Local SEO for a restaurant involves making its offerings understandable and its information reliable for customers searching nearby. Results can vary from person to person. Therefore, a position viewed from your phone is not a universal measure of your visibility.

Starting from the criteria documented by Google

Google highlights relevance, distance, and reputation as the key factors in local rankings. A comprehensive profile helps to describe the business. Distance depends on the search location; adding neighborhoods to your text will not move your restaurant.

Opinions and links from other websites contribute to a site’s reputation. However, this doesn’t allow for predicting future rankings. Be cautious of offers promising a specific position in exchange for payment or a certain number of reviews.

Connect the document to a clear website.

Use a category that accurately reflects your restaurant, and complete the contact information, hours, services, and useful links. On the website, make the menu accessible in text, present the location, and explain how to make a reservation. For multiple establishments, create a dedicated page for each address, with its actual information.

Test these three essential actions on mobile: reading the menu, calling, and making a reservation. Optimise the images and ensure that the buttons remain usable on a small screen. An attractive page that prevents reservations won't achieve its purpose.

Working with opinions without influencing their content.

Make a link or QR code available to customers who want to share their experiences. Don’t only select those who are satisfied, and don’t ask for five-star ratings or specific keywords. Handle complaints without conditioning a solution to removing a review.

Measuring progress methodically

Select a few relevant searches for your activity and track them in a comparable context. Supplement this tracking with data from your campaign and Search Console: impressions, clicks, pages viewed, and queries. Finally, include any confirmed calls and bookings for a separate commercial measure.

Maintain a log of changes and consider seasonality, opening days, and advertising campaigns. Compare over multiple weeks before drawing any conclusions. Simply looking at the volume of reviews, the frequency of posts, or the response rate are not sufficient to explain a change in ranking.