When someone looks for somewhere to eat, they open Google Maps, look at three or four places nearby and decide in a minute: photos, rating, price and whether it is open. These are the things that make the difference.
Your Google listing
- A precise category: «Mediterranean restaurant» beats plain «Restaurant».
- Real opening hours, including holidays and the summer timetable.
- A link to your menu.
- Price range.
- A booking button if you take reservations.
Photos
They are the first thing people look at. Dishes in natural light, the dining room, the terrace and the front of the building so people can find you. Add new photos every month.
Reviews
- Ask at the end of a good meal, not while people are rushing to pay.
- A QR code on the table or the bill makes it easy.
- Reply to all of them, in the language they were written in.
- Never buy reviews: it breaks the rules and Google removes them.
The menu as text, in two languages
A PDF menu is hard to read on a phone and Google cannot read it. As text, with each dish, what is in it and the price, it reads well and helps you show up for searches like «paella Torrevieja». On the coast, put the English next to the Spanish, not on a separate menu.
Direct bookings
Booking platforms bring customers but charge for each one. A WhatsApp or website booking button costs nothing per table. Use both, and get regulars to book direct.