Local SEO is a branch of SEO that focuses on attracting customers from relevant local searches. It works by targeting customers within a specific geographic area by using location-based keywords.
SEO is even more relevant when we’re talking about promoting restaurant businesses. You need to think like a customer when coming up with SEO strategies. For instance, let’s say you want to try sushi in Banani. How do you begin the hunt for good sushi? Of course, your first instinct would be to Google “sushi in Banani,” right?
In this blog, we’ll discuss why you need local SEO and how it connects to restaurants. We will also talk about the best practices of restaurant SEO. Let’s begin!
Why do Restaurants Need Local SEO?
The success of a restaurant depends on how many customers it attracts. In this case, local SEO becomes more than a marketing tactic. It turns mere Google searches into reservations and takeout orders.
Imagine someone walking down the street, searching “best fettuccine alfredo near me” on their phone. If your restaurant isn’t optimized for local SEO, you’re invisible to them, no matter how delicious your food is.
About 62% of customers depend on search results for a bite to eat. SEO serves specific benefits like:
Cost-Effective Marketing
The cost-effectiveness of local SEO relies on its scalability. For example, targeting searches like “best tacos in Gulshan” makes sure your restaurant appears when customers are ready to eat.
Common marketing efforts like YouTube ads or influencer marketing require a big budget to work with. But SEO depends on organic traffic, which is why it’s very cost-effective.
Local SEO delivers a higher ROI for restaurants by repeatedly targeting customers who are searching for nearby dining options. Meaning that every adjustment to your page directly impacts future revenue.
Increased Visibility
Increased visibility is another benefit of local SEO. Restaurants that rank high in local search results and appear in the Google local pack.
Google’s local pack is the map and business listings shown for location-based searches. Getting listed on Foodpanda, Foodi and Pathao also brings your restaurant to the spotlight.
Now, suppose you run a cat cafe. The visibility from SEO makes sure that your restaurant is among the top results for terms like “cat cafes in Dhaka.”
Availability After Hours
Finally, SEO keeps your business available after hours. Even when your doors are closed, your website allows customers to discover your menu, read reviews, and make plans to visit. This constant accessibility expands your restaurant’s reach beyond the opening hours.
A well-maintained Google business profile acts like a digital storefront. This profile contains:
- the menu
- photos of your space and ambiance
- updates about upcoming events
- special offers
- contact info
Ten Tips to Fire Up Local SEO for Your Restaurant in Dhaka
Now that you know how important local SEO is for restaurants, it’s time to move on to tips and tricks to get more customers.
1. Pinpoint Your Target Customers
Start with clarity about who your customers are. Without understanding their preferences, your SEO strategy will lack direction. Analyze your existing customer base. Are they families looking for kid-friendly options, or students seeking quick lunch spots?
Go deeper by using Google Analytics to study website traffic and sales data to look for common tendencies. For example, if most of your orders come from takeout during weekday evenings, your target customers might be busy salarymen or students. If families frequent your restaurant on weekends, tailor your strategy toward promoting family meals or group discounts.
Avoid casting a wide net. Focus your content, keywords, and offers to match your audience’s specific needs. Take Bangladeshi-Chinese restaurants, for example; they always seem to have family-sized portions. Why? Because most of their customers are families who are having a weeknight dinner.
2. Do Keyword Research
After you’ve found your demographic, it’s time to research keywords. Keyword research is the backbone of local SEO. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to expand these terms into specific phrases that align with customer intent.
Look for long-tail keywords because more specified keywords are less competitive. For instance, if your restaurant serves nasi goreng, don’t target “pan Asian food.” Instead, aim for “Nasi Goreng in Dhanmondi.”
Long-tail keywords may bring in fewer customers overall, but they attract customers who are specifically craving Thai food. In this case, they’re looking for nasi goreng.
Also, don’t ignore seasonal or event-based keywords. Terms like “Ramadan buffet in Dhaka” help you capture time-sensitive traffic.
Check on your competitors as well. Analyze their websites and reviews to identify keywords they’re targeting and find gaps you can exploit.
After doing proper research, try pushing them as naturally as you can into:
- your URLs
- title Tags
- page headings and body text
3. Set Up a Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile (GBP) is non-negotiable for local SEO. Claim your profile if you haven’t already, and fill it out completely.
Add your name, address, phone number, website, and opening hours. Make sure this information is unchanged across your website and other online platforms. Otherwise, you will be confusing search engines as well as customers.
Add Visuals
Visuals are critical. Flaunt your restaurant by uploading high-resolution images of your food and interior. Create separate spaces for menu items, promotional graphics, and event photos. Remember, people eat with their eyes first.
Benefit from Google Posts
Use Google Posts to share updates like new menu items, upcoming events, or special offers. These posts appear directly on your GBP. This means they’ll update people about the changes in your restaurant.
Q&A Feature
Use the Q&A feature to preemptively answer common questions about your menu, parking, or dietary options.
Focus on Reviews
Finally, look at the reviews. Positive reviews directly impact your success. A well-managed business profile maintains your restaurant’s credibility. Encourage customers to leave reviews and respond to them promptly, whether they’re positive or critical.
4. Get Your Restaurant Listed on Online Directories
Online directories are basically decision-making hubs for customers. Platforms like TripAdvisor aren’t optional these days. Directories are essential tools where customers compare options and read reviews.
Start by listing your restaurant on the most relevant platforms for your region and cuisine. Since we are focusing on Dhaka, you should get listed on TripAdvisor or Lusha.
5. Get Reviews and Feedback
Reviews act as social proof. A positive review tells potential customers, “This place is worth your time and money.”
A lack of reviews, or worse, negative ones, can raise doubts. Did you notice how there is a psychological trigger? Do your business a favor and urge customers to leave feedback.
Analyze feedback to identify patterns. Do customers love a specific dish? Promote it more. Are they complaining about wait times? Fix it. Feedback isn’t just for SEO; it’s a tool to take your business to a whole new level.
Respond to every review, good or bad. Hire a social media manager if it fits your budget. For negative feedback, avoid defensiveness. Apologize for their experience, explain what went wrong (if applicable), and share how you’re fixing it. People really like accountability and professionalism.
6. On-Page SEO
Your website isn’t just a digital menu. Rather, it’s the face of your restaurant online. That’s why you need proper on-page SEO.
Website Structure
Your website is the foundation of your online presence. On-page SEO reads your content to search engines so that it’s served to the right audience. This starts with a clear, intuitive website structure. Every page—home, menu, reservations, about us—should have a specific purpose and a clear call to action.
Incorporate keywords naturally throughout your site. Place them strategically in titles, headings, and meta descriptions. If you’re targeting “authentic sushi in Dhaka,” this phrase should appear on your homepage, menu descriptions, and blog posts.
Speed Optimization
Optimize for speed and mobile use. A slow or clunky site frustrates users and drives them away. Most people search for restaurants on their phones, so your site must load quickly and look great on small screens.
Content
Create compelling content. Share recipes, behind-the-scenes stories, or guides like “How to Put Together a Ramen Bowl.”
You should also take advantage of interlinks. Internal links reduce bounce rates by guiding users from one page to another seamlessly.
The content on your page should also involve clear contact information, booking forms, and an up-to-date menu.
7. User Experience
It’s easy to think that user experience is only about aesthetics. But, in reality, it’s about how seamlessly your customers interact with your website. Every click, scroll, or tap shapes their perception of your restaurant.
- Navigation: A customer should find your menu, location, or reservation button in seconds. Use a clean layout with intuitive labels like “Menu,” “Order Now,” and “Contact Us.” Avoid burying critical information under multiple clicks.
- Speed matters: A slow-loading website leads to frustration. Compress images, reduce unnecessary scripts, and make sure your site loads in under three seconds. Don’t expect people to be patient.
- Mobile-first design: Most restaurant searches happen on mobile devices. Your site should adjust perfectly to any screen size, with easy-to-read text, clickable buttons, and simple forms for reservations or online orders.
- Reduce friction: Customers want things fast. Allow direct table reservations, online ordering, or inquiries with minimal effort. Get your restaurant on Foodpanda or Foodi to become more available to your local customers.
- Create trust signals: Display reviews, awards, and photos of your dishes prominently. Include detailed descriptions of your dishes to entice visitors and help them imagine dining at your restaurant.
8. Social Media Promotion
Social media is a space to build emotional connections with your audience. A carefully crafted post can make someone crave your food.
Visual Storytelling
Use high-quality images and videos to showcase your food, ambiance, and team. A close-up of a sizzling steak or a decadent lava cake triggers immediate cravings.
Offer Value
Share content that goes beyond promotions. Recipes, cooking tips, or food trivia build a loyal following. For example, post “How to Make the Perfect Margarita” and invite followers to try it at your restaurant for comparison.
Promote User-Generated Content
Encourage customers to tag your restaurant in their posts. Share their content to show appreciation. When people see others enjoying your restaurant, it builds trust and curiosity.
Contact Food Influencers
Focus on those who align with your cuisine and audience. A blogger specializing in street food might not be the best fit for a fine-dining restaurant, but they could work wonders for a café serving fusion snacks.
9. Implement Local Business Schema
Local business schema is a technical tool that makes your website more crawlable to search engines. It’s invisible to most users but incredibly powerful for improving search rankings.
Not all restaurants use schema markup, so implementing it gives you an edge over competitors. It’s a way to appear more professional.
- Highlight the essentials: Schema helps you showcase your restaurant’s name, address, phone number, business hours, and menu in a structured format. For example, someone searching for the “best biryani in Dhanmondi” can see your business details instantly.
- Bring rich snippets: When you implement schema, search results can include ratings, photos, price ranges, or even links to “Order Online” directly under your listing. This makes your restaurant more visually appealing and clickable.
10. Limited Time Deals
Dhaka’s foodies are drawn to unique, time-sensitive offerings. Limited-time specials capitalize on the city’s love for exploring diverse cuisines and experiences.
- Seasonal dishes: Introduce menu items inspired by Dhaka’s local produce or festivities. For example, offer mango-based desserts during the summer or hilsa dishes during the monsoon season. These resonate with the city’s food culture.
- Cultural celebrations: Use Pohela Boishakh or Eid to create themed menus or dining experiences. Highlight these on your website, social media, and Google Business Profile to reach people looking for festive dining options.
- Flash deals: Announce short-term discounts or combos exclusively for in-house dining or delivery. For example, “Order two biryanis, get one free this Friday!” taps into the psychology of urgency and drives quick action.
Build up Your SEO Strategy as You Go
Your restaurant’s online presence needs constant care and attention. As algorithms change, customer tastes shift, and competitors step up their game, your strategy should evolve, too. SEO isn’t something you set and forget. You nurture it to keep your business at the top of search results and in the minds of foodies.
Simple changes, like polishing your Google My Business profile or adding local flair to your content, can do wonders. These tweaks aren’t just about ranking higher; they’re about creating a lasting connection with customers and ensuring your restaurant stands out in Dhaka’s vibrant food scene.
Ready to turn your restaurant into a local favorite? Algomindz can help you cook up the perfect SEO strategy. Let’s work together—get in touch today!
FAQs
How can I track my restaurant’s local SEO performance in Dhaka?
Monitor your Google Business Profile for views, calls, and directions. Use tools like SEMrush or Google Search Console to track keywords like “romantic cafes in Dhanmondi.” Check reviews on Google and food apps to gauge customer sentiment.
How Do Seasonal Events and Festivals in Dhaka Impact Local SEO for Restaurants?
Festivals like Eid or Pohela Boishakh drive local searches. Use targeted keywords and update your menu on Google Business Profile. Run social media campaigns to promote festive offers. Ensure mobile optimization for on-the-go diners and get listed in seasonal blogs for added visibility.
