7 optimisation tips for restaurant websites

With so much competition in the hospitality industry, keeping your restaurant’s website at the head of the pack is critical. A great design by itself is not enough to ensure your establishment remains visible in the search engines. You’ll need something else: website SEO. Here are our top optimisation tips for those looking to stand out.

1. Optimise for local SEO

Location-based search has become an integral part of the online world, so optimising for local SEO is essential. In addition to referencing the location of your restaurant in your website content, it’s important to create a Google Business Profile and add your website to relevant directories.

2. Create unique content

Google has a plethora of ranking factors, among which is “OriginalContentScore”. This determines how original and valuable the content on a website is. As such, it’s important to produce regular, high-quality content that answers common questions or provides useful information. The blog section on Little India in Kensington, for example, covers a wide range of topics related to Indian cuisine and dining out.

3. Enhance visual elements

For restaurants in particular, high-quality imagery of the dishes being served is key to attracting customers. Online users like to be able to see what they can expect, so pictures and video content go a long way. Studio Five in Wembley is a great example of a website that capitalises on the visual elements, providing potential diners with a feel for the restaurant’s atmosphere, food and quality.

4. Seek reviews

Research by Shopify suggests that 79% of consumers say user-generated content – such as reviews or questions answered by customers – influences their decision to purchase. With that in mind, encourage customers to leave reviews on independent sites such as TripAdvisor or TrustPilot. Responding to these is also beneficial, showing you care what your clientele thinks.

5. Research new keywords

If your website hasn’t undergone a keyword analysis for a little while, now is a great time to invest in one. Ask your web marketing company or in-house specialist to look at the specific terms that potential customers may be searching for. A shift towards the use of large language models (LLMs) and AI has meant that longtail keywords and question-based queries are delivering results, so rethinking your keyword strategy and mapping could prove really beneficial.

6. Keep navigation simple

A seamless navigation experience is not only helpful for your visibility in the search engines, it’s also vital for a positive user experience. There are certain features a potential customer will want to see on your site, such as menus and contact details or an opportunity to book a table/order online. These options should be clear and accessible in the main navigation, making transacting simple. A confusing navigation bar or content that is difficult to find will push diners away.

7. Fast load times

We are increasingly impatient online, expecting websites to load in under a second. Slow load times can cause users to leave your site before they’ve so much as looked at a menu, so ensure images are properly compressed, your hosting is reliable, and there’s no unnecessary code slowing things down.

If you’re looking for comprehensive web marketing services for your restaurant, look no further than Digital Carrera. We offer a range of SEO packages to help you attract diners and improve your web traffic. Contact us today to find out more.