Restaurant Websites: Help Google Show Your Correct Details

Simple steps to help Google show your restaurant's hours, address and phone number correctly in Search and Maps.

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Google's own guides explain how a restaurant can share its hours, address, phone number and photos so they show up in Search and Maps. This week, claim your Google Business Profile, verify your website in Search Console, and add a small block of code called structured data to your home page. These steps help Google show the right facts about your place.

What is true now for restaurant websites

When people search for a business on Google Search or Maps, they may see a large box with details about it. Google calls this box a knowledge panel. When people search for a type of business, like "best NYC restaurants," they may see a carousel. A carousel is a row of businesses you can scroll through. This comes from Google Search Central.

Google also finds some facts on its own. Its systems look for public information on the web, such as your site name, contact details and social profiles. That is explained in Google's guide on business details. So Google may already show something about your restaurant. The real question is whether it is complete and correct.

There is one limit to know. Google says the Restaurant carousel is limited to a small set of restaurant providers. If you want to take part, Google asks you to register your interest in a form.

Three tools, in plain words

• Google Business Profile. This is your business listing on Google Maps and Search. After you verify that you are the owner, you can add or edit your address, contact info, business type and photos.
• Search Console. This is a Google tool for website owners. Google says verifying your site here is the first step to set it up as your official presence. After that, you can watch how Google shows your site.
• Structured data. This is a standard format that describes a page in a way computers can read. Google calls it a way to give "explicit clues" about what a page means.

If you are verified as an official representative, Google says you can update your knowledge panel. Your changes can override the facts Google found on its own.

What to tell Google on your website

Google's Local Business guide says structured data can tell Google about business hours, departments within a business, and more. Google's Organization guide adds more detail. Here are the main points:

• Pick the most specific type. For a restaurant or a physical store, Google recommends the most specific type of LocalBusiness. Google's own example uses a restaurant.
• Put it in one place. Google recommends your home page or one page about your business, such as your About page. You do not need it on every page.
• Give your full address. Include the street address, the state, and the country. Use the two-letter country code, such as US.
• Give a phone number. Include the country code and the area code.
• Give a main email address. Add this at the LocalBusiness level first. Then you can list other ways to reach you.
• Add your hours. Google's examples show weekday and weekend hours. If you leave out start and end dates, Google treats the hours as valid all year.

Google says there are no required fields for Organization data. Instead, it suggests adding as many fields as fit your business. For addresses, Google says more details give a higher quality result for users.

Booking a table or ordering food

Many restaurants want guests to book or order right from Google. Google says this uses a separate tool called the Maps Booking API. An API is a way for two computer systems to talk to each other. Google says it can turn on bookings, payments and other actions in Search results.

Steps you can take this week

1. Search for your restaurant on Google Search and Maps. Write down anything missing or wrong.
2. Claim and verify your Google Business Profile. Check your address, phone, business type and photos.
3. Verify your website in Search Console.
4. Ask your web person to add LocalBusiness structured data to your home page or About page. Use the most specific type for a restaurant. Include hours, address, phone and email.
5. Test the code before it goes live. Google's guides give an overview of how to build, test and release structured data.
6. If your knowledge panel is still wrong, wait at least one week after Google last crawled your marked-up page. "Crawled" means Google's system visited the page. Then click the Feedback link at the bottom of the knowledge panel.
7. If you want a spot in the Restaurant carousel, register your interest with Google's form.

How I can help

AppWT has built 600+ websites, by its own count. AppWT has a core team of 7. AppWT is practicing since 1997 and operating as AppWT since 2005. AppWT is based in Livonia, Michigan. I offer Local SEO and Google Business Profile Management, starting price $897/mo.

Have a question about anything here? Email me at sales@appwt.com or call (888) 565-0171, and I will answer it.

Sources

• Local Business (LocalBusiness) Structured Data | Google Search Central | Documentation | Google for Developers, Google Search Central
• Add Business Details to Google | Google Search Central | Documentation | Google for Developers, Google Search Central
• Organization Schema Markup | Google Search Central | Documentation | Google for Developers, developers.google.com
• Local SEO and Google Business Profile Management at AppWT, AppWT