Originally published 19.02.2020
Google loves SEO just the way you love coffee in the morning.
We love coffee in the morning. Google loves websites that are optimized for SEO.
Ever woke up and felt that first thing on your mind was a cup of nice, hot coffee? Now,
think about your customers. The first thing they think about before going to a
restaurant is Google. They think of just going there and searching for a “romantic
restaurant in old town”.
Every cafe or restaurant wants to attract new customers and be remembered by its
existing customers. Most of the restaurants probably already have the most powerful
tools to accomplish it – you must probably have it also. Your restaurant’s website. But
are your potential customers finding you?
Let's think about it. A hungry dude will search online (either on a phone, computer,
tablet, etc) for a place to eat at, and hopefully, he will find your restaurant in the
search results. But is your website optimized for search? By saying that, we mean that
will your potential customers find your restaurant online if they’re not searching for
your restaurant specifically? What do you think, will it even rank among thousands of
other restaurant websites in search results?

Unpaid Results
So, you might tell if someone searches by the name of your restaurant, they'll probably
find it. Obviously. Let's presume they're just using more general keywords like "Italian
restaurant in Tallinn's Old Town," "Tallinn's City Centre's quick lunch."
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of affecting the visibility of your
website in a search engine’s results. We’re not talking about ads, we’re talking about
“organic” search results (unpaid).
Let's make it simple. If you’re an Italian restaurant in Tallinn's old town, the search
engine doesn’t know that unless you tell it. It’s as easy as it sounds. Don’t get us
wrong, there’s a lot of complicated algorithms that go with it, and eventually, they
change over time. But the bottom line is – it will be always focused on your potential
customers. Be sure that your restaurant is answering all the questions asked in searches
by customers, using the exact same keywords that they’re using.
Be sure that there are actually written content – not images.
You should tell the search engines (as well as your customers) what they would find or
experience at your restaurant. Let's say your restaurant is great for birthday parties –
write it out. Pictures are great, but robots can not understand them.
NO PDF OR IMAGE MENUS. They should be typed in, always. No excuses.
Your restaurant address should be listed out. Include your city & country as well. Get
it out, at least on one of your pages, be it either in a footer, sidebar, etc. At least
somewhere.
Restaurant awards are great for exposure, but make sure that they’re not loaded in as
graphics, links, or PDF’s. Why? Because search engines can’t read and use them. Be sure
to type a brief description of the article among PDF or link to the full story, using
important keywords such as the name of the award, publication in conjunction with the
name of your restaurant.
Are you using images?
Embellish them properly. Write out the alt text when uploading a picture to your website. Think in terms of what the potential customer might be looking for. Let's presume you have on your image a "Chicken tikka masala"-write it down. It might even be easier if you could also write down a summary. Also, this way you can get more leads from Google.
Accurate Page Title & Description
Most website management platforms give you an opportunity to write the “Meta” description and title. It’s exactly that what comes out in Google. We, with our restaurant focused smart CMS give you an opportunity to control it.
Is your website offering special services?
Let's presume you are in Tallinn providing a catering service. Write it down, it can help bring in customers looking particularly for this service.