Ranking your Restaurant High in Google Maps

Maybe, you’ve already noticed some restaurants appear in three maps results for Google searches. But, do you know earning a spot in that three pack is a surefire way to capture the attention of a lot more potential diners for your restaurant? Even more important, do you know how your restaurant could make it into those top three results? There, indeed, is a secret recipe to rank higher in the maps, which we’re going to reveal to you here.

Claim and Optimize Your Google My Business (GMB) Page

The Google Maps engine is driven by Google My Business (GMB) directory / pages. Claim or create your listing and make it complete and accurate.

• Contact information and website - Add all possible contact information including your address, telephone number, and website so that Google can publish as much information as possible.
• Business hours - Google Maps informs users if a business is open or closed and if it’s opening or closing soon.
• Remove all duplicate and inaccurate information. Google will frown upon businesses with multiple phone numbers or locations listed for one actual business.
• Showcase photos on the listing. Everyone, including Google, prefers food photos and to catch a glimpse of your interior, so add them to this page.

Categorize Your Business Correctly

When you first create a Google Maps listing, you will get the option of adding a primary business category, or “keyword” to describe your business.

But, you may not be aware that you can insert additional categories. You should make use of all five of these. Your primary category should be the key classification for your place (ex: bar, restaurant), while the remaining five categories should include local SEO keywords that serve as additional descriptors (ex: sports bar, chinese restaurant, seafood restaurant, event venue). 

Add Your GMB Name, Address, Phone Number to Your Website

Google needs to match the name, address and phone number (NAP) in your Google Business page with the NAP on your website. It’s quite easy to miss this key ingredient, however. Some just add the NAP to the contact page of the website. We recommend adding it there and in the footer of your website, so it displays on every page.

Just remember matching is exact match. There is a discernible difference between using the word Street and abbreviating ST. Literally copy and paste the address from GMB and directly add it to your site, rather than retyping. Most web developers, not us, though, care less about optimizing your website for successful SEO and maps ranking, so don’t be snug that they’ve done this for you already.

Citations

Citations are your Name, Address, Phone Number (NAP) listed on a national or local business directory. Google scours these directories and matches your address in their listings to your GMB page and your website.  To rank your restaurant in google maps, you require citations.

This builds authority and credibility and shows that your restaurant is probably the best choice to show first for a restaurant in the area you are located. Citation directories encompass Yellow Pages, City Search and dozens more.

Reviews

Reviews matter. Make sure you keep on top of reputation management and respond with public comments to both positive and negative reviews about your page. Also encourage customers to leave you a google review.

While there’s more to ranking your website high in Google Maps, getting these few things right could just nail it for you. More than halfway, we’d say.