Why Do You Need SEO For Restaurant Business?

If you’ve recently built a website for your restaurant business, you did the right thing, as you have just unlocked a new world of food service. 62% of consumers discover restaurants on Google, and if you are showing up in the search results, you are going to receive a lot of leads. But how will you make sure your website shows up in the top search results? Well, the answer is SEO. Apart from this, there are more things SEO helps you with, such as retaining the traffic that you receive because of it. In this blog post, we will discuss why you need SEO for your restaurant business.

What is SEO, And How Does it Work?

As the name suggests, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of refining a combination of a website’s aspects to help search engines identify and index it effectively. Mainly, these aspects are keywords, on-page content, technical parts, links, and user experience. When they are optimized well, it’s more likely for your website to rank well in SERPs, as it becomes easier for search engines to crawl and index your site.

Importance of SEO for Your Restaurant Business

A strong online presence is more important than you might think. It means your restaurant should be easy and quick to find across multiple platforms.

The food industry is deadly fierce in terms of competition, as consumers often rely on Google to find new dining experiences. According to a study Google, “near me” searches have grown by over 150% in the past few years. This surge shows the pivotal role of local search in the food industry. If you are missing here, you are losing a great chunk of potential customers.

Although there are lot of ways to boost your online, the following are some that you should’nt miss at all.

Proven SEO Strategies for Your Restaurant Business

Have a Mobile Friendly Website

Mobile friendliness is one of the key ranking factors on Google. Moreover, 60% of the consumers visit a restaurant’s website using a mobile device.That’s why your website should flawlessly load on different devices. Before launching your website, make sure to test it on Google Mobile Friendly Testing Tool.

Create a Keyword Planning Strategy

Keyword planning is identifying the target search terms for which you want your restaurant to rank. These can be a single word like “chicken,” two words like “halal chicken,” or phrases like “best halal chicken in Kingston.”

After identifying these, you can use a keyword planning tool to brainstorm similar keywords that you should include in your strategy. This tool can also help you arrange the keywords in order according to their priority, which is based on how many people search for them monthly.

Your keyword research should end up in three major categories:

1. High Intent broad restaurant terms: These types of keywords are very broad and less specific but highly valuable as their search volume is significantly very high. For example, “best restaurant in Mississauga.”
2. Niche keywords: These keywords are very specific. By targeting them, you can get more qualified leads. For example, if you are a halal restaurant, using keywords like “halal restaurant” can help you draw in customers who are specifically looking for halal dining options.
3. Branded keywords: Branded keywords are incredibly valuable because they attract customers who are already familiar with your name. For example, if your restaurant is well-known and has built a strong brand, using keywords like “Craveables” helps you capture leads who are specifically searching for your restaurant, making them more likely to convert.

Now, list out the terms that you find are most impactful and find out whether people are actually searching for them or not by using the Keyword Planning Tool.

Prepare a list of your potential customers and collect their data, like what are their needs or pain points.

For example,

A family looking for dining options can swoon away with terms like “kids special” or “Family pack” offers.

Then, compare the search terms and set them up priority-wise.

Focus on Local SEO

Local SEO helps you optimize your website and online listings to rank higher in local search results. When potential customers actively search for some common search terms like “Best Chinese Restaurants Near Me” or “Pizza Place Downtown,” local SEO ensures your restaurant appears prominently. One of the greatest things about local SEO is that even small, independent restaurants can compete with larger chains by dominating local search results.

Let’s look at some stats that strongly support the importance of Local SEO for restaurants:

1. A 2018 study by BrightLocal showed that organic search results get the most clicks compared to other types of search results.
2. According to a March 2019 report from Think with Google, searches like “where to buy” and “near me” had skyrocketed by over 200% in just two years.
3. If that doesn’t convince you, Milestone Research took a close look at 500 location-based websites and found some eye-opening trends:

• Together, local and organic searches account for 69% of all digital traffic.
• Local searches alone drive 22.6% of website traffic.
• Between January 2020 and July 2021, traffic for location-based businesses jumped from 19.2% to 28.8%.

Strategies to Get Local SEO Right for Your Restaurant Business

• Understanding Local Search Intent

Understand how customers search for restaurants for example, “best breakfast restaurant near me” and “brunch restaurants”.

• Update Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is just like your digital storefront. It’s a free business listing that helps customers find your business on Google Search and Maps. This is where you have to enter you information such as menu, website, etc. While setting this up, make sure it’s verified.

You should always add a URL to your menu in the “Info” tab. This provides your customers with a quick and easy way to visit your website for more options or make reservations conveniently. Include appealing HD food photos or flaunts about your food preparation methods and cleanliness.

Regularly update customers about special offers or events.

• Use Appropriate Schema Markup

Schema markup is a “code that describes what elements you have on your website to search engines.” It’s the best way to explain your website organization to search engines. This can prove to be a major ranking factor if done correctly.

• Local Citations

Local citations refer to online mentions of a business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) on various websites, directories, and platforms. These citations help verify the business’s existence and credibility, and they play a significant role in local search engine optimization (SEO).

Here are some examples of local citations:

• Yelp
• Yellow Pages
• Angie’s List
• TripAdvisor

Building a strong online reputation is essential for restaurant success. By listing your restaurant on popular review platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, and TripAdvisor, you increase your visibility and attract potential customers.

Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews by offering incentives or simply asking politely. Positive reviews can significantly boost your restaurant’s ranking in search results and build trust with new customers.

Don’t Use PDFs for Text Based Menus

Your visitors are often interested in checking your menu before making a reservation. However, have you ever considered that instead of uploading a PDF of your menu, you could create a dedicated menu page on your website? This allows you to include and optimize keywords, which can help you rank more highly in search results.

A text-based menu, rather than an image-based one, allows search engines to read and index your menu content more effectively. On restaurant websites, menu pages are among the most visited, so it’s crucial to implement best practices. This includes making your menu easy to read, without requiring excessive zooming, ensuring it’s easy to navigate, and using text-based content.

Link Building

Link building is a strategy to obtain links from other websites. When you link your website with authentic websites, it signals your authority and trustworthiness to Google. It’s similar as endorsing your website. The more links you have from other authoritative sies, the more you are likely to appear in searched for your target keywords.

Measure and Refine Your Strategy

Regularly monitoring your strategies and fine-tuning them based on results is a very crucial step. You can use tools like Google Analytics to keep track of your website traffic, local search rankings, social media engagement, and review ratings.

Routinely reviewing this data helps you understand what’s working and what isn’t. Make adjustments based on your findings to keep improving. Also, staying on top of local SEO and digital marketing trends ensures that your strategies remain current and effective.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Not Hiring SEO Services

Many restaurants underestimate the importance of professional SEO services. Expert guidance ensures your website is optimized effectively, increasing visibility and helping you stay competitive.

• Thin Content

Develop rich, relevant, and engaging content to enhance user experience and SEO.

• Keyword Stuffing and Over-Optimization

Focus on creating quality content where keywords naturally fit, avoiding excessive repetition.

• No Calls to Action

Include clear calls to action to encourage visitors to make reservations or order online.

• Failing to Update Content

Keep your website content fresh and engaging to maintain relevance.

• Image SEO Mistakes

There are some common image SEO mistakes that a website owner must avoid at all costs. This includes not optimizing file names and alt text, using low quality images, not compressing images and not using schema markup.

Ready to Boost Your Online Presence?

Understanding SEO and its impact on your business is crucial for growing your online presence. If you are looking for an SEO agency for restaurants, contact SEO Toronto Experts. We offer comprehensive SEO services specifically designed for the restaurant industry, leveraging years of experience to help you achieve your digital marketing goals.

Take a look at how we helped ChickQueen and Craveables rank more than 200 words on #1 SERP.