Chasing Figures: 15 Thrilling Yelp Statistics in 2023

Yelp has established itself as one of the big shots in the industry of review-based networks. Although Yelp only covers 6% of the market share of all online reviews, it only comes in 2nd after Google, which covers 73%. 

The distance between the two may seem drastic, but Yelp has proven itself time and time again. It remains a formidable competitor among the written-based review platforms. 

After the pandemic, the review platform has turned a corner, drawing an upward scale of increases in many facets. To further demonstrate this, noteworthy 2023 Yelp statistics display its stellar potential.

How Many People Use Yelp in 2023? 

Yelp is a multi-million network with over 80 million monthly visitors. Its accessibility and user-friendly interface make it popular with consumers who need to find businesses catering to their needs. 

A recent survey in the US shows that nearly 12% of the country's consumers use the platform regularly. Yelp also takes the 10th spot on the leading review-based networks, with 71% brand awareness among US respondents. 

To better understand Yelp's influence on online businesses, a more in-depth examination through stats is listed below, including user review status, business base, revenue, and overall reputation on the web.

Statistics on Yelp Reviews 

Yelp users are not idle in expressing their opinions. The app alone has over 265 million cumulative reviews.

People don’t just go to Yelp for fun. They use it for finding good businesses, services, and business options. About 98% of users research their business choices through other people’s reviews before purchasing.  

1. As of June 2023, 19% of Yelp reviews come from Home and Local Services.

(Yelp Newsroom)

Home and Local Services received the most reviews on Yelp, claiming the number one spot. At the same time, the least reviewed category is nightlife, by 2%.

Service providers have close interactions with their employers, which is one of the reasons why feedback on this industry is needed. Consumers place much importance on reviews for quality reference.

2. On Yelp, Over 56% of users like discussing food and drinks.

(Statista, Yelp Newsroom, Yelp Economic Average)

Yelp consumers care more about food than most necessities. Restaurants get the second-most reviews on Yelp, with 17%. Meanwhile, shopping follows in 3rd place.

Multiple business openings soared by 10% from 2021 to 2022. This increase led to fancy restaurants becoming a trend after the pandemic, with a 10%–17% growth in interest.

3. 52% of Yelp reviews are five stars. 

(Yelp Newsroom, Statista)

Good word of mouth does much more for a business than you think. A restaurant may have a 63% probability of packed customers after receiving a 3.5-star review. 

Customer honesty is one of the significant features of Yelp. Consumer reviews can make or break a business’s reputation. This boost makes establishments with good reviews most likely to be recommended by 94% of customers. 

4. Online reviews are more relevant to 79% of Yelp users.

(BrightLocal, Yelp Blog)

With millions of businesses on the platform, customers must have a solid basis for deciding which fits their best interests. The general public prefers online business reviews to recommendations from family and friends. 

Moreover, consumers like complete reviews better. BrightLocal’s survey states that written reviews with star ratings benefit 97% of consumers.  

Yelp User Demographics 

Yelp holds a range of written reviews from users of diverse backgrounds. In 2020, the platform had about 28 million average monthly users in the United States alone. 

The network covers many areas worldwide, and users can assess it in over 32 countries and 219 cities.

Take a closer look at Yelp’s user demographics below.  

5. Women occupy 53% of Yelp’s active user population.

(Earthweb)

Yelp has more active female users than male users. Only 47% of the total user population is male. In addition, over 310,000 businesses were self-recognized as female-headed on the platform in 2022.

These numbers indicate the growing demand for female-based products and services on Yelp. The global market is witnessing a steady increase in women-owned businesses. This change leads to women assuming leadership roles in various industries.

6. 40% of the Yelp user population in the US are ages 55 and above.

(Yelp Press)

Yelp connects people and businesses from all walks of life. The younger generations aren’t the only ones who are chronically online. The highest number of users in the US are aged 55 and above.

This number is followed by 34–54-year-olds, comprising 34%. Meanwhile, users aged 18–34 come in third, covering 24% of the total user base.

7. Yelp users with over $100,000 income comprise 55% of the total user population. 

(Yelp Newsroom, Yelp for Business)

Over half of Yelp users belong to a higher economic bracket, meaning these consumers don’t go on Yelp to simply ‘window shop.’ 83% of users have purchased the products and services on the platform. 

Yelp users with over $100,000 in income comprise 55% of the total user population. While users with revenues between $0 and $59,000 accumulate 21%.

How Many Businesses Are on Yelp? 

Yelp is home to 5.8 million businesses in over 1,500 business categories. The platform may host every kind of enterprise a customer might need, but the list will continue growing. 

The following statistics will dive deep into Yelp’s marketing and business statistics. 

8. Over 310,000 businesses On Yelp are women-owned. 

(Yelp Blog)

Women are not only involved in making reviews but are also active entrepreneurs. As more businesses applied the women-owned attribute, comments referencing the said attribute saw a 64% increase from 2020 to 2021. 

Stats show female users are also seeking out and supporting women-owned businesses. These stats make female markets receive an average rating of 4.41 stars.

9. 45,000 businesses on Yelp were categorized as Black-owned in 2022. 

(Yelp Blog)

Like the women-owned businesses mentioned above, Black-owned enterprises have also significantly increased. In 2021, interest in the black-owned professional services category rose to 30%, with a 33% increase in the food category.

All recorded increases prove Yelp’s initiative worked out for the better. Yelp’s attribute feature successfully elevates customer interest in many business categories.

10. 54% of Yelp users value customer service as the basis for their reviews. 

(EnterpriseAppsToday)

Standards may vary from customer service to brand preference and more. Customer service comes at the top of the list. 

While giveaways and discounts attract 46% of consumers, 40% are likelier to endorse businesses they feel most connected with. On the other hand, 36% intentionally support establishments they like.

Also, businesses focusing on customer experience gain an 80% increase in overall revenue, further improving both business and customers.

Yelp Revenue Statistics

With millions of users and over a hundred thousand businesses, Yelp is a revenue generator, especially as an advertising platform. In 2022, Yelp took its numbers to a new height with $1.1 billion in revenue and a 7% increase in all paying ad locations.

The platform’s revenue status has been consistent since then. To clarify this, look into the groundbreaking Yelp 2023 revenue factsheets below. 

11. Yelp reached $337 Million in net revenue in the second quarter of 2023.

 (Statista, Yelp Investor Relations)

The company experienced a decline in revenue during the 2020 pandemic. Despite that, Yelp has proven itself again as a powerhouse revenue generator, with groundbreaking records as of Q2 2023.

Yelp gained a 13% net revenue increase yearly, as of Q2 2023, with a 25% rise in adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization),  up to $84 million. Their strategic marketing in product investments, location, and sales channels, resulted in higher demands for business advertising. 

12. Yelp had 563,000 paying advertising locations by Q2 of 2023. 

(Yelp Newsroom)

Aside from being a review-based network, Yelp is also one of the largest sites in the advertising industry. The platform generates more than half of its revenue from local advertisements. It makes as much as 89%.

In 2022, 558,000 businesses paid Yelp for advertisements. One of the most significant contributors was the service-based industry, with 231,000 firms paying to be advertised. The numbers explain why the service-based category comprised over half of Yelp’s overall revenue.

13. Yelp reached a $15 million net income in Q2 2023. 

(Yelp Newsroom)

Positive figures are filling up Yelp as the network hits an 84% increase in annual net income. Services claim more than half of its revenue (62%). At the same time, restaurants, retail, and others generated 38%.

Yelp’s positive revenue is unsurprising, as people often look into the website before proceeding with their plans. About 45.18% of users visit Yelp before business transactions and visits.

Statistics Yelp Apps 

Yelp is accessible on various gadgets, from mobile phones to laptops and computers. 

In 2022, 33.03 million unique app devices used the app. This result is unsurprising, as the number of smartphone users in 2023 estimates at 6.92 billion. It resulted in a yearly rise of 4.9%.

The following statistics will further explore the status of Yelp app usage.

14. Yelp’s desktop website received over 38 million unique visitors in 2022.  

(Statista)

Desktop remains a relevant device, with a rate of 50.22%; this includes Yelp users. Unfortunately, desktop activity decreased from 41.56 million desktop device visits in Q4 2020 to 38 million in 2022. 

Many factors contributed to the decline in desktop usage. Reasons may vary from mobility, convenience, and many more. 

15. 59.1 million monthly mobile web users visited Yelp in 2022.  

(Statista, Review42)

Mobile apps can be addicting, with 66% of smartphone users exhibiting signs of mobile addiction. One of these addicting apps is Yelp, which receives 92 million unique mobile users daily. 

People depend on mobile phones for various aspects of their daily activities. Accessing social networks and communicating are two primary phone uses. This activity also includes business transactions through platforms like Yelp. 

16. As of July 2023, Yelp’s organic search traffic had reached 133.9 million. 

(Semrush)

Yelp.com has recorded 11.2% monthly growth up to July. In comparison, paid search traffic decreased by -72.1% with 31,479 searches. Post-pandemic effects, such as the rise of emerging businesses and cities opening up for tourism, greatly influenced these numbers.

The stats above demonstrate the company’s focus and success in search engine optimization. SEO is also one of the significant strategies online websites use to generate more organic traffic.

Summing It Up

Yelp has delivered incredible record-breaking figures for over 19 years since its establishment in 2004. The app has remained resilient amid the COVID-19 crisis and back-to-back international financial dilemmas. 

There are many social platforms to choose from regarding business reviews, yet Yelp still leads. The numbers above show that Yelp demonstrated its immense capability to be one of the world's most reliable customer-based review websites.