Streets Ahead: YELP’s AI Transformation, TikTok Search and Generative Optimization

In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Yelp’s AI transformation, TikTok’s search revolution and why Generative Optimization misses the point.

Yelp’s AI Transformation: From Static Listings to Living Conversations

The News Yelp’s 2025 Fall Product Release signaled a major leap toward an AI-driven future in local discovery. The update introduced more than 35 new features designed to make the platform more conversational, personalized, and intuitive for both consumers and businesses.

At the core of this evolution is the enhanced Yelp Assistant — an AI chatbot that can instantly answer detailed questions about restaurants, retailers, and local attractions, drawing from reviews, photos, and business data. The release also debuts Menu Vision, a visual tool that lets users point their phone at a menu to view dish photos, ratings, and reviews in real time.

For business owners, Yelp has launched Yelp Host and Yelp Receptionist, two AI-powered call management tools that handle inquiries, reservations, and messages using natural, brand-customizable voice AI.

Additional highlights include:

• Natural language and voice search for more intuitive discovery.
• Popular Offerings, which surfaces the most-mentioned products and services on a business page.
• AI-organized media galleries, helping users make faster, smarter decisions when comparing services or hiring professionals.

Why This Matters.  Yelp is redefining local discovery by moving beyond static listings to deliver a dynamic, AI-powered experience. With conversational search and instant, context-aware answers, users can now engage with Yelp as if chatting with a knowledgeable local guide, finding what they need faster and more intuitively.

For businesses, this AI transformation unlocks higher-quality leads, faster response times, and richer storytelling opportunities.

New tools like Yelp Host and Yelp Receptionist use natural voice AI to reduce missed calls and streamline customer communication, while AI-driven insights surface what customers love most about each business.

Together, these innovations transform Yelp into a smart, interactive discovery platform … one that blends the authenticity of community reviews with the intelligence of modern AI to connect people and local businesses more meaningfully than ever before.

TikTok’s Search Revolution Is Redefining the Customer Journey

The News  Search is evolving and TikTok is leading the shift from answers to inspiration. At Advertising Week New York, Rema Vasan, TikTok’s Head of North America Business Marketing, shared how search behavior is moving beyond quick facts toward discovery, storytelling, and perspective.

According to TikTok data, users turn to the platform’s search to learn, explore personal interests, and be entertained … especially among Gen Z, where 86% now use TikTok for search over traditional engines.

Experts say this makes TikTok a powerful middle-funnel discovery channel, bridging curiosity and conversion. In fact, a joint study with WARC found that 84% of TikTok searches happen during the exploration phase, 1.2x higher than traditional search platforms.

To deepen this role, TikTok has introduced a Keyword Planner (beta), giving advertisers richer insights into trending search behavior, intent, and context … reinforcing TikTok’s position as both a search destination and an intent driver.

Why This Matters  At Advertising Week New York, Cypress Villaflores, VP of Social at Publicis, emphasized that “search has changed overall as a behavior. It’s not anything anyone can truly ignore. Be open to testing and integrating it into your larger strategies, because human behavior is always evolving.”

For marketers, that means adopting a new search mindset. A mindset one where keyword optimization, influencer strategy, and authentic storytelling converge.
As TikTok gains influence in the exploration and evaluation stages of the funnel, it’s no longer just a social platform … it’s a search engine for inspiration.

As consumer intent shifts from “find an answer” to “find an experience,” brands that invest in social search optimization and authentic, creator-led content will be best positioned to capture attention and convert curiosity into confidence.

Why “Generative Optimization” Misses the Point

The News  Search Engine Journal reports that Benjamin Houy, founder of the AI search tracking platform Lorelight, has officially shut down the tool. He argued that brands don’t need separate Generative Optimization (GEO) solutions to compete in AI-driven search.

Lorelight was built to monitor brand visibility across chat-based assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. In a farewell post, Houy explained that strong performance within AI-generated results still comes down to the same fundamentals as traditional SEO: high-quality content, authoritative mentions, expertise, and reputation.

He dismissed the notion of a new “AI optimization” playbook, asserting that AI models reward the same trust and authority signals that drive visibility across existing search channels.

The move sparked mixed reactions among marketers. Some applauded Houy’s “back-to-basics” stance, agreeing that effective branding doesn’t need another analytics layer. Others countered that AI assistant visibility could become a valuable emerging metric — especially as assistant-driven searches increasingly influence high-intent consumer decisions.

Why This Matters  Our view aligns with Houy’s: success in AI-driven search isn’t about reinventing optimization, it’s about mastering the fundamentals.

AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity surface the same trusted brands that already perform well in organic search, because they’re trained on the same underlying content ecosystems. This reinforces a simple truth: authentic, high-quality content and strong brand authority remain the foundation of visibility — whether the audience is human or AI.

For marketers, the takeaway is clear: skip the niche Generative Optimization shortcuts and double down on credibility with consistent reputation management, accurate business data, and robust local visibility. As AI continues to shape the search experience, the brands that invest in trust, expertise, and content integrity will rise naturally to the top.