Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported record net revenue of $370 million, representing a 4% year-over-year increase, exceeding the high end of the outlook range by $3 million [11] - Net income increased by 16% year-over-year to $44 million, translating to $0.67 per share on a diluted basis, with a net income margin of 12% [11][12] - Adjusted EBITDA rose by 10% year-over-year to $100 million, achieving a margin of 27%, which was $11 million above the high end of the outlook range [11][12] - Average cost per click (CPC) increased by 11% year-over-year, reflecting growth in services demand despite a decline in ad clicks by 7% [12][13] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Services revenue increased by 8% year-over-year to a record $241 million, while revenue from restaurants and retail (RR and O) declined by 5% year-over-year to $113 million [11][12] - The overall number of paying advertising locations decreased by 3% year-over-year to 515,000, driven by a decline in RR and O locations [12] - Project submissions through Yelp Assistant surged by over 400% year-over-year, indicating strong momentum in service offerings [7][10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The operating environment for businesses in the restaurant and retail sectors remains challenging, with macroeconomic pressures impacting consumer sentiment and spending [6][32] - Despite modest increases in advertiser budgets during the second quarter, they did not reach traditional seasonal levels, indicating ongoing caution among advertisers [11][21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a product-led strategy, emphasizing AI-powered updates and services to enhance user experience and drive growth [6][10] - Yelp is expanding its AI capabilities, including the rollout of Yelp Assistant and live testing of Yelp Host, an AI-powered call answering service for restaurants [9][10] - The company aims to leverage trusted content as a differentiator in an AI-driven market, with significant growth in AI search API calls and data licensing products [9][28] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that heightened macroeconomic uncertainties have affected revenue growth, with expectations of continued flat revenue in the third quarter [15][21] - The company anticipates increased expenses in the second half of the year, primarily due to cost of revenue and seasonal sales and marketing expenses [15][16] - Despite current challenges, management remains optimistic about long-term shareholder value creation through investments in AI and service enhancements [17] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $65.9 million worth of shares at an average price of $35.58 per share, with $2 million remaining under the existing repurchase authorization [14][15] - The company aims to reduce stock-based compensation expense as a percentage of revenue to less than 8% by the end of the year and less than 6% by 2027 [13][14] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you walk us through the deceleration in services revenue growth this quarter? - Management attributed the softness in services revenue to macroeconomic and policy changes affecting consumer sentiment, noting that budgets increased but not to traditional seasonal levels [21][22] Question: Can you provide more detail on the AI search API and data licensing momentum? - Management reported a 10x increase in API usage over the last two months, indicating strong demand for local content in AI search applications [25][28] Question: Has there been any change in competitive pressure from food delivery providers? - Management indicated that macroeconomic uncertainty continues to be the main story affecting the restaurant segment, with competitive pressures being a secondary factor [32] Question: How does Yelp Assistant support activity in the restaurant category? - Management expressed optimism that Yelp Assistant will enhance user experience by providing tailored recommendations, potentially increasing engagement in high-frequency categories like restaurants [33][34]