When someone searches "best tacos near me" or "food truck Austin",
Domino's shows up on page 1. You show up on page 3 (if you show up at all).
And 75% of people never scroll past page 1.
I'm Joe Scott, founder of Outbites. I've helped dozens of local restaurants rank on page 1 of Google for local searches.
Not with million-dollar budgets. Not with teams of SEO experts. But with the right strategy and the right tools.
Here's the complete guide to local SEO for restaurants. Everything you need to know to rank #1 on Google,
without spending $125M like the big chains.
Why Local SEO Matters
46%
Of all Google searches are local
75%
Never scroll past page 1
3x
More orders from page 1 ranking
The 5 Pillars of Local SEO for Restaurants
Local SEO isn't complicated. It's just 5 things done right. Here's what they are and how to nail each one:
The Quick Win: Google Business Profile Optimization
If you only do ONE thing from this guide, make it this: Optimize your Google Business Profile.
This single action can get you ranking on page 1 within 30-60 days.
Here's the exact checklist:
Common Local SEO Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
I've seen restaurants make these mistakes over and over. Don't be one of them:
- Inconsistent business info: Your name, address, or phone number is different on Google vs. Yelp vs. your website. Google sees this as a red flag.
- No mobile optimization: Your site looks broken on phones. Google won't rank you.
- Ignoring reviews: You never respond to reviews. Google thinks you don't care about customers.
- No local keywords: Your content doesn't mention your city or neighborhood. Google doesn't know you're local.
- Slow website: Your site takes 5+ seconds to load. Google penalizes slow sites.
How Long Does It Take to Rank?
Here's the honest answer: 30-90 days if you do everything right. Sometimes faster. Sometimes slower.
But if you're not on page 1 after 90 days, you're doing something wrong.
The fastest way to rank? Get a mobile-optimized ordering platform (like Outbites) that's built for SEO,
optimize your Google Business Profile, and start getting reviews. Do those three things, and you'll see results.
Local SEO isn't about spending millions. It's about doing the basics right, consistently,
and having a website that Google actually wants to rank.
The Bottom Line
Big chains rank #1 because they've invested millions in SEO. But you don't need millions.
You just need to do the 5 pillars right: Google Business Profile, mobile website, local keywords,
citations, and reviews.
The restaurants I've helped rank on page 1 didn't have million-dollar budgets. They just had
the right strategy and the right tools. And you can too.
About the Author: Joe Scott is the founder of Outbites. He's helped dozens of local restaurants
rank on page 1 of Google for local searches. Outbites ordering platforms are built for SEO,
helping restaurants get found without million-dollar budgets.
