Restaurant Hack – Get Your Restaurant Ranking Number 1 On Google


Restaurant Hack - Get Your Restaurant Ranking Number 1 On Google

Keep your website fresh with new content on a regular basis.

Getting your restaurant website listed on the first page of Google is quite an accomplishment, and one of the most coveted places for any business owner.

Why? Studies show that nearly 92% of Google traffic stays on the first page, and less than 5% of searchers click through to the second page. This is why landing on the first search page is so important.

If your restaurant isn’t on the first page of Google search, you are missing out on a lot of potential customers. (tweet this)

In this article, we look at the restaurant hack and how to get your restaurant ranking number one on Google. We’re not talking just on the first page; we’re talking number one on the page. Here’s how.

Create a Google+ Page

While Google+ certainly isn’t a popular social media platform like Facebook or Twitter, it is a powerful tool when it comes to your Google search rankings.

If you want Google to value your site, there is evidence that shows you are better off showing your appreciation for Google+ by getting your own business page.

Many businesses are finding they show up higher on search engine results if they are using Google’s services.

There are a few basic rules to follow when creating your Google+ Page to increase the odds Google will reward you.

  1. Optimize your Google+ Page for search ranking by completing the name of your Google+ business page.
  2. Next, you want to create a custom URL for your Google+ page. Go to your page, click about and scroll down to the links box. Click on the link and choose your URL when Google prompts you to. Note: You’ll have to be a verified business with a link to a reliable website.
  3. Complete the tagline and about information on your Google+ page.
  4. Upload photos for your profile and cover.
  5. Create great content and post daily. Remember – content is king.

Every restaurant should have a listing on Google+ because that is how you are able to have a listing on Google maps which is vital to your success.

Optimize Your Website with Location

To increase your chances of being listed on Google search’s first page and in the number one position is to have your website designed with search engines in mind.

When web users search for a word or a phrase in the Google search box, Google sends out crawlers to see which websites are the most relevant to the search query.

First, you want to emphasize your location on your website. Include your city and geographic area on your site.

For example, if you are an Italian restaurant located in Dallas, you want to optimize your site so that when people search for Italian food in Dallas, Google will pick up your site.

Create a Mobile Friendly Website

Is your website responsive? In other words, does it resize beautifully from smartphone to tablet to laptop and desktop? Is the navigation intuitive in the mobile arena?

Google absolutely ranks mobile friendly websites higher in searches. If your website isn’t responsive, you’ve got to redesign it. Today.

With more and more people accessing Google search on their smartphones, you are losing valuable business if your site isn’t mobile friendly, so if you want Google to pay attention to your site, do your best to ensure it’s responsive with user friendly navigation on all screen sizes.

Following are the criteria Google uses to label sites as mobile friendly:

  • Site should avoid software like Flash that is not common on mobile devices.
  • Site should use text that is readable without zooming.
  • The website must size content to the screen so users don’t have to scroll horizontally or zoom.
  • You should put links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped.
Restaurant Hack

Blog about your restaurant to increase your Google search rankings.

Optimize Your Keywords and Tags

One of the best ways to optimize your site is by paying attention to your keywords. (tweet this)

Fine-tuning your use of keywords as well as long tail keywords is the most effective way to get your site on the first page of Google.

We caution you against stuffing your site with keywords. Google is smart, and they punish sites who stuff their content with keywords.

Here are a few ways to optimize your keywords for success.

  • Complete the title tags on each page of your website, including your blog posts. Make sure they are all different and pertain to the individual page. Search engines use the title tags to determine what your page is about.
  • Complete the meta description on every page and blog post. This should be different on each page. This is what appears on the search results pages along with your title. It’s a brief overview of the content on your page. It describes the page to Google. Additionally, it’s what searchers use to decide if they want to click on to your website.
  • Craft your URLs carefully. For example, if your page is about your Buffalo Burger with Spicy Cajun Barbecue Sauce, you’ll want to name your page accordingly: myrestaurant.com/buffalo-burger-spicy-Cajun-barbecue-sauce. Include the keywords you want your site to rank for in the URL.
  • Use Alt tags on your images. You want to complete these for each photo you upload to your website. In the above example, you would name your photo the same or similar to your URL. Alt tags increase the SEO of your page and get your photos on the first page of Google Images. Don’t get lazy and skip this step when uploading images.

How do you choose keywords? You want to get in the head of your customers and think about which ones they are most likely to search for.

You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner to help you compare the search volume for relevant keywords.

When concentrating on one page, you want all of these pieces to have the same keyword you’re optimizing for. This also keeps you from keyword stuffing.

Lastly, if you’re using WordPress for your website, you can use an SEO plugin to help you with all of the above information.

Use Google AdWords

One nearly sure-fire way of getting your website on the first page of a Google search and often ranking number one, is to pay for Google AdWords.

While consistent organic search traffic is the best way to lead visitors to your site, it does take time.

If you want to get there quickly, use Google AdWords.

Google AdWords is a pay-per-click campaign, so you are charged when someone clicks on a link in the search results that takes them to your website.

To Conclude

When working on your Google search listings, pay attention to your Google Analytics. This is a valuable tool from Google that can help you determine areas to improve upon.

You can see where your traffic is coming from and where they go once on your site.

Finally, inbound links to your website matter.

Incorporate links to your website in your email marketing and social media posts. Guest blog and include links back to your site. Use your own blog on a regular basis because Google loves new, fresh content. And, don’t forget a sitemap on your website – this makes Google happy, too.

As one final thought, no one can guarantee you a #1 ranking on Google. And, once there, there’s no guarantee you’ll stay there.

But, if you follow the steps outlined here, you are well on your way to landing on the first page of Google search results and even in the number one spot. Once there, keep up the good work and don’t get complacent.

It takes diligence to maintain your number one spot.

At Restaurant Engine, we build responsive, mobile-friendly restaurant websites with dynamite online menus that rank well in Google search.

Contact us today for your free website consultation. We’d are here to help you stand out in the crowd and stay ahead of your competition with your restaurant website.

Images: Xochi Romero and Henrique Felix

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *