Yelp Reviews Anywhere and Everywhere

Consumers can get ready to see more Yelp reviews appearing around the internet and within applications as developers take advantage of an API call limit that was increased 2500%. A recent announcement on Yelp’s official blog invited developers to visit their revamped API site, which has been set up with frequently asked questions and documentation that make developing with the API easier than ever. This article discusses them briefly.

How Has Yelp Changed?

Previously, Yelp’s daily call limit for third-party apps was only 100 per day unless an increase was approved by Yelp. While the previous limit did not stop Yelp from growing and securing a spot on big-name sites and apps such as Yahoo, BMW, and Pebble, it did place limits on Yelp’s influence. One of their competitors, Foursquare, allows 5,000 calls per hour while another, Google Places, allows 50,000 calls per day. This increase from 100 to 25,000 and Yelp’s free and open API is sure to increase Yelp’s visibility around the net, a necessary step to keep the site competitive.

Yelp has prepared for this increase at Yelp for Developers. There is a new interface and detailed step-by-step guides to assist new developers.

Where Will Yelp Reviews be seen?

The Yelp API provides local information for websites and applications. Its review-filtering algorithm has come under criticism in the past, but Yelp remains a popular source of information and consumer opinion. The Yelp review popularity is likely to attract a number of developers that can effectively use the data to increase usability and businesses who trust its marketability.

Many are beginning to realize that the power of consumer reviews is growing steadily. A 2014 study by BrightLocal found that 88 percent of people have read reviews in order to judge the quality of local businesses. 39 percent use them regularly. Only 12 percent pay no attention at all. That’s strong support for the use of reviews as a promotional tool. Yelp has stepped up at the right time to take advantage of this trend.

Whether users are looking forward to it or dreading it, Yelp reviews will be appearing more often. It’s reasonable to assume the increased visibility will also bring in more reviewers. Meanwhile, the API is bound to generate click backs that boost Yelp’s ad-revenue. Even with the existence of formidable competitors like Google and Foursquare, it's safe to say this will boost Yelp's popularity on the web.