Restaurant Link Building: An SEO Guide
Building links is one of the most challenging parts of growing your business. Though it’s time-consuming, it’s rewarding. Restaurant link building is extraordinarily complex. Luckily, our guide to restaurant link building and SEO guide can make this easier.SEO and Link-Building Terminology
You should be clear on a few definitions to build the most useful links for your restaurant.Link Building
The first definition is link building itself. Link building is the process of acquiring links for your site to other places on the web. Therefore, restaurant link building means acquiring links for your restaurant’s website. There are different types of link building, either through virtual means or in-person. Links are ranked through companies like Google; higher-ranking links get the most searches. It can also refer to building connections in your community centered around your business.Backlinks
It’s also essential to understand what backlinks are. Backlinks are the links themselves that direct to other sites. You can think of backlinks as one entity vouching for another; Having more links shows your credibility and success rate.SEO vs. Local SEO
The final distinction before jumping in is the difference between SEO and Local SEO. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and refers to how your site performs on search engines like Google or Bing. Factors contributing to success in this area are the number of links, keywords, content features, social media presence, and user usage. Local SEO is the old-fashioned version of its virtual counterpart. This type of SEO can refer to the process of building connections in your community that would lead to more localized searches online. SEO boosts visibility and leads to more connections across the web. Below you will find some great ways for how to rank in local SEO.Restaurant Keywords
Keywords are the primary way you will be building links online. The more concise and better performing your keywords are, the more visible your site will be. The best keywords are frequently used but not overused to where you wouldn’t have a chance to show up. For example, the keyword “best Italian restaurant” would be challenging to rank highly on due to sheer quantity. However, “best Italian restaurant in Milwaukee” is more specific and therefore better for boosting your site. If you find it a bit overwhelming, that’s okay! An excellent place to start is by running site audits on your competitors. See what’s working for them and where you could fill a niche.Restaurant Social Media
Social media can also be a great way to boost your restaurant’s visibility on search engines. Some of the best platforms for doing this are Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. It’s important to understand that each site is beneficial for specific demographics. Using that to your advantage can go a long way to build connections across the board. Creating a restaurant Twitter account is excellent for reaching the young adult market more effectively. You can interact with clientele directly and creatively. Utilizing your site’s keywords in your tweets is a must. Twitter lets you easily collaborate with other sites and businesses as well. Restaurant Facebook pages are better for reaching older markets. Make these posts concise and add plenty of restaurant images. Joining various groups to promote your page can connect you with like-minded restaurant operators and customers. A restaurant Instagram is best for younger clientele. Posts in this regard are photo-oriented. The benefit of platforms such as Instagram is their influencers; partnering with popular posters on the site can boost visibility and build links across generations. Social media is critical for restaurant SEO. Getting reviews and feedback from customers will help to grow your business. Show your followers where you’re getting your ingredients and publicly connect with them. The possibilities are endless.Website Accessibility
In certain respects, building links becomes synonymous with credibility. The best way to build that credibility is to make your restaurant website accessible. You only have a few minutes to sell your restaurant online. One way to ensure maximum user-friendliness of your site is to have all the essential info easily visible on your home page. Think of the reasons someone would be looking at your restaurant’s web page in the first place. They’d want to see COVID restrictions, the menu, the hours, and more. Design your restaurant website accordingly! Links on your site should work and load quickly. You should optimize all pages on your site for load times. You can find more information regarding load times wherever you host your website. Finally, for restaurants specifically, mobile accessibility is paramount. People may want to quickly check the menu on their phones while out with friends. Hard-to-find links or hidden information could lose you a customer before you knew you had one.Local Links
Although it may be tempting to focus your link-building efforts entirely online, don’t forget about your community. Local links are great for growing businesses and more crucial than ever in the time of coronavirus. One of the best ways to rank in local SEO is not to neglect the customer base you already have. There are various ways you can reward return customers, such as loyalty cards, bonuses, and personalized newsletters to those on your mailing list. Make people feel seen when working with you. Partnering with local news outlets is one of the best ways to get backlinks for local SEO. Most towns and cities have a local publication in both print and digital copy. Reach out to yours and see if they have a section for advertising restaurants or even a review column. Similarly, local business directories can be a great way to see what kinds of restaurants and suppliers are in your area. This knowledge will be vital for tuning you into the competition. Collaboration and working with like-minded local business owners can build the best backlinks for local SEO. Want the nuts and bolts of establishing your own restaurant SEO? Read our guide below6 Essentials for Restaurant SEO
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