Restaurant SEO: Your Recipe for Boosting Foot Traffic and Food Deliveries

In the food and beverage industry, ranking first in search engines dramatically increases your chances of attracting new diners. Customers who search for “pizzeria near me” on Google will most likely pick one of the top five results. As a matter of fact, customers hardly go beyond the first search engine results page. This is why your presence in search engines matters more than ever before.

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This guide will show you what it takes to secure the coveted #1 search engine position and drive in-person visits and online orders. Let’s get started!

What is restaurant SEO?

Restaurant search engine optimization is the process of making food and beverage business websites more search engine and user-friendly so that they appear prominently in search results. This can be achieved by aligning the website content and technical setup with the factors that search engines look for, such as relevant keywords, consistent business information, and website indexability. When done correctly, restaurant SEO makes it easier for hungry customers to find you the moment they search for places to eat.

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Some F&B businesses need SEO more than others. If you operate a fast food chain or manage a Michelin-starred restaurant, SEO still matters but is not a top priority. However, robust SEO becomes essential for businesses that serve mainly takeout food because thousands of local customers search online daily for food deliveries.

Why is SEO for restaurants important?

Competition in the F&B industry is fierce, and it’s tough for a new establishment or a small business to stand out. At its core, SEO creates visibility for your restaurant and opens opportunities for reservations, online orders, and long-term loyalty.

Boost foot traffic

Many customers find restaurants by typing location-based searches into Google. When your website is properly optimized, search engines are more likely to display it in local results and map packs. This visibility drives foot traffic, especially from people who need a convenient meal nearby. SEO for restaurants allows dining establishments to easily fill seats, even on weekdays or during slow hours.

Drive online orders and deliveries

Convenience has become a top priority for customers, and online ordering continues to surge in popularity. A strong online presence ensures hungry users see your website when searching for takeaway or delivery options.

Independence from food discovery apps

With local restaurant SEO, F&B businesses don’t have to rely on apps like Grubhub, DoorDash, or Uber Eats to attract diners. Individual restaurants can serve customers on their websites, compete with these third-party food discovery platforms, and do away with fees that bite into your margins.

Capitalize on voice search

In addition to traditional keyword searches, voice queries are on the rise. Customers often say voice commands like “find the best steakhouse near me” on their phones. You can capture these prospective diners by ensuring your website loads quickly and contains natural language phrases.

How to plan and execute a successful SEO for restaurants

In this part, we will explore tried and true SEO for restaurant tricks that improve online presence and increase revenue. You may want to sit down with your content writer, marketing officer, and website developer, as you’ll need their help.

Identify the right keywords

Focus on customers' words and phrases when they want to dine in or order takeout. Start with obvious terms tied to your menu items, cuisine, or location. We recommend using Ahrefs Keyword Explorer, which will show you how often people search for a particular term, such as “Chinese takeout near me,” “bistro bar in LA,” or “deep dish pizza delivery.”

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Pay attention to the “Keyword Difficulty” metric; the higher the value is, the fiercer the competition for that search term. We recommend targeting long-tail keywords with decent search volume first, as they aren’t too tough to rank for.

Utilize keywords in your meta tags

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This is where the result of your keyword research comes in. Incorporate your primary keywords into your page titles, meta descriptions, and headings. When searchers see these terms at a glance, they know you have what they want. Optimized meta tags also influence click-through rates, which further signals search engines that your content provides value.

Display your menu online

Diners often check menus and prices online before visiting a restaurant. That said, create a page or several pages showcasing your menu and incorporating critical keywords you’ve identified. Mention ingredients, cuisine styles, any unique preparation methods, and price. For instance, instead of simply listing “Lasagna,” describe it as “Baked Lasagna with Italian Marinara Sauce.” This level of detail can help match your website to precise user queries and set you apart from generic competitors.

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Make sure your menu page is in HTML rather than an image or a PDF file. Search engines can’t usually read the contents of a PDF file and are therefore rarely displayed in search results.

Create a location page

Location pages are extremely important for F&B businesses with multiple branches. They allow users to find your addresses in one place and enable your website to appear in Google for search terms like “bistro in …” Make sure each location page displays accurate information about each establishment’s reservations, operating hours, menu, contact number, etc.

Avoid adding too many images or videos to your website

Adding pictures of your restaurant, food, and crew is an excellent way to attract customers, as a picture paints a thousand words. But don’t go overboard because overly large images or videos can slow down a page from loading completely. Nobody likes waiting; chances are, people will leave if it takes over 3 seconds for a website to load.

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Keep images under 1500 pixels wide and use WEBP format instead of JPG or PNG to reduce file sizes. If you really have to embed a video, make sure it’s hosted in your domain, and subscribe to content delivery network services (CDN). Embedding a video from YouTube or Vimeo is not ideal as they contain codes that slow down page load.

Comply with Google Search Essentials

The Google Search Essentials outline the requirements to be eligible to appear on Google Search. Make sure your content is unique and provides diners with the information they may want to see. Fix broken links and other website issues that make it difficult for search engine bots to index your pages. Remember, an unindexed page will never appear in search results.

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Sit with your website developer and read our guides on how to fix damaging SEO issues and how to optimize a landing page for SEO, as those tutorials will teach you everything you need to comply with Google Search Essentials.

Pay attention to mobile usability and page speed

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Test your site’s appearance and performance on smartphones and tablets with Google Page Speed Insight. If pages load slowly or the website behaves funky when viewed on mobile devices, customers may abandon your site and move to a competitor’s. Google also ranks mobile-friendly websites higher, so optimizing for speed and responsive design is a must.

Add a FoodEstablishment Schema markup

Implement FoodEstablishment structured data such as operating hours, location, and ratings. By labeling these details, you help search engines display them more prominently, which can attract more clicks. This markup provides quick facts about your restaurant before users visit your site.

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Don’t worry, you don’t have to learn to code to create the markup. Just head to this Schema Markup Generator, pick the correct fields from the drop-down menu, fill in the details, and then paste the code to your HTML page.

Claim and optimize your online business listings

Local SEO for restaurants is the key to attracting nearby diners. To do this, claim and ensure your Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Yelp, and listings in other directories are complete and up-to-date with accurate business information. Keep key details such as your address, phone number, business hours, and a link to your website consistent. Search engines trust reputable directories, so building a strong presence there can significantly bolster your brand’s online reputation and visibility in local search results.

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Uploading vibrant photos of your interior and your most popular dishes also helps. We also urge you to respond to both positive and negative reviews to show how you value customer feedback. Information in your business listings helps potential customers find you and signals to Google that your business is actively managed, ultimately resulting in excellent local restaurant SEO performance.

Adapt to trends and seasonality

Recognize that dining trends change with the seasons and holidays. Offer seasonal menus, themed promotions, and timely blog posts. By catering your content to these changes, you remain relevant to diners and maintain strong engagement.

Earn backlinks

Earning backlinks (links from other websites to yours) is one of the best ways to improve your search engine rankings. The more reputable websites link to you, the more trust Google places in your site. You might co-host a themed dinner with a local brewery, partner with a nearby bakery on a special dessert, or offer free meals to a blogger in exchange for mentions and backlinks from their websites.

Publicize events and community involvement

Promote any local partnerships, charity fundraisers, or culinary events you host. Your restaurant may appear alongside related keywords when potential customers search for community events. Showcasing community ties on your website, social media, and Google Business Profile builds goodwill and cultivates repeat business.

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You may also want to contact local news outlets and lifestyle publications whenever you introduce a new menu or host a significant event. Media coverage often includes backlinks and heightened visibility. Search engines recognize your brand's credibility when more news or blog sites link to your website.

Track results and adjust your strategy

Regularly check your visitor numbers, rankings, and page performance data in Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Analyze which keywords bring in the most web traffic or conversions, and adjust your strategy if certain pages underperform or if new trends emerge.

Serphead can help with SEO for restaurants

Restaurant SEO is no longer optional; it’s now mandatory in today’s digital-first world. The information we shared above should help you get started on your climb to the top of search engine results. You have a long road ahead but you’ll secure the #1 spot with patience, effort, and time.

But if you lack the time or resources, let Serphead do all the work for you. Our restaurant SEO services free up your time to do what you do best, managing your F&B business. Our team has the expertise and experience to put your website at the top of search results in due time. So contact us today and let our team handle your local restaurant SEO.