5 things to remember before creating your restaurant’s GBP

An optimised Google Business Profile is essential for restaurant businesses more than ever. More than 70% of customers choose a restaurant through Google Maps. Ranking at the top of the business listings can have a tremendous impact on your customer conversions.

Here are five things you should remember before creating your Google Business Profile

1. Choose the Right Primary Category

Make sure you choose the correct primary category; for instance, if you are a pizza joint, choose pizza restaurant instead of the generic restaurant category. This can help you reach the right target customers.  You can choose other secondary categories to optimise your GBP further.

2. Check NAP Consistency

Check your business’s Name, Address, and Phone Number across all your online listings before creating your Google Business Profile. NAP inconsistency is one of the main reasons causing GBP verification and suspension issues. So, ensure you add the right NAP to your GBP.

3. Do Not Create a Duplicate GBP

If you are buying an existing restaurant, make sure you look it up on Google Maps first. If the business has an existing Google Business Profile, ask the previous owner to transfer the primary owner status to your business’s email. Creating a duplicate GBP can confuse customers and also increase the chance of profile suspension.

4. Upload Restaurant Photos and Menu

Add high-quality tempting food images to attract customers and improve ranking. Uploading real photos can show people how hygienic and impressive your restaurant is; therefore, it increases the chances of customers choosing your business. Use Google’s Live Menu editor to add items to your menu, as it contributes to keywords and is easy to edit compared to image menus.  

5. Plan well before starting the GBP Verification Process

Make sure your signage is up, your phone is active, and you are in the right location if you are assigned video verification. Make sure your business details in legal documents match your Google Business Profile. If your profile is not verified on the first attempt, submit appeals to Google to get your profile verified.