Yelp vs Yext

Yelp and Hatch advance voice AI for restaurants and service pros with OpenAI’s GPT-Live-1

We’ve integrated OpenAI’s GPT-Live-1 into Yelp Host, our voice AI solution for restaurants and Hatch, an AI communication platform for service businesses. Yelp Host and Hatch are among the first solutions to deploy GPT-Live-1, OpenAI’s latest voice model that can listen and respond simultaneously, allowing overlapping speech for more natural conversations.

Affiliate News Roundup: YouTube Shopping, OpenAI–Yelp Deal

This August 17, 2026 roundup summarizes key affiliate and creator-economy developments: Awin published the 'Influencing Retail 2026' report highlighting trust over raw reach; YouTube launched its Shopping Affiliate program in the UK (allowing channels from 500 subscribers to tag products, partnering with Awin and retailers like Boots, M&S, Next, Etsy); OpenAI signed a licensing deal with Yelp to feed verified local reviews and business data into ChatGPT answers; and WSJ reports a rise of AI-generated product videos on TikTok Shop, prompting some brands (e.g., SharkNinja) to restrict AI content. The post also links to resources on affiliate fraud prevention, EU AI Act transparency rules, and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

• Awin published a trend report titled 'Influencing Retail 2026' about trust and purchase decisions.
• YouTube expanded its Shopping Affiliate program to the UK, enabling channels with 500+ subscribers to tag partner products in videos, Shorts and livestreams and integrating tracking in YouTube Studio.
• OpenAI signed a licensing agreement with Yelp to incorporate Yelp's reviews and business data into ChatGPT local answers (reported by Axios).

Yelp, OpenAI Deal Enables ChatGPT Local Discovery

Yelp confirmed in investor communications (Feb 12, 2026) that it has an agreement with OpenAI to surface Yelp business listings, reviews, ratings, photos and other local business information inside ChatGPT and other AI-driven local discovery experiences. Reporting (Axios, July 2026) indicates Yelp is licensing reviews, photos and related content for use in ChatGPT responses; the integration will display Yelp branding and links and is planned to expose Yelp's Request a Quote capability so users can contact local providers directly from ChatGPT. Yelp frames the deal as part of a broader AI distribution strategy and already offers Request a Quote flows and an AI-powered Yelp Assistant. The announcement omits consumer launch timing, geographic or category coverage, data refresh cadence, attribution, pricing and governance; financial terms were not disclosed.

• Yelp confirmed an agreement with OpenAI in investor communications dated February 12, 2026 to extend Yelp business listings and content into AI-driven local discovery.
• Axios reported in July 2026 that Yelp is licensing reviews, ratings, photos and other business content for use in ChatGPT responses.
• The integration will display Yelp branding and links and is planned to add Yelp's Request a Quote feature so users can contact local service providers from ChatGPT.

10-Q Financial Filing Analysis for Yext (2026-09-01)

Yext, Inc. reported its financial results for the second quarter and six months ended July 31, 2026. For Q2 fiscal 2027, total revenue decreased 2% year-over-year to $111.1 million, driven by customer attrition despite contributions from acquired businesses. GAAP net income fell to $13.1 million ($0.13 per share) compared to $26.8 million ($0.22 per share) in the prior-year quarter, primarily due to prior-year favorable fair value adjustments on Hearsay contingent consideration. On a non-GAAP basis, net income rose to $21.2 million from $16.3 million, and Adjusted EBITDA expanded to $34.0 million from $26.4 million, benefiting from ongoing operational discipline and headcount reductions. During the first half of the fiscal year, Yext returned significant capital to shareholders via a $140.0 million self-tender offer and ongoing share repurchases, financed in part by a $50.0 million delayed draw term loan.

• Total revenue for Q2 FY2027 was $111.1 million (down 2% YoY), with GAAP net income at $13.1 million and Adjusted EBITDA reaching $34.0 million.
• Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) as of July 31, 2026, stood at $440.8 million, down 1% YoY, with enterprise customers ($50k+ ARR) growing 2% to $405.9 million.
• Completed a $140.0 million modified Dutch auction tender offer repurchasing 24.35 million common shares at $5.75 per share, partially funded by a $50.0 million term loan draw.

Yext Launches Multiplayer Agent Harness for Marketing

Yext, Inc. announced the launch of a multiplayer agent harness for marketing teams, expanding its agentic marketing platform Scout. The new harness provides a shared, context-rich workspace where corporate teams, field teams, partners, and AI agents collaborate on the same goals. This addresses the problem that AI agents have improved productivity but not necessarily business outcomes, with only 37% of respondents reporting positive enterprise EBIT contribution despite 80% productivity gains, according to McKinsey. Yext's CEO emphasizes the importance of combining human judgment with AI agents that carry historical context and brand knowledge. Scout continuously monitors a brand's presence across search, listings, reviews, and social surfaces, bringing attention to issues and actions. The agent harness is live today with Yext account teams.

• Yext announced a multiplayer agent harness for marketing teams.
• The agent harness is part of the Scout agentic marketing platform.
• Scout monitors brand presence across search, listings, reviews, and social.

Promptwatch CEO on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

Promptwatch founder and CEO Gijs de Groot discusses how search behavior is shifting from traditional engines like Google to AI-driven systems, and why brands must optimize across a broader information ecosystem—what he calls Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Promptwatch, founded in March 2025, offers a platform that measures brand visibility in AI dialog systems, uses CDN log data and other signals to recommend technical and editorial optimizations, and has introduced a new solution called "Agentic AI Search Optimization" that can apply optimizations automatically. De Groot stresses the continuing importance of owned websites, high-quality content, and trusted sources while warning against mass low-quality AI content and an exclusive reliance on LLM-centered strategies.

• Promptwatch was founded in March 2025.
• Promptwatch offers a platform to optimize brand visibility in AI-driven dialog systems and to measure visibility in language-model answers.
• Promptwatch's entry packages start at €85 per month; the company also offers business licenses and enterprise solutions.