI Chatbots for Instant Lead Engagement
In an article published by Medium.com about chatbots, businesses shared that using chatbots to engage with their customers brought a 67% increase in lead generation.
Over the past two years, chatbots have not only enhanced customer support but also improved the way businesses capture leads. They provide information and answers to queries as quickly as possible, improving conversion rates.
With chatbot tools you can incorporate in Yelp, like Drift and Tidio, you can improve the response rate of your inquiries and close more potential leads. It can also help nurture local leads quickly and provide instant information, converting more searches into bookings, visits, or purchases.
Key Takeaways
Incorporating AI into your Yelp Ads strategy is now a necessity for businesses looking to maximize their local lead generation. It can enhance every aspect of your ad performance to ensure your budget is used effectively while driving better results.
Taking advantage of AI’s optimization capabilities can refine your bidding, improve your ad creative, and provide personalized recommendations that resonate with potential customers. And as competition continues to grow, those who adopt AI for Yelp Ads will undoubtedly see better local visibility and lead quality.
***
If you need assistance with Yelp ads or integrating AI into your existing Yelp ad strategy, Cybertegic can help. We are a Certified Yelp Ad Agency located in Pasadena, specializing in helping local businesses in Los Angeles acquire more local leads and increase revenue.
