Maximising Your Restaurant's Online Visibility with Google Business Profile
If a new customer has discovered your restaurant or takeaway online then your Google Business Profile may be the first impression they have of your business. Here's how to leverage your GBP for maximum impact:
Verify Your Profile
A critical first step is verifying your Google Business Profile. This establishes your restaurant or takeaway as the legitimate owner and prevents competitors from owning it. Partnering with ZPos offers the advantage of expert support during onboarding, ensuring your profile is verified correctly. ZPos provides all clients with ongoing monitoring to safeguard your profile and prevent unauthorised access. This allows you to focus on what matters most – running your business and delighting customers.
Keep Your Profile Updated
Google Business Profiles are often the first (or only) source of information that a potential customer will use in deciding to order from your restaurant or takeaway. Dominate local search results by ensuring your profile contains accurate up to date details such as Address, Phone Number, Opening Hours, Website Link and Menus. Boost your SEO by regularly updating your profile with seasonal offerings, special promotions, and any changes in operating hours. Need to close early one day? Quickly update your Google Business Profile to reflect the new closing time.
Improve SEO Ranking
Your Google Business Profile description is prime real estate for local SEO. By strategically including relevant keywords, you can significantly increase your chances of ranking higher in local searches for hungry customers. Include mention of your location address, type of cuisine, most popular dishes and other relevant information to improve Google’s understanding of your business, ultimately leading to a higher local search ranking and increased website traffic.
Post High Quality Photos
Businesses have the opportunity to post their own photos to their Google Business Profile which will display alongside your business information. Utilise the platform to showcase your most impressive dishes with high quality photography, as well as show off the atmosphere that customers can expect when dining-in.
Monitor User Generated Content
Although a business can manage a listing carefully in terms of the information that it chooses to share, it can never control what other people post. It’s important to understand that Google Business Profile allows customers to post updates too, and these can stay around indefinitely. Examples of user generated content on Google can include reviews, photos, and ‘updates from customers’.
Irrelevant content that is added to the profile can sometimes be removed if it is reported by the business owner, so it is important to keep an eye on what is being posted.
Respond To Reviews
Five-star reviews are gold for restaurants and takeaways! Positive reviews not only build trust with potential customers but also significantly impact your local SEO ranking. Google's algorithm prioritises businesses with a strong review profile, making you more visible in search results. By actively encouraging reviews and responding thoughtfully, you can cultivate a positive online reputation that attracts new customers and propels your restaurant or takeaway to the top of local search results.
Reputation Management is an additional marketing service offered by ZPos to help increase reviews for your restaurant or takeaway. We'll encourage reviews for your business by emailing customers after they've ordered, directing them a landing page that is designed to segment the positive and negative feedback. This gives customers the opportunity to discuss any issues directly with the business, rather than posting it online. We'll also create a dedicated QR code to direct to the landing page, as well as respond to reviews recieved on your Google Business Profile for you.
Find out more about how ZPos marketing can support your business by contacting us. Call 01793 251152 today (ext 3 for marketing).
Insights
Delve into the built-in analytics to track key performance indicators like profile views, calls generated, website clicks, and even online bookings. These insights provide a clear picture of how customers are interacting with your profile. Google Business Profile analytics also reveal how people discover your restaurant or takeaway. You'll see what devices they use (mobile, desktop) and the specific keywords they search for to find you.
By following these steps and consistently maintaining your Google Business Profile, you'll attract more customers, build trust, and establish your restaurant or takeaway as a local favourite.