7 Local SEO Tips To Effectively Grow Your Restaurant's Exposure

A strong restaurant business plan lays the groundwork, but to truly thrive, you need local customers. With over a million restaurants in the U.S., standing out is no joke. But here’s the good news—you’re not necessarily up against all of them, just the ones in your area. And that’s where these tips for local SEO can give you a serious edge.

Local SEO helps your restaurant show up when hungry people are nearby searching for a place to eat. If you can land in Google’s top three results (the “3-pack”), you’ll attract more customers than any ad campaign ever could. And the best part? You don’t need to be a tech genius to make it happen.

I’ve got seven simple ways to boost your local SEO and get more eyes on your restaurant. Let’s dive in—plus, check out my video below for even more tips!

1. Place relevant keywords on your website    

Using keywords on your website that reflect your business tells Google that your restaurant is relevant. The key is to understand what terms people are searching for when they want to spend their money at a restaurant like yours. 

Using these keywords can help your restaurant appear in Google search results, where more people can see your restaurant info when deciding where to eat. 

For example, you can include descriptive keywords about your cuisine on your website. I suggest basing your local keywords on these examples to stand out and help customers in your area find you: 

• Delicious Italian food in San Francisco 
• Authentic Indian restaurant in Santa Monica 
• Best homemade, organic pizza in Orange County   
• Affordable vegetarian restaurant in Long Beach, CA

Make sure your keywords are as specific as possible and unique to your restaurant’s offerings. Your menu (especially your menu description) and contact page are also great places to add these, as well as your About page, which should tell a unique story of who your restaurant is. 

Make your website as engaging as possible — don't bore your customers with dry descriptions. Get their mouth watering and keep them scrolling with unique keywords and a compelling story. If customers are more engaged, they’ll stay on the page longer, which will tell Google that your restaurant is relevant. 

2. Set up your Google Business Profile 

If you haven’t already, set up your Google Business Profile. Your Google Business Profile (GBP) listing is the first thing that pops up when someone searches for your restaurant and shows important details like your business contact information, hours and directions. Plus, you can do it for free! 

Your GBP can help you stand out from competitors and show up as the first result when customers search for your restaurant, resulting in more customers and sales. For example, which GBP listing would you rather click on?

Which would you rather visit?

Customers will be more likely to gravitate towards Lolita’s — it gives them so much more information. Alberto’s is missing their phone number, hours and website. Lolita’s listing covers all that and also features a button to order online, service options, a description of offerings and more. 

By providing more information to your customers, the more likely they’ll be able to find and visit you.  They’re likely getting more customers, which means more sales.  

So, how do you get the most out of your GBP listing? Here are some things I recommend: 

• ‍Showcase your reviews—most customers check them before choosing where to eat. I’ll cover how to get more reviews later in this post.
• Make it easy for customers to find you—add your business name, address, phone number, website and hours.‍
• Link your menu so customers can check it out before they visit. Adding menu items also helps your restaurant show up in Google Maps when people search for places to eat.‍
• Use local keywords in your description to stand out. For example, instead of just “Indian restaurant,” try: Modern Indian spot in San Francisco with locally sourced dishes, craft cocktails and homemade desserts.‍
• Upload high-quality photos of your food and ambiance on your GBP to grab attention.

For inspiration, check out how Talkin’ Tacos Miramar location successfully set up their GBP listing:

Their listing stands out from others because it includes a direct online ordering link, which guides customers on ordering options and lists their website first. Doing so helps steer more customers to order directly through them, rather than with third-party apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash which have costly delivery fees. 

Once you set up your restaurant’s Business Profile, remember to keep it up to date. If you move locations, you’ll want to add your new address, or if you change your hours, update that, too. And, if you close for a holiday, update your closure dates so customers don’t show up to an empty restaurant — accurate information can help show that you’re a reliable business.  

For a bit more guidance, check out my video below on how to set up your GBP:

3. Improve website and menu SEO 

An updated website and menu are crucial for attracting local customers to your restaurant and increasing its sales. To make your website and menu more local SEO-friendly, here are some quick tips I suggest trying out: 

• Improve your website’s user experience:  You should offer your website visitors the same excellent experience they’d get if they were seated in your restaurant. Not only do your potential customers expect a first-class experience, but so does Google. Make sure your website’s links are up-to-date, information is accurate and easy to find, and your site is mobile-friendly.  
• Add links to your website: Does your restaurant sponsor local non-profits and sports teams or participate in upcoming events? Ask them to link to your restaurant to boost your visibility. Consider trading a link for a discount code or free menu item as an incentive. 
• Update your menu: Since you’ll link your menu to your GBP, make sure your menu is updated and easy to read — I usually advise against PDFs since the text can be too small, but these restaurant menu design templates are a strong starting point. 
• Consider a website builder: Website builders for restaurants aim to make it easy and quick for you to upgrade your current website to one that attracts more customers and grows your sales. For example, Doo-Dah Diner used Owner.com’s website builder to help modernize their site and get new customers with Google SEO features, placing them in the top five Google rankings and $7,000 per month in direct online sales.

Made with Owner.com's website builder

4. Encourage reviews from customers   

Google loves restaurants with lots of reviews because it shows that people are talking about and engaging with your place. Reviews are also like digital word of mouth — customers are more likely to check out a restaurant if previous customers liked it.  

If you’re feeling light in the review department, here are some ways you can encourage your customers to leave their thoughts:

• Link to review pages: Include quotes from your Google Business reviews in your email marketing efforts, throughout your website, via QR code or on your takeout bags, and ask customers for a shoutout.  
• Offer incentives: Entice your customers with a reward, gift card or promotion code in exchange for a review.
• Respond to reviews (the good and the bad): Responding to your reviews shows customers that you value their feedback — Google likes to see this and will favor your restaurant more and push you toward the top of search results.

For example, Sauced Pizzeria is a solid example of a business that responds to its customers' reviews with thoughtful messages, all of which are showing up in their GBP:

5. Ensure your listings are accurate 

Make sure that your restaurant name, address and phone number (NAP) are all the same everywhere that it’s posted. When Google sees this consistency, it knows your info is solid and reliable and will show your restaurant to more potential customers. Double-check sites that your restaurant could be mentioned, like: 

• Yelp 
• Tripadvisor
• Yellow Pages 
• Foursquare 
• Better Business Bureau

Having consistent restaurant information is not only good for Google — it also lets potential customers know they can trust that you’re open when you say you are and don't have to hunt for your contact information. All it takes is a customer dialing an incorrectly listed number to never check out your restaurant. 

6. Join forces with local outlets 

Want more people to find you? Reach out to local newspapers, food blogs and guides to see if they’ll feature your restaurant.

Getting involved in community events like fundraisers, food festivals or cooking competitions is a great way to get noticed and boost your local SEO for restaurants and overall restaurant marketing. Google favors businesses with local links, and it helps you build real connections in your area.

Take Puesto in San Diego, for example. Through “Puesto Cares,” they support local groups like Scripps Cancer Care and La Jolla Youth Baseball.

Getting your name out there through restaurant promotion isn’t just good for business—it gives you great content for social media and helps drive real sales.

7. Boost your social media efforts 

Social media may not directly help your local SEO like setting up your GBP will, but it can get others to talk about your restaurant, attract the local community and drive more sales. Social media isn’t usually the most time-efficient for restaurants, which is why it ranks lower on the list. But once you've got a handle on these local SEO  tips, it starts to make a lot more sense to put some effort into it. 

I recommend creating and sharing content that is relevant, useful and appealing to your local audience like: 

• Creating a video that gives viewers a tour of your restaurant
• Giving a behind-the-scenes look into how popular menu items are made 
• Making a post that introduces the chef or staff member  

For example, Talkin’ Tacos does an excellent job of showcasing how their tacos and other food items are made on their TikTok — and it looks delicious too.

Plus, when you ask customers to share pics and reviews of their meals on social media, it's like getting a big thumbs up for your restaurant. Not only does it show off your great food, but it also creates awesome user-generated content that boosts your restaurant's online presence. 

Upgrade your website to increase local visibility 

Getting noticed by new customers in your neighborhood is all about having a killer website. When your site looks sharp and has all the details mentioned in this post, it tells Google that your restaurant is a hot spot and worth showing off. Plus, having a top-notch website beefs up your GBP listing, which is crucial for local SEO success. 

Rather than giving all your sales and customer data to third-party apps like DoorDash, use Owner so you can easily upgrade your restaurant website to increase your digital visibility and connect with customers directly.

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