I Hated Yelp… Until It Made Me $115K Last Month

If you’re a home service business owner who thinks Yelp is a waste of money, you’re not alone.

When I was running a $3 million HVAC business, Yelp reps would call me constantly, trying to convince me to spend more. It felt like a black hole unclear ROI, pay to play reviews, and vague promises about local searches.

One business even told us their Yelp password was literally YelpSucks. Sound familiar?

But here’s the twist: Yelp works when you know how to use it.

Last month, we helped an HVAC client generate $115,000 in revenue from Yelp ads with a 12X return. After testing, optimizing, and figuring out what actually moves the needle, I’m going to share the 8 strategies that made it happen.

Let’s break them down so you don’t waste money and actually get results.

First, Let’s Bust Two Big Yelp Myths

Myth #1: Yelp users are just broke kids looking for restaurants.
Actually, according to Yelp’s own data:

• 39% of users are 55+
• 62% have college degrees
• 56% earn $100,000+

That’s your ideal home service customer: educated, older, and with disposable income.

Myth #2: No one searches for HVAC on Yelp.
That’s true they usually start on Google. But Yelp ranks high in Google search results. For example, someone types best HVAC company in city, and Yelp shows up as the 8th result, listing the “Top 10 HVAC contractors.”

On top of that, Yelp powers Apple Maps, Siri, Alexa, Samsung, and more. So even if a customer doesn’t think they’re using Yelp, they are by default.

Step 1: Optimize Your Yelp Profile Like a Pro

Before you spend a dime on ads, fix your foundation. Here’s how:

1. Fully Optimize Your Business Page

• Add before-and-after photos, especially for services you want to rank for.
• Write a compelling About the Business section with keywords (services, locations, team size, founding story).
• Update hours, contact details, and activate Business Owner Messaging.
• Highlight key services and add project portfolios (available with Yelp Ads).

2. Set Up “Request a Quote”

If you’re paying for ads, don’t skip this. It’s a powerful call toaction:

• Add tracking numbers
• Insert promos like “10% off if you mention Yelp”
• Use online scheduling links if available

3. Dial in Targeting

Use specific ZIP codes, not just a radius. Focus on affluent areas. Yelp lets you see your target area size and tweak from there. Clean up irrelevant keywords monthly so you don’t pay for junk leads.

Step 2: Build Rock-Solid Attribution

If you don’t track results, you’ll never know what’s working.

Here’s how we do it:

• Use a custom tracking number not Yelp’s default one they only show the last 4 digits.
• Create a Yelp-specific landing page to track form submissions.
• Add promo language to your profile like “Mention Yelp and get $50 off” to encourage customers to self-identify.

Then, set up a simple report every month:

• Total Yelp spend
• Leads generated
• Jobs booked
• Revenue earned

You can automate a lot of this with your CRM, but it’s key to have your team tag leads as Yelp so you can pull accurate reports.

Step 3: Assign a Dedicated Yelp Lead Responder

Most Yelp leads are messages, not calls.

You need someone on your team CSR or salesperson owning Yelp:

• Respond to leads in under 10 minutes Yelp displays response time!
• Book appointments fast
• Enter leads into your CRM with Yelp as the source

💡Pro Tip: Offer an incentive. For example, $5 per Yelp job booked. It motivates your team to follow up on nights, weekends, and slow times.

Step 4: Use Your Own Tracking Numbers

I mentioned this earlier, but it’s worth repeating.

Don’t rely on Yelp’s built-in call tracking. Their dashboard hides full numbers. Use your own tracking number so you can see:

• Full caller ID
• Call recording
• True attribution

This alone can 2X your tracking accuracy.

Step 5: Craft Winning Autoresponder Messages

Here are a few proven templates:

Option 1:

“Hey Dan, this is Phil with Flash HVAC. Is now a good time to chat? Call us here: (tracking number).”

Option 2:

“Hey Dan, we’ve got a Yelp promo: $39 service calls for first-time customers. Tell me more about what’s going on?”

If they ghost you, follow up the next day:

“Hey Dan, were you able to take care of that HVAC issue? We have a promo going on if you still need help.”

The goal is to spark a conversation not just pitch your service.

Yelp can be a Profit Center

Most contractors give up on Yelp because they:

• Don’t optimize their profile
• Don’t track results
• Don’t follow up with leads

But the ones who do? They win.

Yelp is not a magic bullet. But with these 8 strategies, it can become a predictable profit center for your home service business.

If an HVAC contractor can turn $9,000 in Yelp ad spend into $115,000 in revenue, so can you.

Need help setting this up?
We’ve helped dozens of service companies turn Yelp into a money machine. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start scaling, get in touch here.