Google is constantly changing its search algorithm, but there are a few key factors that consistently contribute to high rankings. If you don't rank, you don't get showcased on Google searches. If your restaurant or brewery website is not ranking well, it's likely due to one or more of the following issues:
Poor on-page SEO: This refers to the optimization of your website's content and structure to help Google understand what your website is about and why it should be ranked highly. On-page SEO includes things like keyword research, title tag and meta description optimization, header tags, and image optimization.
Lack of backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites to your own. Google sees backlinks as a vote of confidence in your website, and the more backlinks you have, the higher your website will rank. Note: these backlinks have to be industry-related.
Technical SEO issues: Technical SEO refers to the underlying code and structure of your website. If your website has technical SEO issues, such as slow loading times or broken links, it will negatively impact your rankings.
Lack of local SEO: If you have a restaurant or brewery, it's important to optimize your website for local searches. This includes claiming and verifying your Google My Business listing and getting listed in other local directories like Yelp.
Slow Website Speed: Your website is slow (check on Google Lighthouse) due to big images and videos or a poor working server. Optimize images and videos to reduce file sizes, if your server can't handle your current traffic make an upgrade and use caching and content delivery networks (CDN's) to enhance your website speed.
Minimal Social Media Presence: Social signals, including social media engagement, play a role in Google rankings. Maintain an active presence on relevant social media platforms and engage with your audience. Share your website's content on social media to drive traffic and increase visibility.
Perform keyword research and optimize your website content: Use keyword research tools to identify the keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for. Then, optimize your website content around those keywords and phrases. This includes using them in your title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and throughout your content.
Build backlinks: There are many ways to build backlinks to your website. One way is to create high-quality content that other websites will want to link to. You can also reach out to other websites in your industry and ask for backlinks.
Fix technical SEO issues: If you have technical SEO issues, you can use a tool like Google Search Console to identify and fix them.
Optimize for local search: Claim and verify your Google My Business listing, and get listed in other local directories. You can also add your location to your website's title tags and meta descriptions.
Mobile-Unfriendly Design: Google favors mobile-friendly websites. If your site isn't responsive, it may not rank well in mobile search results. Opt for a responsive design that ensures a seamless user experience across devices. Test your website's mobile-friendliness using Google's Mobile-Friendly Test.
Improving your website's ranking on Google takes time and effort, but it's worth it in the long run. By following the tips above, you can help your website rank higher in search results and attract more visitors. Here are some specific tips for restaurant and brewery websites:
Include your menu on your website: This is one of the most important things you can do to improve your website's ranking for local search. Make sure your menu is easy to find and navigate, and that it includes all of your most popular dishes.
Add photos and videos to your website: Photos and videos of your food and drinks can make your website more visually appealing and engaging. They can also help to improve your website's ranking for image search.
Create blog posts and articles: Writing blog posts and articles about your restaurant or brewery is a great way to add fresh content to your website and attract new visitors. Be sure to optimize your blog posts and articles for relevant keywords and phrases.
Promote your website on social media: Share links to your website on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This is a great way to reach a wider audience and drive traffic to your website. And point that content to your website.
These social media apps make it hard for their customers to leave their apps so include plug-ins on your website that can showcase the content you created on their apps on your own website.
By following these tips, you can help your restaurant or brewery website rank higher on Google searches, which captures 85% of all search market share and attract more customers to your location. It takes 9-12 months to get to the first search page but if you follow these tips, you will get there.
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