When you look for a restaurant online, you’ll generally get Google Search results that include information about a restaurant, including a photo, the business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and ratings and reviews. Everything you need to know about a restaurant in one place to choose where to eat. The local search includes the top three restaurant choices and a Google map with the location of each restaurant. 

So, how do search engines decide who the top 3 restaurants are to display for your search? And more importantly, how can your restaurant be shown in the top 3? 

These are questions that Google, Bing, Siri, Cortana, and Alexa ask about your restaurant. Google has made a few specific factors clear, including the ranking of search results and how many times an answer has been shared by other users. Let’s look at them one by one. 

Distance 

• Google explains it as follows: “How far is each potential search result from the location term used in a search?”  
• When a user does not provide a location in their search, Google will use their current position to calculate the distance. It might be a city, neighborhood, zip code, or a point of interest (such as a hotel, office, or house) 
• If you don’t include any location-defining terms in your query like ” Mississippi,” Google will default to a “near me.” 

Relevance 

• Relevance refers to how well an answer responds to what the user is searching for. It’s most likely lunchtime and you’re hungry when you search for “best salad near me.” A salad is what you want 

• Consistency is crucial in local search. As a result, search engines seek out information about your brand and double-checks that it’s consistent across the internet. This gives them assurance that the information they give to their users about your company is correct 
• If your restaurant’s name (or phone number, or hours of operation) are different on its website than on its Yelp or Facebook profile, they will not trust it, and it will receive a negative relevance rating 

Prominence 

• Determined by how many recent positive ratings and reviews it has  
• Google implies that your company will be in the local pack based on the number and quality of your reviews  

• If you don’t respond to your reviews, you may not appear in the search results 

Manage the public facts about your restaurant, as well as your reputation. 

• Consumers are 65 percent more likely to select a restaurant if it provides them with detailed information in local search results 
• On average, consumers eat at a restaurant within 24 hours of discovering it online if they previously did a search 
• Three or more alternative restaurants are explored by 64% of customers before deciding where to eat 

Restaurants that added digital menus have seen a 28% increase in Google searches. 

• Appear in searches when customers are looking for you 
• Ensure that all your relevant information about your restaurant is correct 
• Make sure your menu is correct and consistent where hungry customers looking for their next meal 

How Simply Be Found helps Your Restaurant Show Up in the Top 3 Google Local Pack

Getting your local business found is a crucial aspect of running a profitable business. Facts like your address, operating hours, and menu choices are critical to search engines and potential consumers being able to find you online. It is important to make sure that your business information in Simply Be Found is updated and consistent, as it will impact your local SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Simply Be Found’s membership also includes allowing you to manage your holiday hours in advance. You can also boost your SEO by generating and responding to more reviews to get found by more consumers who are looking for your products and services. As a member of Simply Be Found you will have a well-executed local SEO strategy, to ensure that your potential clients see your business first on local search, directories, maps, and social media when they are searching for your industry type in your local area. Simply Be Found helps you make sure that the public details about your company are correct on time and consistent across multiple search engines, voice services, maps, apps, and other discovery tools that people use to help them decide where to eat.