Introduction
Yelp listings are a great way to reach the people searching for a business. Many people will use the platform to find an address and phone number or see yelp reviews to make decisions about using a product or service.
A business listing also helps to improve your online presence and build trust with your clientele base. They are also great because profiles often perform well for relevant search queries. But what happens when you have a duplicate yelp listing?
Can that affect your overall business visibility and SEO? In this article by the Cindtoro team we will teach you what a duplicate listing is, why they happen, how they affect SEO and ways to prevent them.
What are duplicate yelp listings?
Duplicate Yelp Listings often only have a few minor issues making them difficult to find unless you are looking for them. A business can create a duplicate listing by having slightly different names, categories, and addresses.
Why Does This Happen?
A duplicate Yelp listing occurs when there are multiple Yelp pages for the same business location. This can lead to confusion and inaccurate information for users. Yelp actively discourages duplicate listings and encourages businesses to ensure they have only one page for each location.
Can duplicate yelp listings affect seo
Yes, duplicate yelp listings can affect SEO this is because a duplicate listing confuses both search engines and potential customers alike. In the context of a search engine and SEO when the search engine crawler encounters a duplicate yelp listing they have trouble picking which is the accurate version.
When this happens they will decrease the visibility of the profile to ensure their users (people who browse the web) do not get scammed by a business. That said, having a copy of your listing does not mean Google looks at your business like you are a scammer. They are just trying to protect their user base hence not showing your business to more potential clients.
When Can You Have Multiple Listings?
Having multiple Yelp listings is okay but ONLY IF you have multiple physical locations that you would like to have reviews for independently, in this use case you would have one listing per location the same way you would with a Google Business Profile for every distinct location you operate.
How To Fix Duplicate Listings?
If you find duplicate listings, you can report them directly to Yelp through the “Edit” link on the business page. Next check the “This is a duplicate of another business on Yelp” box.
You’ll also need to provide the URL of the other duplicate listing and any additional context, and submit the changes. You will then have to wait a few days for their team to verify the information you submitted is correct and there is a reasonable need for a takedown request.
Here is a step by step way on how to fix your listing:
From the website (www.yelp.com)
1. Find the business page
2. Click the Edit link:
3. Check the This is a duplicate of another business on Yelp box at the bottom
4. Provide your email if you’re not logged in to a user account
5. Provide a link to the duplicate business page(s) and any further information
6. Click Submit Changes
From an iPhone
1. Find the business page
2. Tap the More Options icon:
3. Tap Edit Business
4. In the Notes field, let our moderators know that the page is a duplicate
5. Tap Done
6. Tap Submit
From an Android
1. Find the business page
2. Tap the Overflow Menu:
3. Tap Edit Business
4. In the Notes field, let our moderators know that the page is a duplicate
5. Tap Done
6. Tap Submit
Preventing Future Duplicate Listings
Your business does not have to be plagued with the SEO woes of having duplicate listings forever. There are some additional steps you can take to prevent this from happening again. This can be done in a few key ways:
- Checking for Duplicates
- Educating Employees
- Using Listing Management Tools
- Claiming Your Business
Regularly Check for Duplicates
First you should regularly search for your business listing online. This is one of the fastest ways to see if you have a problem. In order to ensure that you don’t miss anything, flip through the Google search results pages.
Even if your listing is found on page 2 or any other page it will harm your SEO efforts in the long run. In the event that you find a duplicate business profile you should follow the steps we laid out above in order to merge and fix the duplication.
Educate Your Employees
Sometimes a duplicate listing can accidentally be created by an employee of your company. There are a number of reasons why this could happen, perhaps they wanted to help your business, or they were tasked with creating a Yelp listing and did not check the search results beforehand ( the second option is likely the most common).
If an employee is the cause of your troubles you should educate them on the importance of complying with Yelps guidelines and let them know if they see two profiles they should come to you straight away to get any issues resolved.
Use Listing Management Tools
A listing management tool is a software that enables you to manage your online presence and get an overview of your business information on the internet. It does this by scanning all the places that you could be listed in while allowing you to see items such as the websites you have duplicates on, number of reviews, and other important details. Popular listing management tools are YEXT, Birdeye and others.
Claim Your Business And Optimize Yelp Listing
As a business owner you should have control over your Yelp business profile. By not having control you are opening the door for some major negatives to your advertising efforts. The best way to gain control is to claim your listing.
When you go through steps to claim your business listing you gain the ability to optimize your overall SEO and rank higher on the search engine. The power of having an owner verified profile will allow you to unlock your “Yelp SEO” giving you the ability to respond to reviews both negative and positive, target relevant keywords and enhance your local SEO.
Conclusion
In summary, yes, duplicate listings can affect your SEO. They can happen to any business at any time and can be detrimental to your online reputation. Don’t let it happen to you or your business. Follow the steps we laid out to fix any issues you have and If you need help taking care of your issues with Yelp or other platform our team would love to help you.