Why Yelp's Restaurant Reviews Might Become The New Instagram

You might never guess, but Yelp has a ton of influence. According to Search Engine Journal, the platform doesn't just give users an outlet to vent their feelings regarding local businesses — 55% of users who search for restaurants end up getting delivery or takeout from searched businesses, and shops that score well on the app end up growing faster. It seems like it's only a matter of time before this site becomes a tastemaker. The Verge reports that the site now features a scrollable feed that's available to users in roughly 150 metro areas across America. Additionally, the app also now features more photos of food taken by customers and restaurants alike.

Yelp didn't stop there with the upgrade. Users can also tap the photos to bring up even more photos and reviews of the dish, potentially making Yelp a foodie's new favorite app. This feature allegedly gives individuals a better idea of what a certain meal looks like and if it warrants a taste. As a result, you may end up with a whole feed of food pictures dedicated to your favorite meals from your favorite restaurants, shot with stunning detail. With an emphasis on food photography like this, the website has the potential to give Instagram a run for its money.

Users who want to really supercharge their Yelp experience might have to pay a bit extra. In a press release, Yelp also detailed how certain businesses can really tap into their customer base by using Yelp Connect, a service that bumps posts to the top of feeds and has the power to boost brand visibility by 30%. This system balances out the app's new Popular Dish feature, which showcases some of the most popular meals at restaurants in your area. With a feature like this, anyone could feel tempted to check out some of the best-looking food in their area for hours.

If you have started to get tired of Instagram food photography, brace yourself for this new era of Yelp. With its new functionality, the app might just have the power to take on the rest of social media, especially when it comes to showing off some great food. Feel free to join in on the fun — if you take photos and upload them to the app, you can show off your own food photography skills to a ton of people in your area and showcase the best items at your favorite restaurants.