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.

What Was the Yelp Enhanced Profile?

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.

Custom Calls to Action

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.

Removal of Competitor Ads

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.

Customized Slideshows

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.

What Is the Yelp Upgrade Package?

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.

What Are the Benefits of the Upgrade Package?

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. 

Business Highlights 

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.”

Yelp Connect 

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.

Logo

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.

Portfolio 

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.

Verified License

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.

What Do Page Upgrades Mean for the Yelp Enhanced Profile?

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. 

Improve Your Yelp Marketing Strategy With Optimize

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!