About 66% of the people who come to your restaurant visit after searching Google. How do I know? Open up your website analytics and look at traffic sources. I guarantee that at least 66% percent is Google.
That means 2 out of 3 people who dine with you are coming from a Google search. Id say that makes Google pretty important to your business, wouldn't you?
I was recently invited into the Google offices with about 30 of my colleagues for a private session with Google heads of state for products like Search, Google Business Profile, YouTube Shorts and Google ads. They showed us best practices, talked about what's coming and asked for our feedback on what would make all of these better for restaurants.
Not only was I humbled and grateful to be included, but I was impressed that a company of that size truly wanted real feedback. It was awesome.
Well you know me, I'm here to share. I want to help you with your business which means I have to share what we learned, RIGHT?!?!
Lets go.
Here are the secrets to Google Search for Restaurants
STATS:
A couple search statistics that will help impress upon you the importance of Google search. The following percentages represent a yera over year increase int that particular search term.
- 99% YoY "Food near me"
- 875% YoY "Food near me open now"
- 232% YoY "hot honey pizza"
- And the biggest Breakout YoY search increase = Restaurants Cerca de Mi
This means that not only is there a massive increase in search for restaurants, those searches have purchase intent and there are a whole lot more of them happening in Spanish.
GOOGLE BUSINNESS PROFILE
Here is a step by step guide of what Google recommends for optimization:
1. Claim your profile
2. Update your hours, especially special (holiday) hours
3. Booking and ordering partners, especially preferred by business
4. Answer messages from your guests (if you have it turned on)
5. Write a great business description (use AI if needed)
6. Include social profiles - Google will pull in your content
7. Include offers and events
8. Update all fields
9. Make sure your menu is up to date and 100% accurate
- Section names
- Dish names
- Dish description
- Dish prices
- Dish photos (if you dont, Google will use user photos)
- Dietary attributes
-- You can even upload a Photos and PDFs into Google to turn it into text
10. Reply to reviews
11. Encourage customers to share
Here's a couple quick profile hits to think about:
- Fireplace is a Google Business Profile attribute. This means that you should fill out every single attribute in your profile that relates to your business, especially fi you have a fireplace
- Use all 10 categories on your listings. This is the best way to get your restaurant indexed by Google.
- Log into your Google Business Profile about once a month to see if there are new features. Google rolls them out all the time. It also sends a signal to Google that the account is being actively managed.
- Local search is a small local business's game to win, no one is better at creating unique experiences ands sense of belonging. Filling out your profile helps you to be be found more for people looking for unique experiences and vibe.
YOUTUBE SHORTS
This is a quickly growing way of how people are searching for and discovering restaurants. Assuming you are already creating video content for your social media channels, you can take that same content and upload it to YouTube shorts to start to maxmize the channel.
Here's a quick guide:
1. Claim channel
2. Optimize shorts by including the name of restaurant / business in the title and or the description (captions)
3. Post regularly
4. Engage
5. Playlists. Create one of videos made of you "mentions"
6. Content ideas:
--- Catch the vibes
--- Recipes and Tips
--- Day in the life
--- New menu items
--- Our favorite music
I know that is a lot but you now have the guide and best practices so just get started and make sure Google optimization is part of your channel marketing in every campaign!
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Do you need help with any of this? Send me an email rev@brandedstrategic.net
- Rev Ciancio
WHAT DOES REV DO?
*I help restaurants to build guest marketing programs.
*I help hospitality tech companies with lead generation and content marketing.