When guests want to learn more about a restaurant, they typically start with a quick search on Google or head straight to Google Maps. The latter will show them information about which venue is closest to them and how to get there. But for a guest to find you, you must first have a Google My Business profile for your restaurant.
A Google My business (GMB) profile is the key to getting your restaurant discovered on Google Search and Maps, whether on desktop or mobile. It's your digital storefront - one that can attract new guests, showcase your brand, and drive real-world visits.
Research by Google found over 50% of shoppers saying they use Google to find or discover new brands.
Besides getting seen, there are other perks to creating a Google My Business profile, which we’ll cover in this article. We’ll also cover what Google My Business is, whether it’s the same as Google Reserve, and how to create your Google My Business profile.
Let’s get your restaurant on the map - literally!
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a free Google service that helps people find your business via Google Search and maps. Like any profile, you can personalize your Google My Business profile, add photos, contact information, posts, and more.
Put simply, if you want to be found, you need to have a Google My Business profile. If you manage multiple restaurant locations, Google allows you to create one profile and list your locations so customers can find you easily.
Why should you create a Google My Business profile for your restaurant?
Google alone processes over 40,000 search queries each second, resulting in over 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year, worldwide.
Research by GWI, Datareportal, and We Are Social indicates searches for ‘food, takeaway, and delivery’ to be in the top 10 types of websites visited around the world.
Roughly 41.1% of individuals aged 16-24 regularly search for information about food, takeaway, and delivery. The figure increases to 45.4% for individuals aged 25-34.
In addition, 56.4% of the first group search for information about ‘maps, parking, and location.’ This percentage falls slightly to 55.1% for those aged 25-34.
Maps, parking, and location searches account for roughly 55% of searches for older age groups, including 35-44, 45-54, and 55-64, the report shows.
Besides the numbers, here are several reasons why you should create a Google My Business profile for your restaurant:
Offer information about restaurant
One of the top benefits of creating a Google My Business Profile is getting in front of your guests. In addition, you provide them with information that can help them decide to dine at your venue or make a direct reservation later.
Engage with guests
Using your Google My Business account, you can engage with guests by responding to questions, reviews, and in some locations, you can enable direct messaging. You can also publish posts on your business profile, similar to social media posts.
Boost local SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) should be part of your restaurant’s marketing strategy. Having a Google My Business profile improves your local SEO, allowing you to rank for queries in your vicinity. Particularly queries like “restaurants near me” or “restaurants in [city].”
Use Google Reserve
Another solution offered by Google is Reserve with Google. However, to get on the platform, there are 2 essential criteria. One of them is having a Google My Business Profile.
Gain insights with analytics
Another benefit of a Google My Business profile for your restaurant is the dashboard, which offers analytics and insights. It provides you with data on your audience and their local search results.
Using the Google My Business dashboard, you can see which queries customers used to find you and if those queries were via Google Maps or Google Search.
You can also get insights about the performance of your images compared to other profiles in your category.
Google My Business vs Reserve with Google
Restaurant owners often get confused if a Google My Business profile is the same as Reserve with Google.
The bottom line? They’re different solutions from Google. Both Google My Business and Reserve with Google serve your restaurant in different ways.
Google My Business is about being found in search and Google Maps, while Reserve with Google (also known as Google Reserve) helps guests make online bookings.
Both Google offerings are free of charge. However, to enable Reserve with Google, you’ll need to use a restaurant reservation management system, or a Reserve with Google partner like Servme.
Google Reserve also requires you to have a Google My Business profile.
How to create a Google My Business profile for your restaurant
You need to have a Google or Gmail account to start. Go to Google My Business and create a profile from there.
You should include the following information:
Your restaurant’s name
Your business category
Your restaurant’s address
Your restaurant’s phone number. It could be a landline or mobile or both. Make sure it’s the one you’ll likely respond to.
Hours of operation
A link to your restaurant’s website, if applicable (not mandatory)
A link to your restaurant’s Google Maps listing
Once you’re done, you’ll need to choose a verification option to verify the information and location provided.
Here's an example of a GMB profile of one of our clients, BB Social Dining in Dubai.
Tips: How to optimize Google My Business for restaurant
Congratulations! You’ve created your Google My Business Profile for your restaurant.
While you’re about 90% done, there are a couple more things left: Adding your menu and optimizing your Google My Business profile.
Here are a few more steps and tips
Make sure you complete every aspect of your Google My Business profile.
Select primary and secondary categories
Write a clear, concise description of your restaurant
Upload photos regularly (weekly if possible)
Answer questions
Ask guests to leave reviews, and respond to them
Add your restaurant menu
Mention whether you offer food delivery services
Add links to your social media channels
Frequently asked questions about Google My Business
How much does Google My Business cost?
Google My Business is a free solution from Google. You won’t be asked to pay any money at any time.
How do I upload a restaurant menu to Google?
You’ll need to use the Menu Editor to add, upload, or edit menu items, along with their descriptions and prices.
To add menu items, you’ll need to go to your Business Profile. Google suggests you keep your menu organized by grouping items into sections. For example, group items into appetizers, desserts, main courses,…etc.
“It can take 24–48 hours for your changes to display on Google Maps and Search,” Google explains. “When customers find your Business Profile, they can find your menu items listed under ‘Menu.’”
For more information, review the menu editor video.
Can I have 2 Google business accounts?
You’ll need to have separate businesses. However, if you want to include multiple restaurant venues, then you can add the location details for each under the same business profile.
Google states that you should only have “one Business Profile for the metropolitan area you serve. Your Google account may be suspended if we find multiple profiles for the same business in the same metropolitan area.”
Do you need a Google account for Google My Business?
Yes.
How do I get verified on Google My Business?
Google recommends reviewing all your information before requesting a verification. Once you do that, follow these steps:
To verify now: At the top, find the red banner and click Verify now.
To verify later: Click Verify later 🡪 Later.
If you’re not authorized to manage the Business Profile for the chain: Find the person in your organization who’s authorized and continue the process.
More information here.
Nada Sobhi
Marketing
