Despite the rise of AI discovery, traditional local SEO remains foundational. Google still processes billions of searches daily, and many of those searches still result in traditional organic clicks.
The fundamentals that worked five years ago still work today:
Google Business Profile Optimization: Your GBP listing is often the first thing searchers see. Complete every field. Add photos weekly. Post updates regularly. Respond to every review. Keep hours accurate, especially during holidays.
Local Keyword Targeting: “Best [cuisine] restaurant in [city]” and “[neighborhood] restaurants” queries still drive significant traffic. Your website should have dedicated pages for each location with locally-optimized content.
Citation Consistency: Your restaurant’s name, address, and phone number should be identical across every platform: your website, Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook, OpenTable, and every other directory that lists you. Inconsistencies confuse search engines and erode trust.
Mobile Optimization: Over 70% of restaurant searches happen on mobile devices. If your site isn’t fast and functional on phones, you’re losing the majority of potential visitors.
Content That Ranks
Search engines reward content that answers questions better than competitors. For restaurants, this means going beyond the basics.
Location Pages: If you operate multiple locations, each deserves a unique page with specific details about that location. Not just an address, but neighborhood context, parking information, nearby landmarks, and what makes that location special.
Menu Pages with Text: Search engines can’t read PDFs or images. Your menu should exist as HTML text with individual items, descriptions, prices, and dietary information. This content ranks for long-tail searches like “gluten-free pizza downtown” or “vegetarian options in [neighborhood].”
About Content That Tells Your Story: Generic “about us” pages don’t rank. Content that explains your concept, your chef’s background, your sourcing philosophy, and your unique position in the market creates rankable, differentiated content.
Blog Content That Answers Questions: “What’s the difference between omakase and chef’s choice?” “How to pair wine with sushi.” “Best restaurants for large groups in [city].” These questions get searched. Answering them establishes authority and captures traffic.
Technical Optimization
Technical SEO creates the foundation that all other optimization builds upon. Without it, even great content underperforms.
Site Speed: Every second of load time costs conversions. Compress images. Enable browser caching. Use a content delivery network. Your homepage should load in under three seconds on mobile.
Secure Connection: HTTPS is mandatory. Sites without SSL certificates get penalized in rankings and trigger security warnings that scare away visitors.
Clean Architecture: Logical URL structures, proper heading hierarchy, and internal linking help search engines understand and index your content. A page at yourrestaurant.com/menu/dinner is better than yourrestaurant.com/page?id=4532.
Indexability: Your most important pages should be crawlable and indexable. Check that robots.txt isn’t blocking critical content and that your sitemap includes all pages you want ranked.
Mobile-First Reality
Google indexes the mobile version of your website first. If your mobile experience is inferior to your desktop experience, your rankings suffer.
This means:
- Navigation must work flawlessly on small screens
- Text must be readable without zooming
- Buttons must be large enough to tap accurately
- Content must not be hidden behind desktop-only interactions
- Reservations must be completable on mobile in under 30 seconds
Most restaurant guests will only ever see your mobile site. Design for them first.