How to Get Your Restaurant on Google Maps: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide
By Anttoni Taimela · 1. March 2024
To get your restaurant on Google Maps🗺️, setting up a Google My Business account is key.
Our guide shows you how to list your venue, enhancing its online discoverability.
Follow these straightforward steps on how to get your restaurant on Google Maps and help customers find your restaurant when they search online.
Key Takeaways
- Google Maps enhances local visibility for restaurants, leading to increased traffic and sales. Integrating with Google My Business improves local search ranking based on relevance, distance, and prominence, allowing even small restaurants to compete effectively.
- Setting up a restaurant on Google My Business is free and involves creating an accurate profile with essential details, followed by a verification process that can be done via various methods. Maintaining an accurate menu, service hours, and responding to customer reviews is crucial for optimising visibility.
- Google My Business offers features like ‘post’ updates and answering common questions, aiding in engaging with customers. For multiple locations, consistency in details across all listings is key. Troubleshooting common issues like incorrect information or addressing negative reviews is essential for maintaining a reputable online presence.
The Importance of Google Maps for Your Restaurant
google maps
Google Maps is a digital game-changer for restaurants, providing a platform for increased visibility, especially in local searches.
The convenience it offers to customers is immense, enabling easy discovery and navigation to the restaurant for locals and travellers alike.
Imagine your restaurant appearing in Google’s Local ‘3-pack’, a coveted position in search results. This drives new customer traffic without any additional advertising costs, providing an excellent return on your digital investment.
Utilising the Google Maps app can further enhance the user experience and help your business grow.
The benefits of integrating your restaurant’s profile with Google Maps include:
- Increased online presence
- Easier for customers to find your restaurant’s location
- Ability for customers to browse your menu
- Access to reviews
- Option for customers to make a reservation
All these factors contribute to transforming potential customers into loyal patrons.
Local Search Results and Competitive Advantage
Google’s local ranking for businesses, including restaurants, is influenced by three key criteria: relevance, distance, and prominence.
A well-managed and informative Google My Business profile significantly contributes to improving a restaurant’s relevance and prominence in local search rankings.
Imagine your restaurant’s name popping up when someone in your vicinity searches for ‘restaurants near me’. That’s the power of optimising your Google My Business profile.
In the highly competitive restaurant industry, having a highly optimised Google My Business profile can help a restaurant appear in the top Google searches, providing a competitive edge by being more visible to potential customers.
This is particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized restaurants that might not have a hefty budget for traditional marketing strategies.
By effectively using Google My Business, they can compete with larger establishments, not on the basis of their advertising budget but on the quality and value they offer to their customers.
Attracting New Customers with Google Maps
Google Maps is a vital platform for new diners to discover restaurants. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms for decision-making, diners are more likely than ever to use Google Maps to decide where to eat.
Restaurants that are listed on Google My Business have a higher chance of being found by these diners, thereby increasing the likelihood of new customer visits.
This increased visibility on Google Maps can lead to increased foot traffic and a resultant boost in sales.
A well-placed pin📍 on Google Maps can literally lead customers right to your doorstep. The importance of this cannot be overstated in today’s digital world where the competition for customers is fierce.
In such a scenario, every new customer counts, and Google Maps is an excellent tool to attract them.
Setting Up Your Restaurant on Google My Business
Google My Business
Google My Business (GMB) is a free online tool that helps integrate a restaurant’s profile with Google Maps, increasing its online presence and helping it engage with diners.
By creating a Google Business Page, businesses can:
- Create local listings in Google Maps for easy discovery by local customers
- Increase a restaurant’s visibility and discoverability
- Capture potential local customers
Adding your business directly to Google Maps through Google My Business is a necessary step for your restaurant to be listed.
Setting up a profile is free and allows you to manage details like opening hours, address, and photos.
We will now explore the setup process for your Google My Business account and how to verify your business location.
Creating a Google My Business Account
To create a Google My Business account for your restaurant, follow these steps:
- Visit the Google My Business website
- Click ‘Manage now’ or ‘Start now’
- Provide details such as your restaurant’s name, location, service category, website, and contact information.
Selecting the relevant business category, like ‘Restaurant,’ ‘Italian Restaurant,’ or ‘Cafe,’ is key🔑 to appearing in pertinent searches.
Make sure to verify your restaurant’s phone number as part of the finalising process.
After this, you can manage details such as social media links and update phone numbers through the search bar.
Having a fully completed and accurate profile can make your restaurant stand out and attract more customers.
Verifying Your Business and Location
After setting up your Google My Business profile, it’s time to verify your business. Verifying your Business Profile ensures eligibility to show up on Google and enables you to respond to Google Maps reviews.
Verification can be done through methods such as phone, text, email, video, or postal mail with a verification code.
Google automatically determines available verification methods, which cannot be changed by the business owner, and sometimes requires more than one attempt for successful verification.
However, instant verification is available for businesses with a verified website on Google Search Console or bulk verification for managing multiple locations through their website URL.
While it might require effort, business verification is a significant step to guarantee your restaurant’s visibility when customers search for it.
Optimizing Your Restaurant’s Google Maps Listing
google maps listing
Once your restaurant is listed on Google Maps, the next step is to optimize your listing.
This involves providing accurate and comprehensive information, including an up-to-date menu, hours, description, and amenities.
But that’s not all. You should also upload high-quality photos to showcase your restaurant’s dishes, ambiance, and decor, which can influence customer decisions.
Regularly responding to customer reviews📝 also shows your engagement and encourages more customer interaction, which can lead to improved visibility on Google Maps.
We’ll now explore the process of:
- Providing precise information
- Stimulating customer reviews and ratings
- Making the best use of Google Maps features to enhance your restaurant’s listing.
Providing Accurate and Up-to-Date Information
Creating a detailed business listing on your business page with essential information such as:
- exact times
- logo
- pictures
- address
- phone number
- menu
- website
- on-site services
enhances your restaurant’s image for people seeking information. Restaurants should set specific service hours in their Google Business Profile for delivery, takeout, drive-through, or pickup to reflect these options accurately.
The menu editor in your Google My Business listing serves as a tool to maintain a current menu and special dishes.
Maintaining accurate and engaging information in your Google Business Profile can maximize your restaurant’s appearance in local search results.
If there is inaccurate information on Google Maps, you can correct it by claiming your business on Google My Business and updating the necessary details.
Encouraging Customer Reviews and Ratings
Did you know that:
- 91% of consumers aged 18-34 trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations?
- Online reviews are crucial to building trust with potential customers, many of whom rely on these reviews for making informed dining choices?
- A higher ranking in search results from positive Google Map reviews can lead to increased foot traffic and higher sales.
You can encourage customers to leave feedback by:
- Uploading engaging photos
- Turning on the chat feature
- Setting up FAQs
- Creating posts
- Replying to reviews
Responding to reviews promptly shows that your restaurant values customer feedback and is committed to improving the dining experience.
Regularly collecting and responding to both positive and negative reviews is vital for maintaining high visibility and attracting new customers on Google Maps.
Utilizing Google Maps Features
Now that you have your restaurant listed and optimized on Google Maps, it’s time to make full use of the features that Google Maps offers.
For instance, you can use the ‘post’ feature to share updates, events, offers, or news directly on Google Search and Maps. You can also highlight what’s best about your business through attributes such as ‘Outdoor seating or’ ‘Wi-Fi’.
Another useful feature is the ‘Questions & Answers.’ This lets you answer common questions upfront, making it easier for potential customers to get the information they need quickly.
Remember, the more comprehensive and engaging your profile, the more it stands out to prospective customers.
Managing Multiple Restaurant Locations on Google Maps
restaurant locations
If you’re a restaurant owner with multiple locations, managing them on Google Maps requires some additional steps.
Adding a new location to Google My Business involves creating a separate listing for each address.
After adding a new location, it must be verified to appear accurately on Google Maps.
Each restaurant location must have a unique phone number and exact address to ensure Google’s verification process can distinguish between them.
We’ll now explore the process of adding extra locations and preserving consistency among them, including the importance of a clear restaurant address.
Adding Additional Locations
For a Google My Business account with 9 or fewer locations, you can add additional locations by using the ‘Add single business’ option in the ‘Add business’ drop-down menu within the GMB dashboard.
If your business has 10 or more locations, you can utilize bulk verification by selecting ‘Import businesses’, which enables adding multiple locations simultaneously through a bulk upload.
During the bulk upload, you’ll need to:
- Download the spreadsheet template provided by Google
- Fill in detailed information for each location, such as store code, business name, and postal code
- Once you’ve filled out the spreadsheet, you can upload it for verification
This feature is particularly useful for determining a restaurant’s location, especially for large restaurant chains with locations spread across different regions.
Consistency Across Locations
Maintaining consistency across all your restaurant locations on Google Maps is crucial to reinforce brand identity and customer trust.
When you’re adding more than 10 restaurant locations using Google My Business’s bulk upload feature, it’s paramount to include complete and consistent details for each location.
Updating business hours, along with information about products and services regularly and uniformly across all restaurant locations, helps provide a reliable experience for customers.
This consistency not only makes it easier for customers to interact with your restaurant but also strengthens your brand’s image and credibility.
Troubleshooting Common Google Maps Issues
Despite best efforts, smartphone users might run into some common issues on Google Maps. Fear not, most of these can be fixed with a little troubleshooting.
If you notice inaccuracies, such as wrong business hours or incorrect phone numbers, you can use the ‘Info’ tab on your Google My Business dashboard to edit the details.
If your restaurant’s location is displayed incorrectly on Google Maps, you can suggest an edit through the ‘Suggest an edit’ feature present directly on the Maps interface.
For corrections beyond basic information, like incorrect street names, you can use the Google Maps ‘Report a problem’ feature to alert Google to the issue.
We will now cover how to rectify incorrect or missing information and handle negative reviews.
Incorrect or Missing Information
If there’s incorrect information on your restaurant’s Google Maps listing, you can correct it by claiming your business on Google My Business and suggesting the necessary edits.
If your restaurant’s location is missing on Google Maps, you can search for the address, select ‘Add a missing place’, and input the relevant details.
Once you’ve claimed and verified your restaurant business, you can readily update your business information using a computer, phone📱, or tablet.
If the map pin for your business is not placed accurately, you can drag and drop the pin to the correct location via your Google My Business dashboard.
Addressing Negative Reviews
Negative reviews can be daunting, but they provide an opportunity to improve and demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction.
Responding to negative reviews with professionalism and courtesy can transform a negative experience into a positive one, potentially leading the reviewer to reconsider their feedback.
Replies to negative reviews should always be approached respectfully and professionally to reflect positively on your restaurant.
Offering further communication options, such as email or phone, demonstrates a dedication to customer service and issue resolution.
Remember, reviewers are notified when a business owner responds to their review, providing them the chance to update their review if they are satisfied with the resolution.
Summary
In conclusion, Google Maps is a powerful tool for restaurants to enhance their visibility, attract new customers, and engage with their community.
From setting up a Google My Business account to managing multiple locations and addressing negative reviews, every step contributes to ensuring your restaurant stands out in the digital landscape.
It’s time to leverage the power of Google Maps and give your restaurant the visibility it deserves!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I add restaurants to Google Maps?
To add your restaurant to Google Maps, go to Google My Business, click “Start Now,” enter your restaurant’s details, and complete the verification process. Alternatively, you can enter your address in the search bar on Google Maps and follow the prompts to add your business.
How do I get my restaurant listed on Google?
To get your restaurant listed on Google, go to Google My Business, enter your restaurant’s name and location, choose the appropriate category, add your contact details, and verify your restaurant. You can also claim your business through Google Maps by entering the business name, selecting the correct one, and following the verification steps.
Why doesn’t my restaurant show up on Google Maps?
Your restaurant may not be showing up on Google Maps because your business listing could be suspended, possibly due to issues with verification or improper use of keywords. It’s important to address these issues in order to have your restaurant appear on the platform.
How can I manage multiple restaurant locations on Google Maps?
To manage multiple restaurant locations on Google Maps, you should create a separate listing for each location on Google My Business and verify each one. This will enable you to effectively manage and showcase all your restaurant locations.
How should I handle negative reviews on Google Maps?
Handle negative reviews on Google Maps professionally, respond promptly, offer solutions, and demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction.
