Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a powerful tool that restaurant owners can use to promote their brand and menus to potential customers. Whether you serve local guests or target incoming tourists, SEO can help you reach your market. A national SEO company will give you access to global demographics, while local SEO will draw traffic from nearby walk-in guests. Here are three ways you can leverage SEO to promote your restaurant and increase sales:
1. Optimize for Local SEO
Location-based intent is an important ranking factor that affects businesses relying on walk-in guests. Restaurant SEO should focus on optimizing for local searches. Local customers and incoming tourists use search phrases with location-based intent when searching for restaurants. Optimizing your restaurant for local searches increases visibility for prospects nearby and miles away.
Consider adding the restaurant website to all meaningful directories and review sites. Start with Google Business, Yelp, Foursquare, TripAdvisor, Yellow Pages, and more. Create social media platforms for your restaurant and add standardized company information. Optimizing for local customers can help you raise interest and create a buzz around your restaurant. Google and other engines will also perceive your restaurant as a legitimate business.
You should encourage guest reviews and add the business to popular review sites. Adding reviews to search results can increase the click-through rate. Engines like Google also show the highest-rated restaurants. Reviews can help you increase traffic to your website, which can translate to more customers. Optimizing for local searches also puts you ahead of competitors and helps build brand authority.
2. Offer Informative, Engaging Content
SEO is a robust undertaking covering keywords, link building, and user experience, with content at the heart of everything. Your website pages feature content, so you should optimize every page and space. A national SEO company can optimize your keyword roadmap to appear at the forefront of search engine result pages (SERPs). Your challenge is to provide helpful, engaging, and informative content that can guide people to your restaurant.
Consider providing your restaurant’s brand story, location, business hours, contact information, menu, reservation instructions, and online ordering. You can also offer email sign-up subscriptions to build your list of leads. Keep the spotlight on what makes your restaurant stand out and whom it targets (families, conference members, food truck catering, etc.). Provide information about the ingredients, sources, cooking procedures, and other selling points.
You can have space for a blog that provides keyword-optimized articles about general topics. High-quality content is the key to successful SEO and promotions, so you should find ways to engage your audience. Provide content across all online platforms your restaurant is active in. You can create professional videos, photographs, presentations, and helpful insights for your website, social media pages, and eBooks.
3. Invest in Link Building
Link building can help build a strong network around your website. Google and other engines review backlinks to see who links to your website. Your site is considered reliable if the links come from credible, high-authority websites relatable to your niche. Restaurant SEO should focus on building long-term relationships with leading sources that can provide high-value backlinks. The goal is to position your restaurant as the best destination for your guests.
Adding your restaurant to review websites and directories is one way to gain links. You can leverage guest blogging, influencers, affiliate programs, and partnerships. Make sure your restaurant is constantly mentioned in the best light by leading websites, bloggers, and review websites. Find link-building opportunities through legitimate customers, businesses, and personalities that align with your goals. Avoid networks that don’t suit your model.
Link building exposes your restaurant and content to thousands, sometimes millions, of prospective customers. You can create a strong presence for local customers and establish the restaurant as a recognizable destination for touring guests. When building links, remember to optimize onsite links that direct users to other pages on your website. If users spend more time on your site, your ranking can increase, leading to more exposure, traffic, and sales.
Working With a National SEO Company
A national SEO company specializes in marketing your restaurant and brand or even if your restaurants for sale to different demographics worldwide. You can enjoy local optimization while promoting your restaurant to touring guests and offshore prospects. Stick to leading SEO agencies that can meet your objectives using ethical practices and proven techniques. National SEO specialists are also experienced in local optimization, so you’ll leverage both worlds. Using these steps to boost your SEO can help increase your restaurant sales.