This is the Restaurant Technology Substack series where we give you insights and ideas to improve your operations with tech. Thanks to Marqii for sponsoring this edition.
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Having an up-to-date Google Business Profile is one of the best ways to boost your restaurant’s visibility and connect with guests.
It’s like a virtual front door — serving up important info like your hours, location, cuisine, and more.
You want your front door to be inviting, right?
Here are 8 ways you can make improvements to your Google Business Profile today.
#1: Add Restaurant Description
You want customers to immediately know what type of restaurant you are. That’s why you should be sure to come up with a compelling description of your spot that includes information like cuisine type, ambience, and more.
Here’s a great example of a restaurant company that does a stellar job of describing themselves on Google.
Sticky’s highlights exactly what they’re known for and what their offerings include in their restaurant description.
They outrank their competitors by having accurate and complete information on their business listing, and by strategically placing keywords like “best damn chicken finger” and “hormone-free chicken” in their content and menu.
#2: Choose the Right Stuff
Picking the proper business attributes is important. Customers with gluten allergies will want to know that you have gluten-free options for example. The same with if you have vegan dishes, or other specific offerings.
Google search is meant to match customers with food that meets their needs, so you want to accurately show what you offer.
#3: Confirm Accurate Hours
Imagine you’re a hungry family and you see online that one of your favorite restaurants is open late. Great news! But you arrive to find the doors locked. That restaurant may no longer be a favorite.
Making sure you have the right hours listed on Google, including for holidays, is vital to make sure your guests know when to visit.
#4: Set Up Action Buttons
Action buttons can give people searching a way to easily order or interact with your business.
From placing orders to making reservations, call to actions like this streamline the customer journey, which converts views into clicks.
#5: Upload Photos!
Let’s put it this way. Do you want to order food without first seeing a photo? Probably not! It turns out businesses with photos on their Google Business Profile get 35 percent more click-thrus to their websites than restaurants that don’t.
If you have trouble taking your own photos ask around for help. All you need is a smartphone. You don’t want to miss out on all those hungry people searching for mouth-watering food photos.
#6: Respond to Online Reviews
Almost every Google users sees reviews of your restaurant before they will decide to eat there. You can’t afford to leave reviewers hanging when it’s so easy to respond to them.
Remember, it’s not just about that customer, but all the other ones reading the review and seeing how you respond.
#7: Add a Menu to Google Listing
More than 80 percent of people will buy food just because of how it looks in a photo. That’s proof right there of how important it is to have good-quality and accurate images.
Including photos of your real dishes, accurate descriptions, and including dietary attributes in descriptions and other meta data, can have a big influence on a buyer's decision.
Keywords in your menu can only show up in search results if they’re in your profile, not a picture of your menu. By showcasing these key elements, you can attract new customers and enhance their overall dining experience.
Google also published a menu guide to help you learn how to update your menu regularly.
#8: Post on Google Business
There are three types of ways you can post on Google Business.
Updates
Events
Promos
Just like on social media, when you have a chance to communicate updates with your audience you should take advantage of it.
When you want to rank in local search results, your Google listings play a big role. That’s especially true with the “Nearby Events” and “Deals” modules that Google added to their search results.
Show up in front of new customers by posting your important updates, events, and promotions.
TECH MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
By following these tips and taking advantage of Marqii’s listings management tool, you can make sure your online listings are fully optimized for 2025.
Whether it’s updating your hours, uploading fresh menu items, or responding to customer reviews, Marqii helps keep your information accurate and engaging across all platforms.
Want to see how easy managing your listings can be?
Schedule a demo today to learn how Marqii can help streamline your restaurant’s online presence and keep your guests coming back for more.
Are you a proud customer of Marqii? Let us know and we might feature your story.
JOIN US IN CHICAGO THIS MAY
Join David Meltzer, our Cali BBQ Media team, and so many others at this year's National Restaurant Association Show, May 17-20!
WHAT: National Restaurant Show 2025
WHY: The Show builds your resiliency to face the winds of change head-on.
WHERE: McCormick Place, 301 S King Dr, Chicago, IL
WHEN: May 17-20, 2025
The National Restaurant Association Show is uniquely positioned to deliver solutions that address both current and emerging challenges for restaurant and foodservice operators — ranging from supply chain diversification to cost-saving equipment that helps navigate today’s fluctuating labor market.
TIP: Use #2025RestaurantShow on your social media posts so we can find them!
Use promo code SHAWN25 to save $25 off your registration before 5/9/2025. (Offer valid for operators only, non-exhibiting suppliers are subject to a higher badge rate.)
See you there!
-Shawn Walchef, Cali BBQ Media
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