You can now add Yelp to the growing list of companies integrating AI to boost its user experience. And like much of the AI advancement and excitement over the past few months, this involves conversational AI and large language models. These technologies will power various Yelp experiences.
For example, Yelp will employ large language models (LLMs) to better mine all the data in its treasure trove of user-generated content. The goal is to boost the search and discovery experience so that the right content is served to the right users, including things like suggesting local businesses.
“One of Yelp’s core differentiators is the breadth and depth of Yelp content, particularly our reviews,” Yelp VP of Consumer Product Akhil Kuduvalli Ramesh told Localogy. “While we have leveraged language models & AI for years — within our search experience, to offer dish recommendations, organize photos of a business and better protect our users — LLMs provide us with immense opportunity because they allow us to harness our review content in ways we haven’t previously been able to.”
AI-Powered
So how is all of the above materializing for Yelp? Here are a few of the specifics.
– Yelp’s enhanced search experience leverages AI and LLMs to surface smarter suggestions and insights when a user knows what they’re looking for:
– LLM-powered review snippets: With LLMs, Yelp can better understand the nuance in consumers’ search intent and surface relevant excerpts from reviews in new snippets that appear under each business listing in Yelp search results.
– AI-powered search suggestions: Yelp will now use AI to provide business suggestions in search that are not bound by the user’s current location.
– “Surprise Me” provides inspiration for where to eat. When you’re having a tough time deciding where to eat, Yelp’s new Surprise Me feature combats analysis paralysis with restaurant selection.
– Yelp is also using AI to launch a new visual and interactive way for people to share their experiences with businesses:
– AI-powered review topics: Users will find new AI-powered interactive review topics that help alleviate writer’s block by indicating which helpful topics (e.g., food, service and ambiance) they’ve addressed in their draft review.
– Review reactions: “Useful,” “Funny” and “Cool” review reactions have become synonymous with Yelp over the past 15 years. The time has come to introduce more expressive ways to appreciate Yelpers for their reviews with new “Helpful,” “Thanks,” “Love this” and “Oh no” reactions.
– AI-driven photo categories on business pages: We’ve redesigned the photo viewing experience on business pages by introducing AI-driven photo categories for food and nightlife businesses. Now, users can easily find photos categorized based on what they’re most interested in – such as the different types of cuisines or dishes a restaurant has to offer.
“With review highlights enhancing the search experience on Yelp, it allows us to better surface helpful insights on local businesses and explain to a consumer why we’re recommending a particular business to them.” said Ramesh. These updates help reduce overall user friction as consumers try to make the most informed spending decision and find the right business based on their needs.”
Greater Confidence
Joining the above list are several other UX upgrades. Here are the finer points, in no particular order…
Bringing video to Connect: Yelp Connect is a paid feature that allows business owners to share important updates directly with consumers. It’s now empowering businesses to upload videos to their Connect posts — from a weekly deal to special menu items to upcoming events, and more.
New navigation and photo experience: A new navigation bar on restaurant, food, and nightlife business pages makes it easy to more efficiently find the information you’re looking for by jumping directly to a business’s menu, amenities, reviews, or other helpful information. It also redesigned the photo viewing
experience on business pages by introducing AI-driven photo categories for food and nightlife businesses, as well as a new sort feature that enables people to quickly see recently added
photos.
More helpful information on the visual home feed: The refreshed home feed now surfaces even more helpful information about local businesses near you, including the numerical rating and total review count of a business, how many other reviewers mentioned a Popular Dish in a positive review, the price of a menu item, your distance from a business and more.
Passwordless Login: Yelp is rolling out a new login experience that won’t require users to remember a password. Now, when logging into Yelp, users will receive a unique email link that seamlessly and securely authenticates with just one click.
Yelp Guaranteed: A new satisfaction guarantee program will help users hire home service professionals with greater confidence. Users will be able to get up to $2,500 back in the event something
goes wrong with a project. When users hire an eligible business through Yelp’s Request a Quote, they’ll automatically be enrolled in the program, allowing them to submit a claim if they run into challenges resolving an issue directly with the business.
“With the introduction of Yelp Guaranteed, we’re bringing even more value to eligible advertising home services businesses by helping them differentiate their business when consumers are choosing a professional,” said Ramesh. “On the heels of the growth we’ve seen with Request a Quote, Request a Call and our ‘Projects’ tab experience, Yelp Guaranteed is another way we’re differentiating the services experience for both sides of the marketplace.”
