Boost your local search rankings and get more IRL visitors with these best practices.
A well-crafted website is the key to a successful online presence for your restaurant.
Next, you need diners to find your site. That's where SEO comes in.
Understanding SEO helps more guests find your site and fill your seats. Keep reading to learn what SEO is and why it's important. We'll discuss eight ways to optimise your website for better search engine rankings.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for "search engine optimisation". It's all about making your website more visible and appealing to the search engine gods (you know, Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.). When you nail your SEO, it's like having a personal hype-man for your restaurant. Your website will show up higher in search results. Which means more hungry customers finding their way to your virtual door.
Search engines use complex algorithms. Algorithms decide which websites appear at the top of their results. Things like your site's structure, content, and backlinks (links from other reputable sites) all factor in. Get these elements right, and you'll climb the rankings. Mess them up, and you'll be buried on page 5 (or worse).
Does your restaurant need SEO?
That's an unequivocal YES. Think about it -- The more people see your website, the more chance you have to turn them into paying customers.
Research shows that 46% of Google searches are for local businesses. This includes restaurants. That means almost half of potential diners are scouring the web to decide where to eat. If they can't find your website, they're headed to your competition instead.
But having a website alone is not enough. You need to be smart about your online presence. There's more competition now to show up at the top of search engine results.
8 quick SEO tips to attract more diners
Want more people to visit your website? Whether it's to place an online order or book a reservation, these tips will help. We've gathered up eight ways to improve your SEO as a small restaurant, based on our years of experience.
1. Make your website mobile-friendly
These days, everyone and their grandma is scrolling on their phones. So, make sure your website looks as appetising on a smartphone as it does on a desktop. A bad mobile experience turns customers away, costing you revenue.
Being mobile-friendly also helps Google rank your website higher in search results. Your restaurant website must be easy to use on different devices and quick to load. You can ask your web developer to test it with Google’s Mobile-Friendliness Testing Tool.
❇️ Increase your restaurant's visibility with a mobile-responsive website
2. Use keywords that describe your restaurant best
Don't assume your restaurant will rank for "best Thai food" because you want it to. Search engines might not agree. Use Google Trends to find real data. See what keywords people search in your area. It could be "best Thai food in town" or "casual Thai dining near me".
Check reviews on Google and other local review sites. What words do people use to describe your place? Look at how they talk about the ambiance, menu, service, and decor. Then sprinkle those same words on your site. Add them to your homepage, about page, menu page. Also add them to other relevant pages like your events or catering pages.
3. Claim your Google Business Profile
This is a free tool that helps your restaurant show up in local search results. Complete with all the juicy details your customers need, like hours, menus, and reviews.
Go to Google Business Profile and enter your info, like your website and menu. Remember to add your menu's URL (link) in the "Info" tab.
❇️ How to get more restaurant customers with Google Business Profile
Another thing you can do is is sign up for Google Search Console (GSC). GSC provides useful search data like:
- keywords clicked
- keyword impressions
- click-through rates
- top pages
- indexing issues
Your website provider may also provide you traffic data in a simple format.
4. Use appropriate schema markup on your pages.
Okay, this one's a bit technical, but bear with me, it's worth your time. Schema markup is a way to structure your website's data so search engines can better understand it. Things like your address, menu items, and reservations system can all be marked up with schema.
Doing this makes your restaurant listing more informative in the search results. Plus, it can help you snag those coveted rich snippets that make your site stand out.
Now, we know schema markup can get a little technical. That's why we built it right into our online ordering platform - no code required on your end. Focus on the food and leave the tech stuff to us.
5. Encourage reviews and social engagement
Online reviews and social media activity are big ranking factors these days. The more talk and interaction you get, the more "authority" Google will assign to your website.
For example, when customers leave glowing reviews. Or when they share about your restaurant on social media. These give a major SEO boost. Offer incentives and make it easy for them to sing your praises. Be it on Google Reviews, TripAdvisor, or other local review sites. Respond to both positive and negative feedback.
Same goes for social media. Encourage your diners to share photos. Don't stop there – usher them to tag your location, and engage with your profiles. The more active your social presence, the better for your SEO.
❇️ Respond to negative reviews using generative A.I.
6. Replace PDFs with text-based menus
Potential customers often check the menu before making a reservation. For your menu to rank high in search results, it needs the right keywords. A separate page for your menu helps, but only if Google can read it.
When it comes to your online menu, PDFs are a big no-no. Search engines have a hard time reading the text in image-based menus. This means your dishes won't be as easy for customers to find.
Text-based menus are better than image-based ones. Avoid uploading menus as PDFs. Use HTML code or an online menu tool to create text menus.
This makes it a breeze for Google to index your menu items and dish out that info to searchers. Plus, it delivers a much better user experience - no more pinching and zooming to read the fine print.
7. Create a press page
Think of your restaurant's website like a popularity contest. The more "endorsements" (i.e. backlinks) you can get from trusted sites, the more Google will see you as a VIP.
That's where local media coverage comes in handy. Pitch your story to food blogs, newspapers, and magazines. When they link back to your site, it boosts your reliability and authority. You can then showcase those mentions on a dedicated press page.
8. Organise your site structure
Last but not least, make sure your website is clean, intuitive, and easy for search engines to navigate. This means having separate pages for key areas. Like your menu, reservations, online ordering, and location details.
When Google understands your pages, it surfaces the right content to searchers.
Proper site structure also generates helpful organic site links below your main listing.
Conclusion
It may seem like a lot to tackle, but you'll see that the payoff is worth it. Start today and you'll be well on your way to becoming the talk of the town (or at least the first result on Google).
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We use the term 'restaurant' throughout the article for consistency. However this guide can be generally applied to any type of food shop, including but not limited to: bakeries, bars, bistrots, boulangeries, butcheries, cafés, cantinas, caterers, coffeeshops, delis, diners, eateries, food trucks, grocers, patisseries, pubs, and more.
Maynuu
❇️ Maynuu online ordering sites already come up SEO best practices built-in.
