Most London restaurants rely on word of mouth and walk-by traffic. But 90% of diners search online before choosing where to eat. If you’re not showing up in those searches, you’re losing customers to competitors who are.
Why Restaurant SEO Is Different
People don’t research restaurants like they research lawyers or contractors.
Restaurant search behavior:
Immediate need, searching now. Location matters more than anything. Reviews heavily influence choice. Mobile search dominates. Visual content drives decisions.
You need local visibility, not national rankings.
Google Business Profile: Your Most Important Tool
This matters more than your website for restaurants.
Complete setup:
Restaurant category as primary. Cuisine type as secondary categories. Accurate address and phone. Website link. Menu link. Reservation link if you take bookings.
Business hours:
Regular hours for each day. Holiday hours updated. Kitchen closing vs venue closing if different. Delivery and takeaway hours if applicable.
Attributes:
Dine-in, takeaway, delivery options. Outdoor seating. Wheelchair accessible. Good for groups/kids. Price range. Payment methods.
Photos:
Exterior showing signage clearly. Interior atmosphere shots. Food presentation photos. Team and chef photos. Dishes from every menu section.
Add new photos weekly. Shows active business.
Reviews: Your Ranking and Conversion Factor
Reviews determine if you appear in searches and if people choose you.
Getting reviews:
Ask happy diners at end of meal. Include review link in booking confirmations. Follow up email after dining. QR code on table or receipt. Train staff to ask.
Review goals:
50+ reviews minimum. 4.5+ star average. New reviews every week. Reviews with photos. Detailed reviews mentioning dishes.
Responding:
Thank every positive review. Mention specific details they shared. Address negative reviews professionally. Offer to resolve issues offline. Never argue publicly.
What not to do:
Fake reviews from staff or friends. Incentivize reviews with discounts. Delete negative reviews. Respond defensively.
Menu Optimization
Your menu needs to be searchable.
On your website:
Full menu with prices visible. Not just PDF download. Searchable text format. Descriptions for each dish. Include ingredients for dietary info. Update when menu changes.
On Google Business Profile:
Upload current menu. Update seasonally. Link to website menu. Show pricing.
Menu SEO:
Use dish names people search for. Include cuisine descriptors. Mention dietary options clearly. “Vegan burger” not just “burger.”
Location Pages and Local Keywords
Target the specific London area you serve.
Location content:
“Italian Restaurant Shoreditch.” “Best Pizza in Camden.” “Fine Dining Mayfair.”
Include borough or neighborhood in key pages.
Near me optimization:
“Restaurant near me” drives huge traffic. Optimize for proximity searches. Google Business Profile crucial here. Mobile-friendly site essential.
Service area:
If you do delivery, specify areas. “Food Delivery Hackney.” “Takeaway Available in Islington.”
Visual Content Strategy
Food is visual. Your SEO must be too.
Professional food photography:
Well-lit, appetizing shots. Showcase signature dishes. Different courses represented. Drinks and desserts too. Update seasonally.
Image optimization:
Descriptive filenames before upload. “truffle-pasta-special.jpg” not “IMG_1234.jpg.” Alt text describing dish. Compress for fast loading.
Video content:
Behind-the-scenes kitchen footage. Chef preparing signature dish. Restaurant atmosphere and vibe. Customer testimonials.
Instagram and visual platforms:
Restaurant SEO includes social. Instagram drives discovery. Link Instagram to website. Embed Instagram feed on site.
Schema Markup for Restaurants
Structured data helps Google understand your business.
Essential schema:
Restaurant schema with cuisine type. Menu schema with dishes and prices. Review schema showing ratings. Opening hours schema. Location schema.
Gets you rich results in search showing ratings, price range, and hours directly.
Content Marketing for Restaurants
Beyond menu, what do you publish?
Blog topics:
Behind-the-scenes stories. Chef’s inspiration for dishes. Seasonal menu announcements. London food scene commentary. Pairing guides for wine or cocktails. Event hosting at your venue.
Local tie-ins:
“Best Pre-Theatre Dining in West End.” “Where Shoreditch Locals Actually Eat.” Connect to London neighborhoods and culture.
Events and specials:
Promote through blog and Google Posts. Special tasting menus. Holiday offerings. Live music or events.
Citation Building for Restaurants
List your restaurant everywhere relevant.
Essential listings:
OpenTable or other reservation platforms. Deliveroo, Uber Eats if you deliver. Time Out London. The Nudge London. Design My Night. Squaremeal.
Review platforms:
TripAdvisor. Yelp. Google obviously. Zomato if relevant.
Keep consistent:
Same restaurant name everywhere. Same address format. Same phone number. Inconsistency hurts rankings.
Website Essentials
Your website supports everything else.
Must-have pages:
Homepage with clear concept. Menu with prices. Reservations or contact. Location and hours. About your story. Gallery of food and venue.
Conversion optimization:
Prominent reservation button. Click-to-call on mobile. Map and directions clear. Social proof visible. Loading speed fast.
Mobile-first:
Most restaurant searches are mobile. Site must work perfectly on phones. One-tap calling and directions. Easy menu browsing.
Reputation Management
Negative reviews happen. How you handle them matters.
Monitoring:
Set up alerts for new reviews. Check platforms daily. Respond within 24 hours.
Handling negative reviews:
Acknowledge the concern. Apologize if appropriate. Offer to resolve offline. Don’t make excuses publicly. Show you care about experience.
Building positive reputation:
Deliver consistently excellent service. Fix issues immediately. Create memorable experiences. Make it easy to leave reviews.
One bad review among 50 good ones doesn’t hurt. One bad review as your only recent review kills you.
Seasonal and Event-Based SEO
Restaurant demand changes throughout year.
Seasonal content:
Christmas party bookings. Valentine’s Day specials. Summer outdoor dining. Mother’s Day brunch.
Create content 2-3 months before the season.
Event optimization:
Near concert venues, optimize for pre/post-show. Near stadiums, target match days. Business districts, target lunch crowds. Tourist areas, target visitors.
Competition Analysis
Know what other London restaurants are doing.
Check competitors:
What keywords do they rank for? How many reviews do they have? What’s their rating? How’s their website? What content do they create?
Find gaps:
Cuisines underserved in your area. Keywords competitors aren’t targeting. Services they don’t offer. Better customer experience opportunities.
Tracking ROI
Measure what matters for restaurants.
Key metrics:
Reservations from website. Calls from Google Business Profile. Direction requests. Website traffic from local searches. Review volume and rating. Delivery orders from online.
Tools:
Google Analytics for website. Google Business Profile insights. Reservation platform analytics. Call tracking if using.
Connect SEO efforts to actual customers and revenue.
Budget for Restaurant SEO
Small independent restaurant:
£800-£1,500 monthly. Google Business Profile management, review generation, basic content, local citations.
Multi-location or upscale:
£1,500-£3,000 monthly. Multiple locations to manage, reputation management, content strategy, competitive market.
Restaurant group:
£3,000-£6,000 monthly. Multiple concepts, comprehensive strategy, extensive content, competitive positioning.
One table filled per month from SEO pays for the investment.
Common Restaurant SEO Mistakes
Ignoring Google Business Profile:
Incomplete or unoptimized profile. Missing hours or wrong information. No photos or outdated ones.
No review strategy:
Letting reviews happen randomly. Not responding to reviews. Ignoring negative feedback.
Poor mobile experience:
Website doesn’t work on phones. Menu hard to read on mobile. Can’t easily call or get directions.
Outdated menu online:
Menu on site doesn’t match current offering. Prices wrong. Seasonal items still listed.
No local optimization:
Trying to rank citywide instead of neighborhood. Missing borough-specific content.
What AlgoSemantic Does for Restaurants
We specialize in local SEO for London hospitality.
Our service:
Complete Google Business Profile optimization. Review generation and management strategy. Menu and website optimization. Local citation building. Photo optimization and strategy. Monthly performance tracking.
Recent results:
Shoreditch restaurant went from page 3 to Local Pack in 3 months. Italian restaurant in Mayfair doubled reservation inquiries. Pub in Camden increased direction requests 280%.
Our pricing:
Restaurant SEO: £1,000-£2,500 monthly. Includes GBP management, review strategy, website optimization, local SEO, monthly reporting.
We know London’s hospitality market. We know what gets tables filled.
Want More Diners Finding You Online?
We’ll audit your restaurant’s online presence and show you exactly how to improve visibility and get more customers.
Email us: contact@algosemantic.com Call us: +44 7412 808430
