In order to run a successful restaurant, you must also have an easy-to-navigate website. Implementing a solid SEO strategy may not be the heart of a good restaurant, but it certainly can help. Here are some SEO practices for restaurants to boost their digital presence and attract customers.
Why SEO is crucial for restaurant businesses
It’s a mistake to think only large-scale or online businesses are the only ones to benefit from SEO. One of the key advantages of SEO for a restaurant business is the ability to stand out in local searches. With location-based keywords and local SEO optimization techniques, restaurants can reach their target audience in the local area.
Implementing local SEO strategies can lead to more reservations. This ultimately also amounts to a boost in revenue, all because you have many more eyes on your restaurant. A well-optimized website attracts more visitors and encourages them to explore the menu, make online reservations, or even order food directly through an integrated system.
According to GOBIGGR SEO Philippines Company, if you want to stay ahead of your competition, SEO helps make your website visible in relevant keyword searches. This means more traffic to your restaurant’s website. How? If your restaurant appears at the top of the search engine rankings, people are more likely to see it and book a reservation with you.
Overall, SEO is a marketing investment worth your time and effort. Now that you know why you should invest in SEO, let’s cover some best practices.
1. Conduct keyword research
The first step of any good SEO strategy is keyword research. To start, identify the terms your potential customers would type in search engines wherein you’d want to show up in the results. Think about your specific cuisine, any unique features or specialties, and location-specific keywords.
An example would be: “best Thai restaurant in London.” It contains the location and cuisine type. Look for keywords with a high search volume and low competition so you have a better chance of people seeing you above your competition.
Consider more highly-specific phrases that potential diners might use when searching for a restaurant like yours. Once you find the best keywords to target, sprinkle them throughout your website’s relevant pages and content.
2. Optimize your website for local search
We touched on this previously, but let’s look into what local SEO is. Since you’re a business with a physical location, your goal is to get customers to physically come in. So, how can digital marketing efforts like SEO help with that? By localizing it.
A simple way to localize your SEO efforts is to keep your business information updated. Remember to look at all the places where your business information could be posted to ensure everything is current.
The last thing you want is someone wanting to book a reservation calling the wrong number because they came across outdated information.
3. Encourage reviews and testimonials.
Getting positive reviews on sites like Yelp helps significantly with SEO. Picture this. You want to buy shoes but there are two stores that sell identical shoes at the same price point. One has a positive review, and the other one doesn’t have a single one. Which one are you most likely to choose?
For many, it will be the shoe store with a single positive review despite the two having almost the same elements. Therefore, consider giving your customers incentives to post a restaurant review on these review sites.
4. Improve your website UX.
Keep the overall user experience top-of-mind when it comes to your website. The overall navigation and viewing experience should play heavily into the overall look and feel. Since your potential customers stay on your site longer, search engines will be more likely to showcase your restaurant’s website.
5. Create high-quality content
Add some high-quality content to your website on a regular basis. Restaurant blogs are one way to ensure you have new content on a regular basis. Brainstorm other creative and engaging content that fits your restaurant’s appeal.
For example, video content might be more applicable to your restaurant than long-form blog articles. This can tie into your social content and build social proof for your restaurant, too.
6. Upload high-quality images
Sometimes, posting scrumptious and appetizing photos of your food is the best strategy. Posting high-quality images of the food you serve at the restaurant is a great way to get diners interested in what you offer. It also helps them know your menu and narrow down their favorites. Remember to add alt text on your images as well as this helps with SEO.
7. Implement the proper schema markup
When search engines understand what’s on your website, they’re more likely to serve your website in search results. One way to directly communicate that info to search engines is by implementing schema markup. This approach is more technical SEO, but it’s a faster way for search engines to understand your website, its content, and what kind of business you are: a restaurant.
8. Establish social media presence.
Social media is an excellent place for smaller businesses to get more patrons. When you entice people with the food you make on social media, it can also push them to go into your restaurant. Plus, they’ll also remember to drop by your restaurant because your social media presence is consistently there to remind them. Instagram marketing for restaurants is a killer opportunity to reach your target audience.
9. Build links to your website.
Consider partnering with local news sites to help add more credible links to your restaurant’s website. If there are a lot of reputable websites linking back to you, then customers, as well as search engines, will recommend your website to more people.
Conclusion
These SEO tips can help you establish a solid digital presence for your restaurant that translates to digital success and more customers in the door.