Yelp's VP of Product Nicole Lund on What's Next for Local Businesses on Yelp

Today, Yelp unveiled more than 35 new features and updates that will transform how consumers and business owners connect on Yelp. In addition to launching the new Yelp Assistant and integrations with Calendly, Vagaro, Zocdoc, and RepairPal that help businesses and consumers connect more seamlessly, we're also excited to introduce a new AI-powered support chatbot for advertisers, as well as improvements to Yelp Ads that help businesses reach the right customers more effectively.

We sat down with Nicole Lund, VP of Product at Yelp, to discuss the Spring Product Release and how the latest updates are helping local businesses attract more customers, work more efficiently, and grow.

What are you most excited about in this product release for local businesses?

Nicole: Consumer expectations are shifting fast-they want instant answers, more options and to easily get things done. In fact, we know having the ability to complete tasks on trusted platforms matters to consumers; 65% of people say it's important when using AI for local business search, according to a recent study we conducted with Morning Consult. We constantly hear that business owners are stretched thin, juggling operations, customer service, and growth all at once. Every minute they spend going back-and-forth on scheduling or navigating a support issue is time they're not spending on what they do best.

The updates I'm most excited about are those that remove this friction. New and enhanced integrations with platforms like Calendly, Vagaro, Zocdoc, and RepairPal let customers go from discovery to booked appointment without anyone having to play phone tag. Our new AI-powered support tools get advertisers answers in seconds instead of waiting in a queue. And with the new Yelp Assistant, businesses are being surfaced and recommended to customers in a precise and compelling way-right at the moment they're ready to take action. Together, these updates streamline business operations so business owners can focus on what matters most.

Let's dig into integrations. How are the integrations with Calendly, Vagaro, Zocdoc, and RepairPal helping business owners win more customers?

Nicole: We spend a lot of time talking to business owners, and one thing that comes through again and again is that they already have their workflows-scheduling software, lead management tools, and CRMs-and don't want another platform to manage. They want the platforms they already use to work better together.

With our new Calendly integration, for example, when a customer sends a quote request on Yelp, businesses can share their real-time availability with just a few taps. The customer books a time that works, and the appointment status-booked, pending, or canceled-automatically updates in the conversation. No more back-and-forth messages or missed opportunities because someone didn't respond fast enough.

Plus our integrations with Vagaro, Zocdoc, and RepairPal make booking seamless, bringing beauty, fitness, wellness, auto businesses, and healthcare providers even more high-intent leads directly into the platforms they're already using.

And for those managing their leads on Yelp, new status labels and filters in the Yelp for Business inbox let them instantly see where every lead stands-contacted, scheduled, in progress, or done-so they can prioritize what needs attention first. It's a simple change, but it makes a real difference when juggling multiple jobs.

You mentioned Yelp Assistant. What does that mean for businesses?

Nicole: Yelp Assistant represents an entirely new discovery channel for businesses on Yelp. Instead of scrolling through search results, customers can describe exactly what they need - even something really specific-and Yelp Assistant surfaces the most relevant businesses and helps them take action right in the conversation. A customer might say, "My car's check engine light is on and it's making a weird noise. Can you find a shop that can take a look?," and if that's what a business does, Yelp Assistant can surface it and help that customer request a quote or book an appointment, all in one conversation.

What that means is businesses are being recommended to high-intent customers in a much more targeted way. Traditionally, a customer finds a business, researches them, reaches out, and then goes back and forth on scheduling. With Yelp Assistant, that whole journey can happen in a single conversation, with fewer drop-offs and more booked jobs.

Every response is grounded in Yelp's authentic and trusted content from our community, including reviews, photos, and business information. And as we continue expanding its capabilities, Yelp Assistant will become an even more powerful channel for businesses to connect with customers who are ready to buy or hire.

What about advertisers? How are you helping them reach more customers and get more from their presence on Yelp?

Nicole: We've made a number of improvements that make the entire ad experience smoother from setup to optimization. For example, if a business doesn't have photos on their Yelp page, they can now scan their website and import high-quality images to use in ads, removing a common barrier to getting started.

We've also redesigned Yelp Ads to be cleaner and more engaging, with updated layouts and smoother interactions so ads stand out more effectively in search results. When previewing a campaign, businesses will now see their real-time star rating and review count, so they know exactly how their ad will appear to customers.

Once the ads are live, new performance summaries let them track impressions, clicks, and customer interactions on the go. Personalized recommendations surface actionable tips like adding photos or refining service offerings to help optimize campaigns. It's all about making advertising dollars work harder without requiring business owners to be marketing experts.

We're also announcing a new AI-powered support chatbot for advertisers in the Business Owner Account (BOA) that's powered by large language models and can actually understand the nuance of questions. The chatbot does away with rigid menus, canned responses, and long wait times, and allows businesses to ask about things like their account, billing, or troubleshooting and get a tailored answer in real time. It's conversational, not robotic. And if an issue needs a human touch, businesses are seamlessly connected to our support team. The net result is business owners spend less time waiting and more time focused on their business.

Looking ahead, what do you want business owners to take away from this news?

Nicole: Yelp is deeply investing in being a true partner to local businesses, not just a place to get found, but a platform that helps them operate and grow. Every integration, feature, and update here is designed to save businesses time and give them smarter tools to compete.

And this is just the start. We're actively building more AI-powered tools to help businesses engage and nurture leads directly on Yelp, turning more inquiries into booked jobs. We're integrating with more systems they already rely on because we know the lead pipeline doesn't start and end with Yelp. And we're going to keep listening and build to address their needs. The way consumers discover and interact with local businesses is changing fast, and our job is to make sure they're ahead of it.

Learn more about Yelp's Spring Product Release