Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a fundamental digital marketing strategy that small businesses can access to increase their online visibility, generate more traffic, and ultimately, boost revenue. More specifically, this strategy proves to be highly effective within the restaurant industry where much of the customer decision-making process and footfall generation rely heavily on online searching and reviews.
Firstly, it is essential to understand the premise of SEO. It is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results. These improvements to your site’s content, structure, and links make it easier for search engines to find and categorise, thereby increasing your visibility to potential customers.
So, how can SEO be best utilised for small businesses, particularly within the restaurant space?
The initial step in your SEO journey is understanding keywords, which should be a combination of single words and long-tail phrases that potential customers might type into a search engine when looking for your type of business. Remember, high competition keywords might present a tough challenge more suited to larger, well-established companies. Therefore, focusing on low-competition keywords, often particular to your locality and specific offerings, will likely prove more beneficial in your SEO efforts.
While strategising over prime keywords, small businesses should remember that relevance is crucial. For example, a restaurant renowned for its vegetarian offerings would want to consider keywords like ‘best vegetarian restaurants’ or ‘delicious vegetarian dishes’, as opposed to just ‘restaurants’.
Another factor is the importance of local SEO. Numerous consumers utilise search engines to find local information. Thus, small businesses, especially restaurants, need to ensure their website optimises local search results. Utilising location-specific keywords can be highly effective in this context. Including phrases such as ‘Italian restaurant in York’ or ‘best coffee in Edinburgh’ will help potential consumers find your specific location, thereby increasing footfall.
One critical tool for local SEO is Google My Business. By listing your restaurant here, you are drastically increasing your chances of showing up in Google’s Local Pack, Local Finder, Google Maps, and organic rankings in general. Actively maintaining this listing with updated business information, reviews and photos will further optimise your local SEO.
Your small business’s website should also be optimised for mobile use. According to Google, more than half of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices, and this is a statistic you cannot afford to ignore when planning your SEO approach. If your website doesn’t have a responsive design for mobile users, your ranking on search engine results could suffer.
Incorporating SEO into your small business or restaurant marketing strategy might seem daunting. However, with the right approach and a focus on local, relevant and low-competition keywords, it is an accessible and cost-effective tool to increase your online visibility, generate footfall and boost revenue.