For local businesses, Yelp is a powerful platform that can drive foot traffic and sales. With over 244 million reviews and tens of millions of users each month, Yelp continues to be one of the most trusted websites for consumers to research restaurants, service providers, and brick-and-mortar businesses. 

If your business is listed on Yelp and you're looking to boost your review count, this guide is for you. We'll cover different strategies to help your business get more reviews and stand out from the competition. 

Why Reviews on Yelp Matter

It's important to understand why Yelp reviews carry so much weight. 

  • Influences decisions: 93% of shoppers say online reviews influence their buying decisions.
  • Search visibility: Yelp pages often rank on Google, such as business information and content (such as reviews or photos) posted by Yelpers. More reviews and ratings can lead to better SEO and visibility both on Yelp and beyond.  
  • Social proof: Many users use Yelp as a trusted source of information. So if your business has a weak or outdated profile, it can lose trust.

1. Provide an Outstanding Customer Experience

If the service or product you offer is mediocre, even the best review strategy won't help! But if you go consistently go above and beyond, customers are more likely to leave a review - often without being asked.

So even if your business is a restaurant, cafe, or a service provider, some tips to consider are:

  • be attentive and personable
  • respond to any inquiries and resolve any problems quickly and professionally

2. Use Yelp's Tools

Yelp offers a suite of tools to help promote your business page. This includes:

  • "Find us on Yelp" stickers. These can come with your business kit, or they can be ordered through your Yelp dashboard. Here is how you can request one for your business.
  • Add a Yelp badge to your website that links to your business page.
  • QR codes: Display a QR code in your physical location that customers can scan to leave you a review. 

You want to place the QR code that is in close vicinity to where the customer so they can clearly see it. You can use a platform like GetReviews.ai to generate a branded landing page and a QR code. For the signage, you can easily create one on free tools such as Canva. Print the signage and display it at checkout, on your counter, or even on receipts. 

Here's an example:

This makes it nearly effortless for your customers to leave a review while they’re still thinking about their experience. This approach helps you nudge customers towards Yelp without explicitly asking for a review.

3. Optimize Your Yelp Profile

Before you ramp up efforts to get more reviews on Yelp, make sure your Yelp page and profile is polished and professional:

  • Add high-quality photos of your location, products, team, or services.

  • Keep business info accurate: hours, phone number, location, and website.

  • Respond to reviews, both positive and negative, to show you’re engaged.

  • Use relevant keywords in your business description for better searchability.

The more complete your profile, the more likely a customer is to trust—and review—your business.

4. Engage with Existing Reviewers

Responding to Yelp reviews (especially negative ones) shows that you value feedback and care about your customers. This also encourages others to leave reviews, knowing their voice will be heard.

Tips:

  • Be polite and professional.

  • Acknowledge positive feedback.

  • Offer a solution to complaints—but take the conversation offline if needed.

5. Mention Yelp on Your Social Media

You can mention your presence on Yelp in a natural way through your marketing channels. For example:

  • “We’re proud to have over 100 five-star reviews on Yelp!”
  • Include Yelp links in your Instagram bio, Facebook posts, or newsletters.
  • Celebrate milestones: “Thanks for helping us reach 500 reviews!”

Growing your Yelp review count takes time, consistency, and a little creativity—but more reviews lead to more trust, more traffic, and more revenue. 

By making it easy and natural for customers to find you on Yelp, you’ll build a reputation that fuels long-term growth—one review at a time.

Want help automating review collection across multiple marketplaces like Amazon, Target, and Walmart? Tools like GetReviews.ai can help you streamline the process with package insert QR codes and review funneling. 

Here are some additional guides to help set up your GetReviews surveys:


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