How Restaurants Can Claim Local Search Dominance

Few things are certain in the world of digital marketing, but there is one thing that remains true no matter what: hungry people eat. With dining options that seem endless and a customer base that can be difficult to retain, local SEO for restaurants is an exceedingly competitive category.

Local search comes with a series of challenges for every brand – and is an exceedingly complex riddle for enterprise restaurant brands with hundreds or thousands of locations. While enterprise restaurant brands face unique hurdles, there are a few key ways for a brand and its locations to render positive local search results.

For one thing, restaurants absolutely need to have a local listing for each location. Google Maps is the path most traveled for many diners, but smaller directories like Bing, Yelp, OpenTable, TripAdvisor, and Grubhub are also helpful. If an enterprise brand needs to manage many listings, it is worth investing in a centralized platform that will facilitate adjustments and efficient updates.

Google’s algorithm factors review scores prominently when determining how well a location will rank. Google will respond with a more favorable ranking signal when a listing responds to reviews. Not only do eaters care about how well a restaurant is reviewed – when a franchise owner or restaurant marketer takes an active role in easing friction and replying to comments both positive and negative, but locations also receive an SEO boost.

Lastly, quality, authentic content remains a vital source of SEO success. Enterprise restaurants may lack the community feeling of a more petite mom and pop competitor, therefore need to display legitimate images, welcoming copy, and posts that speak to the restaurant’s atmosphere.

If you’re a franchise owner or enterprise restaurant marketer looking to reach your target customer more effectively, partner with the experts at ASTRALCOM. Our restaurant portfolio attests to our substantial expertise in connecting restaurants with their target customers.