Key Insights

• Website, Google Business Profile & Local Citations: Improve your website with local keywords and local pages, ensure mobile friendliness, claim and optimize your Google Business profile and ensure NAP consistency across all platforms and local directories.
• Customer Reviews: Ensure review velocity by constantly engaging reviews from your guests and make sure to always reply within a short period of time to signal engagement and commitment to improving your service.
• Backlinks & Google Posts: Schedule Google posts for each day of the month and gradually build a strong backlink profile by reaching out to local media outlets.
• Specific Ranking Factors for Restaurant: Focus on restaurant specific ranking factors such as menu items, location preferences and opening hours and adjust your strategy accordingly.

What is Restaurant SEO?

Restaurant SEO essentially means that you are optimizing your online presence of your restaurant in a way that the search engines are able to properly understand what your business is about, give it authority and consequently match it with the right search queries from potential clients. It will result in an increased online visibility that can lead to a growth in foot traffic, reservations or food orders.

Do I Need to Optimize for SEO or Local SEO to Increase my Restaurant’s Visibility?

Every physical location (also if you are just a take-away restaurant) needs to optimize for local SEO. This is important not to confuse. While regular SEO focusses on general traffic and conversions resulting from general search queries, local SEO focusses on location specific keywords that will drive traffic from an audience of a specific geographic area. It will not help if your restaurant is in Amsterdam but a hungry guest from New York City comes across it. This person will neither book a table nor order food from your restaurant because he is not in your geographic area.

To successfully optimize your restaurant’s online presence based on local SEO techniques, follow our 9-step-guide that we will explain in the following!

9 Steps to Improve Your Restaurant SEO Visibility - Beginner-Friendly Guide

We have 9 SEO steps for you, that you can start implementing today to improve your restaurant’s online visibility:

1. Keyword research
2. On-page local SEO
3. Ensure that your website is mobile friendly
4. Claim and/or optimize your Google Business profile
5. Claim listings on local directories focussed on restaurants
6. Collect customer reviews
7. Respond to customer reviews
8. Schedule Google Posts for each day of the month
9. Build local backlinks to your own website

Step #1 - Keyword Research

Start by identifying a base of 20 locally-focused keywords using a keyword research tool. By identifying these keywords, you can tailor your content to match the search queries of your target audience. It's recommended to focus on both general restaurant-related keywords and those specific to the dishes you offer.

Here are some examples for an Italian restaurant in NYC:

• Italian restaurant near me
• Italian restaurant New York City
• Italian restaurant in Manhattan
• Pizza near me
• Best pasta in New York City
• Best pizza in Manhattan

Make sure to choose keywords that strike the best balance between high search volume and low keyword difficulty. These are the "low-hanging fruit" that we want to target!

These keywords form the foundation of your strategy. Use them on your website and in your Google Business Profile to signal to search engines that your business should be paired with relevant search queries from potential guests.

Step #2 - Local On-Page SEO

Optimizing your website (on-page SEO) for local intent is crucial. Alongside your Google Business Profile, your website serves as an online business card, representing your brand to potential guests.

• Structure Your Headings: Use a clear hierarchy of headings (H1, H2, H3) to help search engines properly "read" the content on your website. This structure not only improves readability for users but also makes your content more accessible to search engines.
• Title Tag and Meta Description: These elements form the snippet visible in Google search results. Ensure they include local keywords and accurately describe your page’s content to improve click-through rates.
• Local Page for Your Location: Create a dedicated local page that includes your business name, address, phone number, and specific details about your location. This helps search engines associate your business with local search queries.
• Optimize Images: Use local keywords in image file names and provide descriptive alt text. This not only helps with SEO but also improves accessibility.
• Correct URL Structure: Maintain a clean and descriptive URL structure. For instance, use something like www your-business-name/street-city for your local page to reinforce local relevance.

When writing text for your website, such as on the "About Us" page, incorporate the most relevant local keywords. Include them in the title and a few times throughout the text, ideally within the first 11 words of a paragraph. However, avoid keyword stuffing, as it can negatively impact your rankings. Modern search engines are adept at understanding context, so focus on creating content that serves the user first and foremost, rather than just targeting search engines. Keyword stuffing is unnecessary and can even harm your SEO efforts.

Step 3 - Ensure That Your Website Is Mobile Friendly

Having a mobile friendly website is an absolute must! Most of your guests will search for a restaurant on their mobile devices.

Make sure that your website:

• Loads quickly
• Is easy to navigate
• Adjusts to different screen sizes
• Has easy readable text
• Does not include images that have a huge size (nobody wants to waste their mobile data on images!)
• Makes it easy for guests to make a reservation, find the menu, or order take-away/delivery

Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites in its rankings, so optimizing for mobile not only improves the user experience but also boosts your SEO performance, making it easier for guests to find your restaurant online.

Step #4 - Claim and/or Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Having an optimized Google Business Profile is essential for restaurants aiming to succeed online. It’s crucial to ensure that all your business information is accurate, up-to-date, and thoroughly filled out across all available fields.

This includes:

• Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP): Ensure these details are correct and consistent with other listings.
• Opening Hours: Keep them updated, including special hours for holidays or events.
• Business Category: Choose the most relevant category, such as "Italian Restaurant"
• Attributes and Menu Items: List specific attributes (e.g., "Outdoor Seating," "Wheelchair Accessible") and include a detailed menu to attract specific search queries.
• Social Accounts: Link your social media profiles to engage with guests across different platforms.
• High-Quality Images: Upload photos that showcase your restaurant’s interior and exterior, dishes, and your team
• Special Offers and Events: Regularly update your profile with any promotions, events, or special deals.
• Enable Online Reservations and Food Ordering: Set up the features that allow guests to book tables or order food (via your website)

A well-maintained Google Business Profile significantly increases your chances of appearing in the "local pack," a highly visible section of local search results that can drive more traffic and guests to your restaurant.

Read our detailed guide on how to optimize your Google Business profile for restaurants

Step #5 - Claim Listings on Local Directories Focused on Restaurants

Let’s build some local citations as they are crucial to your online visibility. You want to focus on directories that highlight food and drink places such as Yelp, Tripadvisor, OpenTable or the Fork. Ensure that your restaurant is listed with accurate and complete information and maintain NAP consistency across all platforms (including your own website and Google Business profile). Many directories also allow you to add links to your website and social media profiles, which can help drive traffic to your site and improve your search engine rankings.

Step #6 - Collect Customer Reviews

Most guests check reviews before deciding where to dine or order food, making customer reviews a crucial ranking factor for local SEO. Positive reviews, especially when they are continuously growing in number, not only boost your search rankings but also drive more traffic to your restaurant by signaling to search engines that your establishment is popular and trustworthy. It's essential to encourage guests to leave reviews after their visit to maintain and enhance your online reputation.

Within Obenan, you can create campaigns specifically designed to collect customer reviews. For example, you can generate a QR code to print on menus, receipts, or signs at the exit to gently remind guests to leave a review. Additionally, if a guest leaves negative feedback, it can be redirected to a private survey, allowing you to address the issue without it affecting your public ratings. This way, you still receive valuable feedback for improvement, while ensuring that only positive reviews are publicly visible.

While you cannot incentivize guests directly to leave feedback, you can motivate your staff to encourage guests to share their experiences online. This approach can significantly improve your review volume and overall rating over time, contributing to stronger local SEO performance.

Step #7 - Respond to Customer Reviews

Responding to customer reviews shows search engines that your restaurant is engaged and values feedback, which can improve your local search rankings. This practice also enhances your reputation and encourages more reviews, as customers see that their input is taken seriously. For negative reviews, include your business email and offer a resolution. This not only helps address the issue but may also lead to the guest updating their review to a more positive one.

Step #8 - Schedule Google Posts for Each Day of the Month

You can add posts to your Google Business Profile to keep your restaurant visible and engaging in local search results. By scheduling Google Posts for each day of the month, you can regularly update your potential and loyal guests with promotions, interesting facts, or general information about your restaurant. These posts should include images, engaging captions, and a Call to Action that directs users to a specific page of your choice.

Consistent posting helps keep your profile active, which can improve your ranking in local searches. Additionally, it allows you to maintain high-quality images on your profile, giving you more control over the visual representation of your restaurant online.

Step #9 - Build Local Backlinks to Your Own Website

Local backlinks are crucial for improving your restaurant's online visibility, yet they are often overlooked. Building high-quality backlinks takes time and effort and isn't a quick fix for SEO success. Focus on acquiring links from reputable local sources like bloggers, newspapers, magazines, or influencers. These backlinks signal to search engines that your restaurant is popular and trusted within the community. Networking, participating in local events, and building relationships with the local community are effective strategies to earn these valuable backlinks. Not only do they drive referral traffic, but they also improve your domain authority, helping your restaurant rank higher in local search results.

Discover 4 link building tips to double your local SEO search visibility!

Special Restaurant SEO Local Ranking Factors

There are some “extra” ranking factors to keep in mind that are especially important for the gastronomy industry.

Menu Items

Including menu items on your Google Business Profile and other directories can significantly enhance your visibility in search results. By providing detailed menu information, search engines can better understand what your restaurant offers, making it easier to match your business to relevant search queries. For instance, guests may not only search for "Italian restaurant near me" but also for specific dishes like pizza or pasta. Listing your menu items helps ensure your restaurant appears in these searches.

Moreover, an optimized menu improves the user experience by allowing potential guests to quickly find all the information they need, such as prices, dietary options, and detailed descriptions of your dishes. This accessibility can lead to a higher conversion rate as guests are more likely to choose a restaurant that offers clear and comprehensive information.

For voice search, which is increasingly popular as people use assistants like Siri or Alexa, detailed menu listings are crucial. These listings help optimize your restaurant for specific voice queries, increasing the likelihood of being recommended by voice-activated devices. This ensures your restaurant remains competitive in a growing digital landscape.

Opening Hours

Opening hours have become more and more important. It makes sense, doesn’t it? The search engine would like to show hungry guests a restaurant close to them which is actually open! Thus, having not only your opening hours always correct and consistent across the web is crucial but also examine your competitors opening hours could be beneficial. Let’s say your competitor Ryan is only open from 8:00pm to 11:00pm but you are open from 5:00pm to midnight, your restaurant will be shown prominently during the opening hours even if normally Ryan would rank better.

Location

This is something that is of course not changeable per-se but important to at least understand. If you are located in a rural area where not many people search for “food near me” or “restaurant near me”, you cannot expect the same traffic as restaurants in the heart of the city might get. The important thing here is to get the guests who search for a restaurant directly to your doorstep. If you notice that in your area people prefer to order food instead of going out for dinner it is smart to change your strategy to get those food orders! The principle is the same, you will just change your keyword strategy and optimize additionally for easy and smooth online food ordering!

Expert Tips on Restaurant SEO

If you have mastered our above suggestions and successfully implemented all recommended steps? Great, then you leveled up to the next stage: following our expert tips for a spot-on local SEO strategy.

• Use analytics tools: Use tools like Google Search console and Google Analytics to track your organic traffic, identify from which sources you get most traffic and monitor which keywords perform best.
• Do not add your menu as a pdf on your website: Search engines can read pdf’s less good (if pictures are included even less) than regular text on the website. It can make a huge difference if you (additionally) add your menu in html.
• Optimize your images for local purpose: Add local keywords as your file name and use Photoshop or Lightroom to manually add coordinates to your images (geo-tagging).
• Work out a holistic omnichannel strategy: Share positive feedback also on your website and social media to build credibility and trust with potential new guests. Use the geotagging option on Instagram or Tik Tok (it means to add your location to posts) and engage with your audience on all channels possible.

Do you still struggle with local SEO? We have a time and resource saving option for you that does not require any local SEO knowledge! Ditch this article and start using Obenan, which allows you to automate all essential steps of a solid local SEO strategy. Together with our local SEO specialists we enhance the online visibility of your restaurant! No more empty tables!

Recap

Local SEO can be the gamechanger for your restaurant’s online visibility. Thorough locally-focused keyword research followed by on-page SEO builds the starting point of your strategy, ensuring a well structured and mobile-friendly website with a local intent. Maintaining an updated and fully optimized Google Business Profile is crucial, as it directly influences your chances of appearing in the "local pack." Additionally, actively managing customer reviews and building high-quality local backlinks can enhance your restaurant’s reputation and search engine ranking. By implementing these strategies, you can effectively boost your restaurant’s visibility, drive more traffic, and ultimately increase reservations and orders. If managing this seems overwhelming, consider using tools like Obenan, which automates key local SEO tasks and helps ensure your restaurant stays competitive online.