Imagine this: a potential customer is craving a delicious meal and pulls out their phone to search for the best local restaurants. They’re scrolling through pages of menus, but yours? It’s nowhere to be found.
If this sounds familiar, don’t worry because you’re not the only one. A lot of restaurants struggle to get noticed online because their menu isn’t optimized for search engines. This is where SEO for restaurants comes in.
Without the right keywords and strategies, your menu could be hiding in plain sight. But don’t worry as this blog will show you how to optimize your menu with simple SEO techniques that’ll get you boost your restaurant marketing.
Let’s get started!
1. Conduct keyword research
Conducting keyword research is the first and most important step in optimizing your restaurant menu for SEO. Here’s why: You want to know exactly what your potential customers are typing into search engines when they’re craving a meal. Using keyword research tools can uncover popular search terms that are relevant to your restaurant and menu items.
Here’s how you can get started:
- Use keyword tools: Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or even Google Trends are great for discovering which phrases people are searching for. You can find specific terms like “best sushi near me” or “vegetarian-friendly restaurants” that will let you understand what your customers are looking for.
- Think locally: It’s also important to focus on local search terms. People often search for food near their location, so make sure to include keywords like “restaurants in [your city]” or “best [cuisine type] near me” to capture local traffic.
- Analyze competitors: Look at what other local restaurants are ranking for. This can give you an idea of what keywords you might be missing or how you can improve your own SEO restaurant menu.
Once you’ve gathered your keywords, the next step is to seamlessly integrate them into your menu descriptions and we’re going to dive into exactly how to do that in the next section.
2. Optimize the menu with keywords
Now that you’ve done the hard work of researching keywords, it’s time to put them to good use by optimizing your menu descriptions. But here’s the thing: this strategy is most effective if you plan on inserting your menu directly onto your website. SEO optimization for your menu won’t have the same impact on social media posts, where keywords in descriptions don’t directly boost your site’s search ranking.
Here’s how to optimize your menu with keywords on your website:
- Add keywords naturally: When writing your menu descriptions, incorporate the keywords you’ve found in a way that feels natural and reads well.
- For example, instead of just saying “pizza,” you might say, “Wood-fired pizza with a crispy crust, topped with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.” This adds flavor to your descriptions while keeping the keyword “wood-fired pizza” prominent.
- Describe dishes in detail: The more detailed and engaging your descriptions, the better. Not only does this help with restaurant menu SEO, but it also makes your menu more appealing to customers.
- Instead of just listing “cheeseburger,” try something like “Juicy cheeseburger with melted cheddar, crisp lettuce, and tangy pickles on a toasted brioche bun.” It does sound delicious, but it also includes valuable keywords like “cheeseburger” and “cheddar.”
- Focus on high-traffic items: If certain dishes are more popular or have higher search volume, make sure those are optimized with keywords.
- For example, if “gluten-free pizza” is a trending search term, emphasize that on your menu for items that fit the description.
- Include location-specific keywords: If your restaurant is in a specific area, don’t forget to add location-based keywords where appropriate.
- Terms like “best pizza in [city name]” or “top sushi spot in [neighborhood name]” can boost your visibility in local searches.
- Add alt-text for your images: Site crawlers can’t “read” images the way humans can, so adding descriptive alt text helps search engines understand what the image is about.
- For instance, if you have a photo of your signature burger, you could add alt text like “juicy cheeseburger with cheddar, lettuce, and pickles on a bun.” This makes it easier for search engines to match your images with relevant searches, improving your SEO.
This also increases the chances of your restaurant showing up in relevant searches and ultimately drives more traffic to your site. It’s a win-win!
3. Have a mobile-friendly website
Mobile devices account for more than 60% of restaurant searches, according to Restaurant’s Marketing. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of potential customers. Picture this: someone’s out and about, looking for a place to eat, and they stumble across your restaurant. But when they try to load your site, the text is too small, the images are blurry, or the menu won’t even load. That’s an instant turn-off!
A mobile-friendly website ensures your customers can easily navigate your menu, contact info, and online ordering system from their smartphones. To make sure your site is responsive, here are a few things you should focus on:
- Easy-to-read text without needing to zoom in.
- Images that adjust to fit different screen sizes without distortion.
- Quick loading times, even with large images or detailed menus.
- Buttons and links that are easy to click on with a finger (no tiny buttons!).
- A simple, clean layout that’s easy to navigate on small screens.
Not only does this create a better experience for your customers, but Google also rewards mobile-friendly sites with higher rankings in search results, giving your SEO a big boost!
4. Use alt-text for your menus
Alt text is a short description you add to your images, and it’s super important for restaurant menu SEO. It helps search engines understand what’s in the image.
So, if you have a picture of your signature dish, like a beautiful plate of pasta, you should add alt text like “delicious homemade spaghetti with marinara sauce.” This helps Google figure out what the image is, which can improve your rankings when people search for dishes like “spaghetti near me.”
Plus, alt text makes your website more accessible to people who rely on screen readers. It’s an easy step to take, and it boosts both your SEO and your customer experience!
PosterMyWall has a variety of customizable restaurant menu templates to help you come up with a professional-looking restaurant menu design. The platform also lets you add images of your dishes, helping you create a menu that attracts customers!
5. Encourage customer reviews
You know how when you’re deciding where to eat, you probably check out reviews first? Well, customers do the same thing when they’re looking for a new spot. That’s why it’s so important to encourage reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor.
Positive reviews help build trust with new customers, but they also give your SEO a nice little boost because Google loves fresh, relevant content like customer feedback.
A great way to get more reviews is to simply ask your happy customers! After a meal, you can say something like, “We’d love for you to share your experience on Google/Yelp.” You can even make it easy by sending them a link or adding a call-to-action on your menu or receipt.
Adding a “Customer Reviews” section on your website helps you highlight what people are saying about your food and service. Plus, it helps potential customers get a glimpse of the experience they can expect. It’s one of the easiest ways to make your restaurant more visible and trustworthy online.
6. Invest in link-building through social media
Social media is a go-to spot for discovering new restaurants. Well, investing in link-building through your social media is a smart move to boost your restaurant menu SEO.
When you share posts on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, you can link back to your website. This drives traffic to your site, and search engines like Google take notice of these links when ranking you.
A great way to do this is by sharing mouth-watering photos of your dishes, promotions, or special events, and adding a link to your menu or online ordering page in the post caption.
You could say something like, “Craving a fresh salad? Order online today from our menu (link in bio).” It helps customers find what they need while also giving your website a boost in search results.
Plus, PosterMyWall social media marketing tools make it super easy to design eye-catching posts and graphics that drive people back to your website. With their ready-made templates, you can create posts for Facebook, Instagram, or even flyers with just a few clicks, and each one can include links or QR codes to your menu!
Boost your restaurant’s SEO
Optimizing your restaurant menu SEO with these friendly strategies will help you attract more customers and also improve your online visibility. These steps are simple but powerful tools to help you rise in search rankings, making it easier for potential customers to find and love your restaurant.
Take a closer look at your menu, update your website for mobile users, and encourage reviews. The efforts will pay off in the long run, bringing more traffic and customers right to your door.
If you want to take your marketing even further, PosterMyWall can help you easily design a stunning restaurant flyer that’s optimized for both print and online use.
