Google Ads for Restaurants: Local Targeting Strategies

To have a successful restaurant today, it’s important not only that you’re serving delicious food. But you also need to ensure that the right people are aware of your existence when searching for something to eat. With numerous diners today searching for “best restaurants near me,” Google Ads is one of the best methods to connect with local customers. The right Google Ads campaign can create visibility for restaurants competing in busy locations. It is because

Google Ads provide instant exposure for your restaurant by allowing you to showcase your menu in local searches. It also helps in driving more table bookings in real time. However, to achieve maximum return on investment, restaurants need to combine a solid strategy for local targeting with effective optimization. That’s where a local SEO agency is important.

Start With Hyper-Local Keywords and Intent-Based Searches

The concept of hyper-local keyword targeting is linked to the internet’s ability to generate sales. It also provides measurable feedback to advertisers about the leads. On choosing hyper-local keywords, you can advertise to your target market (i.e., region and area). It also targets the type of cuisine you currently offer and the level of customer demand in the areas you serve. A good example of hyper-local keywords would be “pizza delivery South Coast,” “Italian delivery south of Melbourne,” or “vegetarian restaurant South Brisbane.”

In order to effectively leverage localized keyword targeting, you will need to combine it with proximity-based targeting. If managing your hyper-local and proximity-based keywords seems difficult, consult professional PPC Management Agency. For instance, at Skylark SEO, we work with restaurants to help them fine-tune their targeted keywords.

Leverage Google Local Ads for Maximum Visibility

Restaurants can benefit significantly from Local Campaigns (also known as Local Ads). The local ads can help them drive immediate engagement from customers through a variety of different actions (i.e., calling the restaurant, finding directions to the restaurant, and even entering the restaurant). As a result, Local Ads run across Google Search, Maps, YouTube, and Display networks continuously.

• Local Ads can help you tell potential customers:
• What are your restaurant’s hours of operation?
• What are your restaurant’s menu highlights (entrees, appetizers, etc.)
• How do I get to your restaurant?
• Can I make a reservation/call you now?
• What promotions/specials do you have this week?

Suppose a person searching for “Chinese restaurant near me” gets a listing in Google Maps, sees how the restaurant is rated, and has access to a “Call Now” button in the listing as soon as they search the keyword online. This instant access to this type of information increases foot traffic to the restaurant. The majority of restaurant businesses hire a restaurant SEO agency to create such campaigns. The experts are well aware of all location-based signals, map listings, and ad extensions. So, they can choose the best one for maximizing your search success.

Target by Device Type for Better ROI

Mobile devices are commonly used to search for engines to find local restaurants. Mobile users could include people traveling, those who are hungry after work, or those exploring dining options nearby etc. Most often, these decisions are made over mobile phones. Therefore, targeting devices at the device level is a tremendous benefit to restaurant owners.

A restaurant can target mobile users by taking advantage of the mobile platform’s ability to:

• Increase bids for mobile users during peak periods.
• Provide mobile-friendly landing pages that load quickly.
• Utilize calling ads with a call now option to drive customers to order directly from the restaurant via phone.
• Add click-to-order and click-to-reserve functions.
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Desktop targeting can still be effective for people wanting to reserve or book for an event in advance. However, most consumers will convert via mobile devices to complete the transaction. Partnering with a digital specialist that provides SEO Consultant Services will help you optimize your mobile performance on both your ads and website content.

Use Location Targeting to Narrow Your Radius

The ability to reach your restaurant’s ideal target market with Google Ads is probably one of the major marketing benefits. Potential diners are generally within walking distance of your business’s physical location. Google Ads allows you to ensure that you’re spending your advertising budget only on customers who are likely to visit or order from you.

The targeted radius placed around your restaurant will vary depending on:

• Whether your restaurant is focused on dine-in (1 km or 2 km) or delivery (3 km or 5 km) business.
• High-foot traffic landmarks, like office buildings, colleges, malls, or event venues.
• Neighborhood-specific targeting for regions for a specific customer demographic.

If your radius is too broad, you will waste your advertising dollars. On the other hand, a radius that is too narrow will limit your ability to connect with new potential customers. You can find the right mix of reach and relevance by using data to determine the ideal balance. Consider consulting a professional for local SEO services to help you make the most of location targeting.

Optimize Landing Pages for Local Conversions

If advertisements are primitive (e.g., lack clarity), it does not make sense for customers. Plus, they might click on some slow or cluttered website (landing) pages. This is why it is so important that your restaurant has a streamlined landing page. Hence, a customer can easily find the required information.

A good landing page of a restaurant must have:

• Updated menu
• HD food images
• Clear call-to-action buttons
• Mobile-friendly layout
• Links to Google Maps
• Social proof, such as ratings and reviews

Partnering with firms such as Skylark SEO helps restaurants develop proper landing pages with proper insights. Hence, restaurants can attain better consistency between organic presence and ads.  

Use Smart Bidding Strategies for Maximum Conversions

A bidding strategy is an important aspect of determining how well your campaign will perform against its budget. Google’s Ads platform has several automated bidding strategies available to businesses, specifically for their restaurant marketing needs:

1. Maximize conversions
2. Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)
3. Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)

Maximizing conversion strategies tends to provide restaurants with the greatest level of success when they utilize a clearly defined audience. This approach allows Google to adjust bids in real-time. This increases their likelihood of generating additional restaurant reservations, website visits, or phone calls.

The optimal use of a smart bidding strategy occurs when an account has access to sufficient amounts of data. For this reason, many restaurants use specialized teams or partnerships with providers of white label SEO services. The professionals help restaurant owners evaluate their campaigns daily and modify their bidding strategies. These strategies are mostly based on a restaurant’s peak times and customer behaviors.

Measure Success with Local KPIs

Restaurant owners can benefit from using local intent-driven key performance indicators (KPIs). It helps them to evaluate the success of Google Ads for their restaurants.

Some examples of these KPIs are:

• Received phone calls
• Repeat customers
• Requests for directions
• Table reservations
• Food delivery orders

With these KPIs, restaurant owners can determine the best-performing keywords and target audience when optimizing their Google Ads campaigns.

Conclusion:

Google Ads enables restaurants to acquire new customers, gain visibility, and maintain steady foot traffic through local targeting strategies. To simplify the process, businesses can work with companies, such as Skylark SEO, for curating data-driven and impactful ad campaigns. When combined with strong cuisine offerings, this is an effective way to keep your restaurant busy and receptive to locals.