The Recipe for Restaurant Success: Local SEO, Reviews & Social
Let’s get down to business. Your restaurant delivers on food, your team’s solid, and the experience is exactly what you want it to be... so why aren’t you packed every night? The truth is, it doesn’t matter how good you are if people can’t find you. 90% of diners figure out where to eat after searching online. If your digital footprint is lacking, those potential customers are choosing a different spot.
If you’re relying on foot traffic and word-of-mouth, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Today, most people decide where to eat based on what they see about you online—on Google, social, and review sites. And you don’t need a massive ad budget or a marketing guru to get results.
Focus on mastering three pillars: Local SEO, Review Management, and Social Media. Miss even one, and you’re making it easier for the competition.
Here’s how to get in front of more hungry people and start filling seats.
Local SEO: Get Found Online
It’s not enough for loyal customers to know your name. Most new diners don’t search for you—they search for the best food in your category and neighborhood. If you don’t appear, you don’t exist, and your revenue takes the hit.
Actionable Steps for Local SEO:
- Maintain Your Google Business Profile (GBP): Make sure your hours, address, and phone number are accurate. Post updated menus and quality photos that actually show your food and space. An outdated profile sends people elsewhere.
- Publish Geo-Targeted Content: Regularly add posts or updates that mention your local area and special menus. This increases your relevance for local searches and tells Google you’re active.
- Choose the Right Keywords: Get specific about what you serve. “Gastropub Windsor” or “Family brunch Santa Rosa” will attract the right diners. Make sure your keywords appear throughout your site, Google profile, and menu descriptions.
Reviews: Build Trust with Real Feedback
Getting discovered is only step one. The next move? Diners check your reviews. Research shows that they have a huge impact on customer choice, so treat reviews like a second storefront.
Random reviews—good and bad—tell a story about what it’s actually like to visit your restaurant. Take them seriously. They point out what you’re getting right and exactly where you need to improve.
Actionable Steps for Review Management:
- Respond to Every Review: Thank happy customers and acknowledge problems from unhappy ones. Take responsibility and explain how you fix issues. This builds trust for people scanning your business before booking.
- Identify and Address Patterns: Pay attention to repeated complaints or praise. If multiple reviews mention slow service or a favorite dish, address it in your operations (and publicly acknowledge you’re improving).
- Aim for Recency and Quality: Ask loyal customers to leave up-to-date reviews. Tell your team to encourage real feedback at the end of a meal, especially from guests who are clearly satisfied.
Social Media: Stay Top of Mind and Build Community
Having a strong online presence is more than just pretty food shots. Social media is your chance to prove there’s a real team and story behind all those dishes. It’s also where a lot of your future guests will make the first call—stay or scroll past.
Don’t waste time on perfect layouts or staged photos. Focus on showing up, being real, and interacting with your local community.
Actionable Steps for Social Media:
- Show Variety: Post both polished photos and real, behind-the-scenes content. Share what’s new on the menu, moments from the kitchen, and staff highlights. People eat with their eyes and connect with your story.
- Empower Your Team: Let staff share content within guidelines. They see moments and details you’ll miss, and their perspective builds trust.
- Track Results: Pay attention to what your audience responds to. Are your stories or reels getting more traction than static posts? Adjust your content strategy based on what actually works, not what you think should work.
The Real Playbook for Success
Hoping things work out with the basics isn’t enough. If you want a restaurant that’s as busy online as it is during peak dinner hours, you need to make digital strategy a habit. Prioritize Local SEO, respond to reviews, and keep your social media current and genuine.
The best-run restaurants don’t leave their online presence up to chance. They build systems and treat digital like part of daily operations—just like prepping the line or checking inventory.
If keeping up feels like too much, start with one fix at a time, or connect with someone who can help. But remember—no one can choose you if they can’t find you.
