Yelp is introducing a new feature that allows users to personalize their search results based on their diet, lifestyle, and accessibility preferences.
Users can create profiles to indicate their specific preferences, ensuring that only places meeting their requirements appear in search results.
This marks the first time Yelp has enabled users to customize search results beyond just location.
Alongside diet, lifestyle, and accessibility, users can include other interests in their profile, such as preferred types of cuisine, favorite attractions, and frequently visited businesses.
Upon conducting a search with personalization options activated, labels will automatically highlight which criteria are met by each business listing.
Yelp’s new “For You” personalization options can be toggled on and off at any time, allowing users to easily access a complete set of search results if desired.
According to Yelp, user-provided information will only be utilized to enhance their experience on the app and will not be sold to advertisers.
Personalization data is sourced from reviews, photos, and responses to questions by other users, requiring no additional effort from businesses to appear in personalized search results.
Yelp emphasizes that, unlike Google, its personalized search results are user-controlled rather than algorithmically generated.
These updates align with Yelp’s initiative to broaden the app’s focus beyond food. Personalization options are starting to roll out for iOS users today and will be available on Android later in the year.
