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RESTAURANTS

SEO for Restaurants

AI-powered SEO deliverables built on restaurant-specific keyword data, cuisine search patterns, and food industry directories. From topical maps to content pages to GBP optimization — everything your restaurant needs to dominate local search.

Why restaurant SEO is different

Restaurants face unique ranking challenges that generic SEO can’t solve. Here’s what makes your vertical different.

Google Maps is the menu

80%+ of restaurant discovery starts in Google Maps, not organic search. If your GBP listing has outdated hours, no menu, or few reviews, you’re invisible to the customers who are ready to eat now.

Cuisine-type keyword fragmentation

“Best Thai food near me,” “Italian restaurant downtown,” “sushi delivery [city]” — every cuisine type is its own keyword universe. Without pages targeting your specific cuisine, you lose to aggregator sites.

Review volume is a ranking signal

Restaurants need 100+ reviews minimum to compete in the map pack. A systematic review strategy isn’t optional — it’s a direct ranking factor that Google uses to sort local results.

Aggregator competition

Yelp, DoorDash, UberEats, and OpenTable dominate page 1 for most restaurant queries. Your SEO strategy needs to target the gaps these platforms can’t fill — menu-specific, neighborhood-specific, experience-specific searches.

What restaurant customers search for

Our AI agents are trained on restaurant-specific search patterns. Here’s a sample of the keyword landscape your topical map will cover.

KEYWORD
VOLUME
KD
INTENT
restaurants near me
4,090,000
92
LOCAL
best italian restaurant [city]
22,200
52
LOCAL
sushi near me
1,830,000
85
LOCAL
brunch spots [city]
14,800
38
LOCAL
private dining rooms near me
9,900
32
COMMERCIAL
restaurant with outdoor seating
18,100
28
LOCAL
best restaurants for date night
12,100
42
LOCAL
farm to table restaurant [city]
6,600
25
LOCAL

Sample cluster: Italian Restaurant

HUB PAGE Italian Restaurant [City]
6 PAGES
Italian Restaurant [City]
SERVICE
KD 48
Private Dining & Events
SERVICE
KD 22
Our Menu: Handmade Pasta & More
BLOG
KD 15
Best Italian Restaurants in [City]
BLOG
KD 45
Italian Catering [City]
SERVICE
KD 28
Wine Pairing Guide
BLOG
KD 18
LOCAL BUSINESS CASE STUDY
Page 3 → Local 3-Pack
11 weeks

A local business in a competitive metro area went from page 3 to the local 3-pack for core service keywords and 12 related long-tail terms — the same methodology we apply to restaurants.

WHAT WE DID:
1
CATALYST audit identified 47 technical issues and 23 content gaps
2
Topical map revealed 42 pages needed across 9 topic clusters
3
22 content pages built covering core service and location keywords
4
GBP fully optimized with categories, services, Q&A, and weekly posts
5
Schema markup deployed for LocalBusiness, Restaurant, and Menu types

Every deliverable, built for restaurants

Same deliverables, trained on restaurant data. Keyword research, content, and schema are all calibrated for how restaurant customers actually search.

Restaurant SEO questions

Absolutely. “Best [cuisine] near me” searches happen millions of times per month. The restaurants that rank in the map pack get foot traffic without paying for ads on DoorDash or Yelp. SEO is the only channel you own.

It’s the single most important factor. Most restaurant discovery happens in Google Maps. Your GBP listing needs accurate hours, menu, photos, categories, and 100+ reviews to compete in the local pack.

We target the queries aggregators don’t cover well — neighborhood-specific, occasion-specific, and experience-specific searches. “Private dining downtown [city]” and “farm to table brunch” are yours for the taking.

Your topical map answers this. Generally: cuisine + city terms first (highest intent), then dining occasion keywords (brunch, date night, private dining), then neighborhood and experience content.

We work with more than just restaurants

Our AI agents are trained on vertical-specific data across 12+ industries.

See what your restaurant needs to rank

Start with a topical map. Get every page, keyword, and link your restaurant needs — delivered in 4-6 hours.