Annie Lampe, 316 Strategy Group, visiting a bakery in Omaha.
Are you looking to boost the online presence of your restaurant for the site users in your town? Do you want to direct more people to your brand? If so, then you need to look at different ways to boost your local SEO for your restaurant.
The good news is that it isn’t as hard as it seems. Search engine optimization (SEO) is more of a marathon than a sprint. If you commit yourself to it long-term, it will reward you in many ways.
See below for several ways that you can improve your local SEO strategies and get more people connected with your restaurant’s brand online.
1. Add Your Menu to Google
What’s the one easiest way for you to find a new restaurant these days? By opening up your phone, clicking on the internet browser, and searching Google for local eats.
Google users are impatient. They expect to receive all the information that they need without so much as clicking on your website (unless they want to).
For that reason, it’s important to add your restaurant’s menu on Google. That way, your customers can view what you have, how much it is, and so on.
Add a description of the food, the price, and even a mouth-watering image to generate more people to your restaurant. Always make sure to prioritize editing the menu you post on Google whenever you make changes to it in your restaurant.
2. Hire a Local SEO Company
The benefits of SEO are virtually limitless. It gives your brand more exposure in the marketplace than you could ever hope to receive with offline marketing tactics. More importantly, it directs you to your target market.
To receive all of those benefits, however, you need to ensure you’re building your search engine optimization plan the right way.
It’s all about making your website and brand more attractive to search engines such as Google. The more attractive your site and brand are in its eyes, the more Google will push your product out to the world.
To harness all of that, you need to hire a local SEO company that can point you in the right direction. They’ll have an in-depth understanding of how to use Google to propel your local SEO and turn it into a passive way to generate income for your brand.
You can then build off of the momentum they give you by adopting certain SEO trends for your website.
3. Refine Your Keyword Strategies
Without using the right keywords, your SEO strategy is sure to fail. Some restaurant owners use keywords that are too broad, others use keywords that are too niche. The truth is that you need to combine a little bit of both.
Too many restaurants make the mistake of trying to rank for the keywords with the most searches. They copy a competitor’s link into their preferred keyword research tool, then use the keywords with the highest possible search volume.
Here’s a secret about those keywords with the highest search volume: you’ll never rank for them. They’ve already been taken. You can’t possibly hope to overthrow a web page that’s on the top search results for those searches.
Instead, take a step back and look for another factor of keywords: their keyword density.
Always search for keywords that have a search volume of 100 or higher, and a keyword density that’s at 30 or lower.
The search volume will ensure that you’re using a keyword people are searching for. The low keyword density will help point you to keywords and keyword phrases that not a lot of brands are currently trying to rank for. That’s when you strike!
4. Prioritize Reviews for Your Brand
Before a client steps into your restaurant for the first time, they want to get a peek behind the curtain of what it’s like to eat there. For that, they rely on online customer reviews to get more information.
Positive online reviews are two-fold for your brand. They boost your brand and your local SEO.
However, while many people prioritize searching for online reviews, not many of them will take the time to write one.
Research, from the National Restaurant Association, suggests that a half star increase or decrease could have as much as a 5-7% impact on a restaurant’s bottom line. Take the time to ask your clients to leave a review online. You can do this by placing it on the receipts at your restaurant, sending them an email, asking via text, and so on.
5. Use Local News for Your Content
If you want your blog’s content to attract more local clients, then you must think as local clients do. There are always local news stories that you can engage your clientele with.
For example, maybe you write an article congratulating the local high school football team for their victory over their rival. Heck, offer all the players a discount for the big win.
Write articles about local news stories that are affecting your clientele. Create videos about how local regulations affect your town.
By setting up a specific page of your website for local news, you’ll generate more conversation and get more engaged with your target market. Just try to refrain from having the content sound too political, that’s a dangerous precedent.
Drive Your Local SEO Results With These Tips
Now that you’ve seen several key tips on how to drive your local SEO and many local SEO solutions, it’s time for you to use them wisely.
Be sure to read this article for more information on the types of SEO that you need to know.
For more inquiries, please reach out to us by filling out the online contact form at the bottom of the page and we’ll be happy to assist you further!
