Are you taking your restaurant SEO strategy seriously? Let us take you through 12 reasons why restaurant SEO is important and how it can boost your growth.
Back in the day, people looking for restaurants would turn to their phonebooks, scan through the yellow pages, or ask for recommendations even from strangers! Not anymore, as Internet has come and changed our lives.
Google (read the Internet) has become the first source and often the last for information. Websites are modern business cards and more. Talk of advertising, and most of it has already moved online. Now in all this, are you taking your restaurant SEO strategy seriously? If not, here are some stats that may serve as an eye-opener.
- The Internet influences more than 1 billion visits to restaurants
- 86% of millennials visit restaurants after an online search
- 57% of customers in the US check the restaurant website before visits
- 84% of customers trust online reviews about restaurants
- 64% of US customers prefer ordering directly from restaurants instead of 3rd party apps
Can you overlook your Search Engine Optimization strategy anymore? These stats establish the current trends in the restaurant business, where online visibility has become a market differentiator. It is the single most crucial factor in attracting millennials and Gen Z, who trust online information more than anything else. A lack of SEO strategy can put you out of business.
If you need further convincing on the importance of restaurant SEO, here are 12 reasons your restaurant needs an SEO strategy.
1 – You Can’t Ignore the Digital World
What do you do when looking for a hotel room upon landing in a new place? What do you do when searching for the nearest gas station? You turn to the Internet, don’t you? Customers exploring new restaurants are no different; most trust the Internet to offer them the best suggestions. The Internet has become an integral part of our lives. From locating restaurants to exploring their specialties, most people turn to the Internet as the first source of information.
2 – Need To Tap The Smartphone Craze
Most people use mobile devices to search for places to eat. They search for restaurants on the go, in busy areas, and don’t have the patience to scroll beyond the first few results. These searches result in instant visits or food orders, thus improving your bottom line. You can increase your business and revenue by tapping into this audience. Search engine optimization lets you leverage the smartphone craze.
3 – Attract New Customers
As a restauranter, you know the importance of two things – patronage of your loyal customers and attracting new ones. Quality food, good ambiance, and courteous service let you retain your loyal customers. To attract new customers, you have to work on building brand awareness. Your website’s ranking on the search engine result pages decides brand awareness, as few people care to scroll below the first few results. Restaurant SEO improves your ranking and increases brand awareness.
4 – Your Website’s Visibility Is All That Matters
Your website’s visibility matters more than anything, and SEO is the best path to online visibility. You may have worked closely with a web developer to build your dream website. However, if the website isn’t visible on Google and other search engines, you aren’t likely to attract new customers and be recommended by your existing ones. A well-designed SEO strategy sits at the center of online visibility, so you can’t ignore it.
5 – Boost Customer Engagement
In today’s tech-savvy world, you know the importance of active customer engagement. Prospective customers choose new restaurants based on the experiences others have shared online. Restaurant SEO not only increases your online visibility but also boosts customer engagement. When your customers share their experiences, these would be visible to thousands of prospective customers. It has the potential to increase footfall and occupancy at your restaurant.
6 – Let Customers Spread the Word
Your customers are your biggest brand ambassadors. A positive word from them on your restaurant can boost your business growth. While businesses in the past depended on “word of mouth” marketing, the same has moved online in the modern world. Search Engine Optimization lets you leverage all the positive comments of your restaurant. You can use them actively in your campaigns and build a positive reputation in the minds of your potential customers.
7 – Your Competitors Are Investing In SEO
While we don’t advise you to copy your competitor’s marketing campaign, you shouldn’t ignore their campaigns either. Restaurant SEO is no longer the exclusive domain of Michelin Star restaurants as it may have been a decade ago. Everyone in this business is doing it to remain relevant in the digital era. Even if your competitors aren’t doing it, they are ceding space to you; the same is true for your business. To be competitive and stay relevant, you must invest in SEO.
8 – SEO Boosts Research-Based Consumerism
We are seeing an increase in research-based consumerism. Most people turn to the Internet before trying out a new product. Your potential customers expect to find you online while exploring new restaurants. Without SEO, your website won’t likely be visible for most of these searches, which isn’t ideal when your competitors aggressively invest in restaurant search engine optimization campaigns.
9 – Introduce Your Specialties
Your restaurant’s specialties separate you from the rest of the crowd. Restaurant SEO is the best way to introduce your specialties to your target audience. Create an engaging online menu with descriptions and key ingredients of all your specialties. Organic SEO can take it to the masses and trigger the desire for a restaurant visit.
10 – Cost-Effective Marketing Strategy
There’s a good reason your competitors are investing in their restaurant SEO strategy, which boils down to cost. SEO is the most cost-effective of all digital marketing strategies. SEO can offer you the highest return on investment compared to other digital strategies. Every dollar you spend on SEO offers multifold returns in terms of new customer acquisition and an increase in food orders.
11 – Increase Food Delivery Orders
The post-Covid world has changed dining habits. Though there are no physical restrictions in most parts of the world, food delivery orders have shot up. A strong presence on search engines is a prerequisite to attracting food orders. By investing in SEO, you can increase your orders and serve more customers without worrying about the crunch of space at your restaurant.
12 – SEO Adds Thrust to Social Media Marketing
Almost all restaurants market their business on social media. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram increase your reach and help you grow your brand. SEO acts as a force multiplier to your social media marketing campaign. It complements your SMM activity and helps attract more people to your restaurant website, growing footfall and online food orders.
Wrapping Up
A good restaurant SEO strategy helps your business grow in the digitally-driven world that we all live in. Without restaurant SEO, your website will not likely reach your target audience and derive the intended benefits. Ignoring SEO can significantly impact your ability to attract new customers and stay ahead of your competitors. It is akin to not having starters and desserts on your menu and expecting the main course to work its magic.
Restaurant SEO requires a unique approach and a team with an inherent knowledge of this industry. If you are looking for a team that can plan and execute a tailored restaurant SEO strategy to power your growth at Cyrusson Inc. In that case, we have the skills, resources, and experience to deliver results. We are a full-stack digital marketing agency and have previously worked with dozens of restaurants. Call us for a free consultation and let us make your website as enticing as your food.