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7 Tips to be the Most Reviewed Restaurant on Google

Sahana Ananth
May 13, 2024
1 mins

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Your restaurant’s visibility on search engines can help you gain a competitive edge. Over 62% of customers discover a restaurant through Google. Right now, mastering SEO isn’t just brilliant; it’s a necessity to help you grow your restaurant and improve its rankings.

In this blog, we will guide you on how to enhance your visibility in restaurant search engine results, boost organic traffic, and skyrocket sales. 

Ready to make your restaurant a top choice on Google? Let's dive in and transform searches into reservations!

How to Improve Your Restaurant Search Engine Results?

Here, we will show you the ranking pathway and the steps to bring more customers to your restaurant.

Step 1: Optimize for Restaurant Local Search

i. Create A Google Business Profile for Your Restaurant

When people search “restaurants near me,” Google Business Profile becomes your go-to option. To maximize its effect:

  • Fill in everything on your Google Business profile. This should include your business name, address, phone number, opening hours, etc.
  • Upload mouth-watering food pictures with shots of happy patrons in your establishment.
  • Post news about special events, new menu items, or seasonal promotions to keep your profile fresh and engaging. And post regularly.

ii. Utilize Other Local Listings

Besides Google, other platforms can improve local search effectiveness. Bing Place offers similar features to Google Business Profile that can attract individuals who use this search engine over Google.

Pro tip: Given increased iPhone usage, restaurants should be placed on Apple Maps because many mobile users can be grasped here. Apple Maps has around 90 million users. 

iii. Encourage Customers for Feedback

Positive feedback can lead to a good reputation and a good position on the restaurant search engine. Encourage satisfied clients to comment on Yelp, Google, and other reviewing sites. Responding to reviews demonstrates your appreciation and ongoing relationship with clients.

Pro tip: Place “Review us” QR codes at tables, entrances, and counters to make it easier and accessible to your customers, increasing your chances of getting more reviews.

iv. Find and Optimize Local Keywords 

Search for the most used local keywords and insert them into your website and social content. For instance, you might add location-based terms that people might search for, like "best pasta in Wall Street" or "kid-friendly family restaurant dinner near me."

Step 2: Develop a Mobile-Friendly Website 

About 72% of diners will search your restaurants through their mobile devices. If your site is mobile-friendly, it will adapt to any device that accesses it, including desktops and smartphones. Thus, you should use a responsive design framework that automatically adjusts the layout based on the device type. This way, you won't need a separate mobile site to ensure content consistency and user experience.

Additionally, website speed is an important SEO factor, especially for mobile users with limited data connectivity. 

Step 3: Conduct Comprehensive Keyword Research 

i. Find Your Core Keywords 

Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ubersuggest, or Ahrefs to get relevant traffic. These tools have advanced functionalities, including observing competitors' keyword ranking activities, potential keyword gaps, and related search queries.

First, you should specify the main keywords defining your restaurant's offerings. These will include:

  • Cuisine and dishes: Use phrases such as "Italian food," "sushi," or "vegan bakery."
  • Location keywords: Add geographical references like "near Crosby Street," "5th Avenue restaurant", or "Downtown East River dining" to target local searchers.
  • Special features: Examples of such features might be a pet-friendly patio area or live music bar.

ii. Optimize Content Based on Keywords

Once you have found your keywords, incorporate them naturally into your website content. Write blogs and articles that answer common questions or discuss trends related to your keywords. Also, include relevant keywords that describe your dishes and services.

Lastly, ensure your web pages' meta tags are optimized to encourage clicks in search results.

Step 4: Create High-Quality and Relevant Content

Before beginning content creation, understanding who you're talking to and what they're about is essential. This understanding will guide how you approach topics, tone, style, and more in your writing.

Whether you have a quick-service restaurant or a popular cafe, ensure every piece of content adds value to your audience and relates to their interests and your business. For instance, tell them about your restaurant’s reservation process or discuss the history of a dish.

Or the content can be simply fun. You could also offer entertaining materials such as funny kitchen mishaps, themed dining experiences, or behind-the-scenes.

Step 5: Optimize Website for Restaurants Search Engine

Optimizing a restaurant's site for search engines increases its online visibility, attracting more customers. Below is an all-around approach to ensuring that Google and other search engines rank up your website:

  1. Menu Pages: Describe your dishes in detail and have attractive photos. 
  2. FAQs: Answer questions about your restaurant in an FAQ section. 
  3. NAP Consistency (Name, Address, Phone Number): Ensure your restaurant's name, address, and phone number are consistent across all online platforms and directories.
  4. Quality Backlinks: Get food bloggers, local news sites, or any other legitimate resource to link to you.
  5. Blog: Post helpful content such as recipes, restaurant events, or food-sourcing stories in a blog. 
  6. Secure Socket Layer (SSL): Secure the HTTPS version of your site using SSL.
  7. Keyword Optimization: Naturally introduce specific keyphrases in titles, subheadings, and within the article.
  8. Meta Tags: Craft descriptive and engaging meta titles and descriptions for each page to improve click-through rates from search results.
  9. Social Media Integration: Use social media platforms to drive traffic to your website and create more backlinking opportunities. 
  10. Partnerships and Sponsorships: Participate in community events or collaborate with local businesses to get them to mention the company on their websites.
  11. Analytics: Google Analytics is a tool for tracking traffic, such as bounce rate and conversions.
  12. SEO Audits: Conduct regular SEO audits to identify issues like broken links, outdated content, or SEO best practices that are no longer effective.

Step 6: Influence Social Media and Promote User-Generated Content

Social media platforms are essential for building customer relationships and promoting your brand. Maintain a regular posting schedule so your audience will be engaged. Tell them about new menu items, special events, and promotional offers. You should also respond to comments, including answering their messages and reviews, to engage them better.

Moreover, share high-quality images and videos of your dishes and behind-the-scenes glimpses of your restaurant and live events. Generally, visual content performs better in terms of engagement and shares.

Encourage customers to share their experiences and use the same hashtags related to your restaurant. You can create and promote custom hashtags for customers while posting about your restaurant. This will help you track user-generated content and increase visibility.

Reviews are crucial for potential customers looking for restaurants and can significantly impact your SEO.

  • Encourage reviews: Request satisfied customers to write reviews on sites like Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor
  • Monitor & respond to reviews: Always check what people say about your restaurant regularly and respond to all positive or negative reviews. 
  • Highlight positive reviews: Use outstanding reviews on the website and social media platforms to enhance the restaurant's credibility and appeal.

Step 7: Monitor & Adjust SEO Strategies

Conduct comprehensive SEO audits regularly to identify technical gaps and content improvement areas. You should also look for crawl errors, broken links, or mobile usability issues. Ensure that your website's architecture is optimized for search engine crawling.

Remember to review your content to conform with best SEO practices, such as keyword optimization or metadata effectiveness.

Keep an eye on your competitors' SEO activities to ensure you stay ahead and get all the new tactics. Regularly check your main competitor's websites and their search rankings. Analyze what they are doing well and consider how you can apply similar strategies or find gaps in their tactics to exploit.

To stay ahead, monitor changes in keyword rankings for your website and your competitors. Plus, adjust your content and keywords strategy as needed.

Wrap Up

Right now, if you want to sustain yourself in the restaurant's search engine, then a well-managed online presence is all you need. Prioritize creating a restaurant website that showcases your essence and optimize it with relevant local keywords.  

Improve your social media presence with regular content, image, and video updates. Whenever you get good or bad online feedback, respond cordially. 

Apart from boosting, you also need a robust and scalable POS system that streamlines operations. OneHubPOS can be your partner in improving your restaurant sales, managing day-to-day operations, and boosting customer loyalty. 

Book a demo today or try OneHubPOS at $1.

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AUTHOR
Sahana Ananth
Director, GTM - OneHubPOS

Sahana is a seasoned GTM leader with a passion for building startups. She excels in crafting GTM strategies for tech products, driving revenue growth.

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