Creating a website for your restaurant isn’t enough to attract diners. Instead, you need an ultra-competitive plan that leverages the power of the web in favor of your restaurant.
91% of adults use search engines to seek out information, with many using that info to make a purchasing decision.
If you don’t have a strong SEO strategy that puts your business at the top of Google, you can expect your dining room to stay empty.
Here are eight ways restaurant SEO tips you can use to boost your restaurant’s visibility.
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Claim Business Listings
Business listings are free tools that allow you to put your restaurant’s information on a number of other websites.
The most relevant business listing service for SEO is without question Google My Business.
It’s free, fast, easy to use, and uses Google Maps.
In a matter of minutes, you can add your business’ name, address, and phone number to Google’s directory.
Since My Business is tied to a user’s geographic location, claiming your listing is a fantastic step toward fulfilling your local SEO goals.
With that said, My Business isn’t the only site you’ll want to list your restaurant on.
Other search engines like Bing have similar business listing services, as do review sites like Yelp and Foursquare.
The more sites with your info, the better your SEO, so don’t be shy about claiming your listings.
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Take Advantage of Rich Snippets
Have you ever noticed a search result with a brief paragraph of text beneath it?
That’s what’s called a rich snippet, and it’s an under-utilized part of SEO for restaurants.
The intent is to make your site easier for search engines to index.
Web crawlers scan your restaurant’s site to ensure adherence to standard SEO guidelines. So any Iranian or Persian Restaurant needs to make sure their website is synced as per the needs.
The more you comply with these guidelines and the easier a crawler can find your metadata and scan your site, the higher your ranking.
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Optimize Your Website
Off-page SEO is only part of the game. To take the top spot requires a healthy dose of website optimization.
For the most part, on-page SEO is easy to handle. Its primary concern is providing users with the best possible browsing experience.
Start by conducting a web audit of your website to see what needs improving.
Look out for a few things like:
- Page loading speeds.
- Redirects.
- Photo quality.
- Page scannability.
In short, your website needs to be fast, easy to navigate, and filled with helpful information.
You’ll also need to include an engaging call-to-action on each webpage. Your CTA’s sole purpose is to encourage customers to reach out and visit your business.
Adding a button that allows users to reserve a table or contact your restaurant is a great start.
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Create an Engaging Mobile Experience
Evidence shows that the overwhelming majority of your customer base will search for your business via a mobile device.
82% of smartphone users conducted local searches, with restaurants topping the list of most searched for businesses.
It’s impossible to ignore the power of the mobile browsing experience. And in the years to come, mobile browsing will only become more popular.
Provide users with an easy way to navigate your website through a mobile device and you’ll see the benefits.
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Encourage Reviews
Since so much of the modern customer experience starts online, it’s important to facilitate buzz around your restaurant.
As a result, it’s a good idea for restaurants to encourage customer reviews.
Accumulating a library of user-generated feedback can influence your site’s authority, thus helping your restaurant websites’ SEO efforts.
This is yet another reason why filling out your local listings is such an important step. More business listings bring more review opportunities, in short.
And make no mistake, future customers will absolutely count on these reviews. An estimated 97% of customers read online reviews.
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Handle Customer Complaints
Facilitating discussion around your restaurant is one thing. But what happens when the conversation takes a turn for the worse?
Not every review you receive will be glowing. But knowing how to handle negative reviews can keep your restaurant’s reputation positive.
For starters, make sure to respond to the reviews in question. Acknowledge the customer’s complaint, apologize, and ask what you can do to make it up to them.
If need be, you can also take communications away from the public eye. Ask if you can chat with them one-on-one and come up with a way to make things right.
It may seem like a simple step, but it shows a willingness to make things right.
Customer service matters — even online.
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Keep Efforts Local
If you’ve spent much time researching SEO for restaurants, you know how overwhelming the process can be.
There is some good news, however: You don’t need to worry about a global SEO strategy unless you’re a chain.
Search engines understand the importance of small businesses. As a result, they often prioritize local results.
In fact, your restaurant will be best served by focusing your efforts on a much smaller scale.
Keep your SEO efforts local, and even hyperlocal if possible.
Write about local content, use local keywords, participate in local social media groups — be anywhere your community is active.
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Create Fantastic Content
You already craft great dishes, now it’s time to craft some great content.
Web content is a fantastic and easy way to boost your site’s rankings. Make an effort to publish thoughtful and engaging content on a regular basis. For example if you are targeting customers who want to find a vegan restaurant in Germany, you have to craft content that talks about vegan food in Germany.
Blog posts are by far the most common type of content, but you’re free to branch out into videos, podcasts, and more.
However, you publish your content, make sure it hits a local demographic and leaves the reader wanting more. And don’t forget to include a CTA as we mentioned earlier.
Restaurant SEO Tips to Serve Up Success
If you’re tired of watching customers visit the competition, use these restaurant SEO techniques so that you are continuously driving customers to your restaurant and investing in your digital presence for the long-term.