If you’re reading this, you probably own a restaurant and already know what SEO is, right? Knowing the concept of search engine optimization can help, but what really matters is how to do it correctly. So let’s get to it—this short post will give you 5 tips on how to do local SEO for your restaurant.
1 – Create a Google My Business profile for your restaurant
This first tip is the most important for any local business today: create a Google My Business profile for your restaurant. I won’t go into deep detail here, since that’s not the goal of this post, but if you run a local business and don’t have a GMB profile, you’re losing a lot of customers!
Some basic optimization tips for your GMB include:
- Business name should match the actual business;
- Select the most accurate category for your restaurant;
- Optimized description providing all relevant information;
- Up-to-date contact information and address;
- Updated website URL and social profile links;
- Precise, accurate location for your restaurant;
- Service area;
- Current business hours (including holidays, etc.);
- Additional details about accessibility, amenities, kid-friendliness, parking, services, menu, payment options, etc.;
- High-quality photos and images of your menu.
In addition, it’s always a good idea to publish content about your restaurant on GMB and on your social networks. Post eye-catching updates such as new dish launches, promotions, and events.
Link your social content to your GMB profile: if you post something on Facebook or Instagram, also publish a post on GMB and interlink those pieces of content (add hyperlinks that send users to your GMB profile).
Keep your menu up to date: use Google’s menu editing tool and keep your menu current so customers know exactly what they’ll find at your restaurant.
2 – Manage your Google My Business
Creating it isn’t enough—you need someone actively managing your GMB! Customer feedback and reviews are crucial: you don’t want a complaint or negative rating sitting there for others to see without a proper response, do you?
Managing user comments and reviews is extremely important both for your listing’s rankings and for winning new customers. Also, replying to all of them—good and bad—shows you care about your customers (and Google values this, too)!
Not only that: review your posts daily and check whether anyone has asked questions on your social channels or directly on GMB.
As mentioned earlier, keep your menu and all your information updated. Pay close attention to business hours and special dates such as holidays.
Managing a Google My Business profile takes time and effort, which is why many restaurants choose to hire a local SEO service to help.
3 – Build a website focused on your restaurant and location
Yes, building a website will boost your reputation in your area—and it will help attract new customers. Think of it this way: you already have your GMB listing optimized and monitored. A website is another channel for bringing in more customers.
Optimizing your website also strengthens your Google My Business listing—e.g., mention your establishment on your pages along with your current address, phone number, business hours, etc. This helps Google understand that your local business truly exists and operates at that location.
4 – Create and manage social media profiles
Social media has always mattered for SEO. Today, even more so. Google recently began indexing Instagram posts—seriously! One of your Instagram posts about a new dish in the Miami Beach area could show up first for a customer’s search.
Beyond that, social posts help Google understand that your restaurant is a strong brand in the area. As a result, our favorite search engine may give more visibility to your website and your Google My Business listing.
There’s no official Google documentation stating that social posts directly improve SEO, but they do help attract new customers and add even more relevance to your restaurant!
5 – Keep an eye on other websites and forums
These days many customers post reviews and feedback on other platforms. Just as you monitor complaints and compliments on your GMB profile, you should also keep an eye on posts in forums and third-party review sites.
Try creating a profile under your restaurant’s name and, if you find a complaint or compliment, always respond as professionally as possible.
If you notice your restaurant’s contact details (name, address, phone, etc.) are incorrect, ask the site administrator to update them. Try to find a phone number for the site admin so you can speak with them; if you can’t, reach out via social profiles or email.
Well, that’s the basics! If you’d like to learn more advanced local SEO techniques for your restaurant, get in touch with me through the buttons and forms on the site. I hope this helped—see you in the next post!