Restaurants rely mostly on local traffic. Optimizing your website for national or international customers is not often necessary. A global presence is required for fewer than 1% of all restaurants that operate as franchises or have chains. Even for these restaurants, Local SEO drives more traffic to their stores than regular SEO. This article focuses on SEO for Restaurants and particularly LOCAL SEO in detail.
Core Local SEO Strategies for Restaurant Business
1. Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile
The first step to local SEO is to create a Google Business Profile. If it already exists, you should claim it and provide the details required. Your Google Business Profile is your restaurant’s digital storefront. It appears on Google Maps and local packs, improving organic search results. Add NAP details — Name, Address, Phone numbers. Ensure you add all other information that includes operating hours, menu links, services, parking details, owner details like owned by women, etc. Ensure you make the best of the entries. Do not leave anything blank. Provide precise information. Add the menu details and ensure you add pictures of the menu and the restaurant itself. Add as many photographs of the food you serve. Try to keep the photographs a mix of professional photographs and user-generated photographs.
2. Use location-specific keywords with a mix of menu-based keywords.
People search for both menu items and locations. For instance, Best Thai restaurant in Mumbai or best family restaurant in Bandra. Searches could also include smaller items, like best pizzas near me or best burger joint in Vadodara. Including a mix of locations and menu items in your website content and also on your Google Business Profile descriptions can improve the chance of being listed for relevant queries. Also, be sure to include the keywords in page titles, meta descriptions, and headings of your webpage. Near-me queries and location business queries have increased over 500% in the last few years and the traffic to the website and visits are also high. It is to be noted that 1 in 4 visitors to local businesses like restaurants visit your Google Business Profile before making a decision.
3. Encourage reviews.
Reviews influence customer decisions, but they also improve ranking. 95% of all visitors choose a restaurant based on reviews. So, encourage visitors to leave a review, right from the beginning. From walk-in customers who have not visited your website or Google Profile to those who are pleased with your services and food, ask them to drop in a review or at least a star rating. Use a QR code or SMS link. If possible and if you have noticed that they have taken photographs, ask them to leave a photograph too with the review. Some are shy. They can still leave a star rating. This small change alone will help Google rank you better. With over 5 customer reviews a day, you would easily rank in the top 10 in just a month with 150 reviews.
4. Build citations and local backlinks.
While most of the heavy lifting is done by your Google Business Profile, citations and backlinks help rank better in more keywords. This process, though time-consuming, will help you outrank your competitors. Most people will stop with Google Business Profile optimization. Some will go a step ahead with the reviews. Very few take the time to build citations and backlinks. This can give you a good lead in ranking compared to your competitors. Try to get links from TripAdvisor, Zomato, Yelp, Swiggy, and other vendors. Ensure your name, address, and phone numbers are consistent. Inconsistent listings will not help you rank on local searches. Also, it will confuse customers when they find small changes in address or names.
5. Publish hyper-local content.
Create blog posts that are hyper-local. Nearby attractions, stories, and community events that are hyper-local drive more local traffic to your website but also help improve relevance to local searches. The topical relevance and organic reach in Google’s local ecosystem help rank in Google local search results when people search for your restaurant and related terms like food. Limiting your website content to only your restaurant details and food that you serve will have limitations in search. Try to broaden the scope when you have content that is detailed and exhaustive.
Small Tactics That Can Make an Impact on Local Search
1. Schema markup:
Local search requires some optimization on your website apart from posting local content and blog posts. Adding a schema tag helps Google and other search engines understand the scope of your content. Add schema for organization, restaurant schemas, organization schemas, menus, opening and closing hours, and reviews. This makes it easier for Google to understand your content and rank better.
2. Mobile optimization:
Most people search for restaurants on a mobile phone. Mobile phones are more accessible with internet connections being cheaper every single day. 70% of all local queries come from a phone. It is only sensible that you optimize your website for mobile devices to ensure your site is visible on mobile phones. This not just includes design but also optimization for speed. Most people do not have a 4G connection in all areas. Some have a smaller data pack and you want to be sure that you cater to all of them, and of course, no one wants to wait. Faster load time and better mobile optimization directly convert to visitors and leads.
3. Use photos strategically:
Photos influence customers. Restaurants with food photos gain 32% more user clicks which could convert to walk-ins. Photos can be user-generated from your customers who leave reviews or from the restaurant owners. The source, if from customers, has more value than those published by the restaurant owner for reviews. But for restaurant photos, there is no indication of the source and its effectiveness. Post photos, preferably of very good quality. If needed, hire a food photographer to get the best shots to highlight the food. Also, add the photographs of exteriors and interiors. Be generous with photographs.
4. Voice search optimization:
Users are turning to voice search more and more. “Near me” searches are often the first types of searches people use for local searches including restaurants. Voice searches like “Which is the best Thai restaurant near me” or “Best budget-friendly restaurant near me” are becoming more common not just on mobile phones but across all devices. Take advantage of voice searches and optimize to include conversational questions which are long. Add them to the website in the FAQ section. Remember, these are conversational queries which are long and use regular spoken language unlike typed search.
5. Integrate online ordering:
Most restaurants already have a tie-up with food delivery services like Zomato, Uber Eats, and Swiggy. But it’s also a great idea to integrate an online ordering platform where people can directly book or order at your restaurant. This is especially effective for taking advanced bookings for large orders. Search engines consider online ordering integrated websites to be responsible. The SEO factor, though low, is an added advantage when you are competing with thousands of players.
How to Optimize Google Business Profile for Restaurants: Key Points
Optimizing your Google Business Profile is one of the most impactful ways to rank higher in local searches. The below steps help optimize your restaurant aligned with the current best practices and ranking signals.
Step 1: Claim and verify your business:
If your business already exists on Google Business, claim it immediately. Search for your restaurant on Google Maps and claim ownership if it appears. If not listed, create a business entry using the restaurant’s name. Ensure that the name is not changed on any of the platforms from this point. The spelling, apostrophe (if exists), and all other characters should be precise. If your business name is “Lagoon Thai Restaurant,” ensure it is always the same on all platforms. Do not change it to “The Lagoon Restaurant” or “Lagoon the Thai Restaurant.” Changing the name, address, or phone numbers only confuses Google and the users. Verify your business profile with videos, phone, or mail.
Step 2: Complete core information:
Add accurate name, address, and phone number. Often referred to as NAP, be sure to keep the information consistent across all platforms you post your content. This includes delivery apps, directories, and your website. Set hours of operation, include holiday hours. Ensure you enter the service areas if you deliver through food delivery apps. This is important for delivery only. But it would be a good idea to add the service provider and the areas you service. Link your restaurant website and menu URL for quick access. You don’t want people to search for the URL and the menu items.
Step 3: Choose the correct category:
Select one primary category and at least 3 subcategories. The primary category is often the most distinct category which aligns with your business. Indian restaurant, Thai restaurant, Chinese restaurant, Punjabi restaurant are all examples and good ones. Think of what people search when they are not sure about the exact food they want to eat but are searching for a cuisine. Keep them as categories. Also add 3-4 more categories in the sector. This could be something like Pizza restaurant or Biryani restaurant. Ensure you add all attributes that are relevant. Outdoor seating, woman-owned, vegetarian options, parking details, Wi-Fi, and wheelchair access provide more information to visitors who are looking for specific data.
Step 4: Add high-quality photos and videos.
Add at least 20 geo-tagged images of your restaurant’s interiors, exteriors, food, and drinks. The ambiance is important to customers. Ensure the photographs are good quality. Also ensure that you have at least 50-60 photographs which you can post every day for the entire month. This keeps your Google Business Profile active and updated. Ensure the visuals are bright. Include short videos showcasing services and the kitchen.
Step 5: Optimize description with keywords.
Do not stuff keywords but include keywords naturally where possible, especially in the description area. Highlight the cuisine, signature dishes, and USP of your restaurant. Do not promote your business here; be more informative.
Step 6: Add menus and reservations:
Most businesses do not add menu items directly to the Google Business Profile. Take the time to add photos, and pricing with the menu. This inspires your audience to visit your restaurant. Link to your reservation system. Customers should be able to view, order, and reserve without leaving Google.
Step 7: Convert visitors to reviews:
Always ask your satisfied customers for reviews. Ask them to leave reviews about your restaurant, the food, and what they ordered. Good reviews inspire more visitors to visit your restaurant.
Optimizing a restaurant website does not end with just local search but goes a lot beyond. For more details, please do get in touch with us.
