The beginner's guide to seo for local restaurants

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for local restaurants looking to increase their online visibility and attract more customers. Here's a beginner's guide to help you get started:

Arianna Colomb
Author Arianna Colomb
Blog
Oak fire pizza showing on search engine

Optimise your Google Business Profile listing

Claim and verify your Google Business Profile (GBP) listing to make sure your restaurant appears in local search results and on Google Maps. Keep your information up-to-date, including your address, website, phone number, and opening hours. At Flipdish, we take care of optimising your GBP for you. We make sure your customers can order from you directly via Google Maps or Google Search with a simple click, instead of ordering through aggregators. For more specific tips on how to maximise your restaurant’s visibility with GBP, click here.

A screenshot of Oak Fire Pizzas Google My Business

Use local keywords

Incorporate keywords that include your location and the type of cuisine you offer into your website's content, titles, and meta descriptions. For example: "Best Italian Restaurant in Manchester" or "Authentic Thai Cuisine in Birmingham." All Flipdish websites are optimised for discovery, making it easier than ever for customers to find your restaurant.

A snippet of Oak Fire Pizza website content

Optimise your website for mobile

Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as many customers will use their smartphones to search for restaurants. A responsive design will improve user experience and help your site rank higher in mobile search results.

Thankfully, if you’re already a Flipdish customer you won’t have to worry about this, as all our restaurant websites are built with a responsive and intuitive design that works on any device, even for large and complex menus. We also offer mobile apps, making it even easier for your customers to order from you.

Mobile phones showing Oak Fire Pizza website and online ordering

Create quality content

Publish engaging content on your website, such as blog posts about your signature dishes chef interviews, or upcoming events. This can help attract more visitors to your site and improve your search engine rankings.

Maximise your content's impact by incorporating ChatGPT, which not only offers valuable insights but also generates creative ideas and polishes language, resulting in the delivery of superior and more engaging content.

Chat GPT screenshot

Build local backlinks

Get links to your website from other reputable local businesses, such as food bloggers, local directories, or event pages. These backlinks can improve your site's authority and help you rank higher in local search results.

By following these SEO strategies, your local restaurant can improve its online presence, attract more customers, and stand out in a competitive market.

But if that all seems like too much work, we’re here to help. With Flipdish, having a website that is responsive and intuitive, optimised for discovery and easily updatable is at your fingertips. We make the process of setting up your digital storefront seamless, allowing you to focus on what matters most – delivering an exceptional dining experience to your customers. Find out more.