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Ensuring local diners can find you easily
If you’re running a restaurant in Edmonton and wondering how to get more diners in Edmonton, local SEO should be at the top of your to-do list. Local search engine optimization (SEO) helps your restaurant appear when people search for terms like “best restaurants in Edmonton” or “restaurants near me.” By optimizing your website for local SEO, you’re basically putting up a neon sign online, saying, “Hey, we’re here, and you’re going to love what we offer!” Let’s walk through some of the ways you can fine-tune your website to bring in those hungry diners.
First things first — make sure your Google My Business (GMB) listing is claimed, complete, and accurate. This is often the first thing potential diners see when searching for a place to eat, so it needs to be on point. Make sure your restaurant’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across your website and GMB. Add your hours of operation, website link, and any special attributes like “offers delivery” or “pet-friendly patio.”
Adding high-quality photos of your food, dining space, and even your team can make your restaurant look more inviting. Photos do wonders when people are scrolling and trying to decide where to eat. Plus, encourage your happy customers to leave positive reviews. Reviews directly impact your local ranking and play a huge role in persuading potential diners to choose your restaurant over another.
Local keywords are a big part of how your website ranks higher on search engines like Google. By including terms like “Edmonton restaurant,” “best burgers in Edmonton,” or even more specific phrases like “vegan options downtown Edmonton,” you’re helping search engines know exactly what your restaurant offers and where it’s located. These keywords should be naturally included in your homepage, about page, and menu descriptions. Just be careful not to overstuff them — the content still needs to flow naturally.
If your restaurant serves different neighborhoods in Edmonton, be sure to include those areas in your content as well. Whether you’re in Whyte Ave, Jasper Avenue, or Mill Woods, mentioning these local hotspots gives search engines more context and shows customers you’re the go-to spot in their area. Don’t forget to sprinkle local keywords in your meta titles, meta descriptions, and image alt texts too. These might seem like small details, but they pack a punch when it comes to SEO.
You know as well as I do — most of us are glued to our phones. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your restaurant’s website looks just as good on mobile as it does on a desktop. Google actually prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in its rankings, so if your site is difficult to navigate on a phone, you could be missing out on a lot of traffic.
To ensure your website is mobile-optimized, check that the layout adjusts well to different screen sizes, the text is easy to read, and that users don’t have to pinch or zoom to view images or menus. Quick-loading pages are a must too. No one wants to wait for a slow website to load, especially when they’re hungry and looking for dinner! Fast, responsive websites are rewarded by Google, meaning you’ll likely see more traffic — and more diners walking through your door.
Another great way to optimize your website for local SEO is by building backlinks from other trusted local websites. A backlink is essentially when another site links to yours, which signals to search engines that your website is credible and worth ranking higher. For Edmonton restaurants, you can reach out to local bloggers, food critics, or community websites to see if they’d be interested in featuring your restaurant or linking to your content.
For example, if your restaurant participates in local events, has a charitable cause, or simply serves up some of the best food in town, let local publications know! Being featured in “Best of Edmonton” lists or partnering with local influencers for reviews can get you some solid backlinks. Not only do these backlinks help your SEO, but they also expose your restaurant to a wider audience that might not have found you otherwise.
If your restaurant has more than one location in Edmonton or surrounding areas, creating separate location pages on your website is a must. Each page should be optimized with specific local keywords for that particular area. For example, you could have one page dedicated to your downtown location and another for your south-side spot. These pages should include the NAP details, unique offers, and any neighborhood-specific information like parking or delivery options.
By doing this, you’re giving search engines more specific pages to rank, helping customers find the exact location that’s closest to them. Plus, you can include customer testimonials or local reviews that apply to each location, adding credibility and helping convince more diners to choose your restaurant.
Optimizing your website for local SEO is a must for any Edmonton restaurant looking to grow its online presence and attract more diners. By taking these simple but effective steps, you’ll make sure your restaurant gets seen by the right people — those who are searching for a great place to eat in your area. So go ahead, update that GMB listing, sprinkle those local keywords, and watch the diners roll in!
Creating posts that Edmonton foodies love to share.
In the world of digital marketing, creating content that people want to share is like striking gold. For restaurants in Edmonton, shareable content can be a powerful tool to attract more diners, build an online community, and ultimately grow your business. Whether it’s a drool-worthy food photo, a quirky behind-the-scenes video, or a fun customer testimonial, shareable content has the potential to spread like wildfire across social media. In this section, we’ll explore how you can craft content that not only resonates with your audience but also encourages them to hit the “share” button.
First things first, to create shareable content, you need to know who you’re creating it for. What do your customers love? What kind of content do they already engage with on social media? Spend some time observing what your current diners post, like, and share. Whether it’s trendy food photos, fun restaurant experiences, or even memes, understanding your audience’s preferences helps you create content they’ll want to pass on to their friends.
For example, if you run a cozy café in Whyte Avenue that attracts university students, fun and quirky content might be the way to go. Think about creating memes that playfully tie in with student life or showcasing the “best study spots” in your café. On the other hand, if your restaurant caters to families, heartwarming content like family meal specials or kid-friendly promotions could encourage sharing within those circles. By tapping into what matters to your audience, you’re one step closer to crafting content that gets shared.
Let’s be honest, food is one of the most shareable things out there. Who doesn’t love a good food pic? Visual content, especially on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, is the bread and butter of any restaurant’s social media presence. Beautiful, high-quality photos of your dishes, colorful drinks, or even the interior of your restaurant can make people stop scrolling and take notice. And when it looks too good to keep to themselves, they’re going to share it.
If you want to get more diners in Edmonton, focus on creating visuals that make your restaurant stand out. Capture your signature dishes at their best, and don’t forget to highlight the little details that make your restaurant unique — whether it’s the artistic latte art in your coffees, the creative plating of your meals, or the cozy ambiance of your dining space. Videos also work wonders! A short clip of your chef preparing a favorite dish or a time-lapse of a busy dinner service can get your followers excited to visit.
Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to get creative with Instagram Stories or TikTok. These platforms are built for short, fun, and engaging content. Throw in some music, filters, and effects to make your visuals even more entertaining!
One of the easiest ways to craft shareable content is by letting your customers do it for you. User-generated content (UGC) is gold for restaurants because it’s authentic, relatable, and, best of all, free! Encourage your diners to snap photos of their meals, share their experiences, and tag your restaurant. The more customers share their own photos, the more exposure your restaurant gets without you lifting a finger.
You can make it even easier by creating a specific hashtag for your restaurant, such as #EdmontonEatsAt[YourRestaurantName]. Promote this hashtag on your menus, website, and social media profiles to give diners a clear call to action. Hosting a photo contest or giveaway can also motivate customers to share their experiences. For example, ask diners to post a picture of their favorite dish and tag your restaurant for a chance to win a free meal or dessert. Not only does this drive engagement, but it also provides you with fresh content to repost on your own feed.
When you share customer photos or videos, it builds a sense of community and makes people feel more connected to your brand. Plus, when others see real diners enjoying their meals at your restaurant, it acts as social proof — showing potential customers that your restaurant is worth checking out.
To truly create shareable content, you need to offer value. People love sharing posts that they find helpful, interesting, or fun. For a restaurant, valuable content could range from how-to guides and recipes to behind-the-scenes glimpses of your team in action. For example, you could create short videos on how to recreate one of your signature dishes at home or give tips on how to pair wines with your menu items. Not only does this provide useful information, but it also positions your restaurant as an expert in the industry.
Another great idea is to share local recommendations. As an Edmonton restaurant, you’re part of a larger community, so why not showcase other local businesses or events happening in the city? Creating blog posts or social media shoutouts about “the best things to do near our restaurant” or “local events this weekend” adds value to your followers’ feeds and gives them even more reasons to share your content.
The more interactive your content is, the more likely people are to share it. Think polls, quizzes, and fun questions that your audience can’t help but engage with. Asking your followers to vote on their favorite dish or dessert on your Instagram Story, or to guess the secret ingredient in a new special, gets people talking. It’s lighthearted and gives your audience a chance to participate — and we all know people love sharing their opinions online!
Interactive content also works well when introducing new items to your menu. You could create a “vote for our next dessert special” poll or ask customers to suggest flavors for a new drink. When people feel like they’ve contributed, they’re more likely to share their excitement about it with friends.
Creating shareable content is one of the most effective ways to grow your online presence and get more diners in Edmonton. By focusing on your audience’s preferences, leveraging visuals, encouraging user-generated content, offering value, and keeping things fun and interactive, you can create a buzz around your restaurant that spreads beyond your immediate reach. So go ahead, craft those shareable posts and watch your diner count grow!
Getting your message to the right audience
When it comes to getting more diners in Edmonton, running paid social media ads is a game-changer. Organic content is great, but sometimes you need a little boost to reach more people, especially if you’re in a competitive restaurant scene. The good news is that platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer powerful advertising options that let you target the right audience for your restaurant. In this section, we’ll dive into how you can create and run paid social ads that actually bring more diners to your tables.
Before you start spending money on ads, you need to know exactly who you’re targeting. Are you looking to attract local foodies? Families looking for a weekend brunch spot? Or maybe tourists exploring downtown Edmonton? Defining your target audience is key to running effective ads. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram let you get really specific with your targeting options. You can choose who sees your ads based on factors like location, age, interests, and even behavior.
For instance, if you run a vegan restaurant in Edmonton, you can create an ad that specifically targets people within a 10-mile radius who have shown interest in plant-based diets or local vegan groups. On top of defining your audience, it’s important to set clear goals for your ads. Do you want to increase foot traffic during lunch hours? Promote a new menu item? Or maybe drive more takeout orders? Having a goal in mind helps you create ads with a specific purpose, and it makes it easier to measure your success.
Once you’ve nailed down your audience, it’s time to grab their attention with engaging ad copy and visuals. Your ads need to stand out in a busy feed full of cat videos and vacation photos, so make sure they’re visually appealing and instantly recognizable. For restaurants, mouth-watering images of your dishes are a surefire way to get people’s attention. Whether it’s a perfectly stacked burger, a refreshing cocktail, or a cozy dining setup, high-quality photos (or videos) can make someone stop and click.
When it comes to ad copy, keep it short, sweet, and irresistible. Highlight what makes your restaurant unique and why people should visit right now. If you’re promoting a limited-time offer, like “20% off weekend brunch,” make sure that offer is front and center. Adding a sense of urgency or exclusivity can push people to take action. Pair this with a simple call to action, like “Reserve your table now!” or “Order online today,” to guide them through the next steps.
Don’t forget to A/B test your ads, either. This simply means running different versions of your ad to see which one performs better. Maybe one version has a bright, vibrant image of your food, while the other shows a cozy shot of your restaurant’s interior. Testing different elements like images, copy, and calls-to-action can help you figure out what resonates most with your audience.
Sometimes, people see your ad, think about it for a second, and then move on. But that doesn’t mean they’re not interested. This is where retargeting comes in handy. Retargeting ads allow you to reach people who have already interacted with your website or social media, reminding them about your restaurant and encouraging them to come back.
For example, if someone visits your website but doesn’t make a reservation, you can run a retargeting ad that shows up in their Facebook or Instagram feed a few days later. The ad might say something like, “Still craving that delicious pizza? Reserve your table now!” This gentle nudge can make all the difference in getting them to return and finally make that reservation.
You can also retarget people who have interacted with your social media posts or watched your videos. It’s an effective way to keep your restaurant top of mind for potential diners, especially when they’re weighing their dining options in Edmonton. Plus, retargeting ads often come with a lower cost per click, meaning you’re getting more bang for your buck.
Running effective paid social ads isn’t a one-and-done deal. To make sure you’re getting the most out of your investment, you need to track your ad performance and make adjustments as needed. Most social media platforms provide detailed insights into how your ads are performing — everything from how many people saw your ad to how many clicked on it and, most importantly, whether they converted (i.e., made a reservation, ordered takeout, or visited your website).
If an ad is performing well, consider boosting it to reach even more people. If it’s not performing as expected, tweak your targeting, copy, or visuals and try again. It’s all about finding the right combination that resonates with your audience. Over time, you’ll learn what works best for your restaurant and be able to run more cost-effective ads that deliver real results.
Remember, the key to effective paid social ads is to keep experimenting and learning. What works for one campaign might not work for another, and that’s okay. The beauty of paid social advertising is that you have the flexibility to test, optimize, and refine your approach until you hit the sweet spot. And once you do, you’ll see a steady stream of new diners walking through your doors.
Paid social ads are a fantastic way to boost your restaurant’s visibility and get more diners in Edmonton. By defining your audience, crafting compelling ads, using retargeting, and optimizing your campaigns, you can turn a small advertising budget into a big payoff. So, get creative, run those ads, and watch your restaurant fill up with happy diners!
Using data to understand what content works best.
When it comes to growing your restaurant’s online presence, it’s not just about posting mouth-watering photos or catchy videos. To really understand what works and how to get more diners in Edmonton, you need to dive into social media metrics. These numbers tell the real story behind your posts and help you adjust your strategy for better results. But don’t worry — analyzing social media metrics isn’t as intimidating as it sounds! Let’s break it down into a few easy-to-understand steps.
The first step in analyzing your social media performance is knowing which metrics actually matter. Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok offer tons of data, but not all of it is relevant to your restaurant. It’s easy to get distracted by vanity metrics like the number of followers or likes on a post. While those numbers might give you a confidence boost, they don’t necessarily mean more diners are walking through your doors.
Instead, focus on metrics that align with your goals. If your aim is to get more diners, look at engagement rates, website clicks, and conversions. Engagement rates (likes, comments, shares) show how much people are interacting with your content, while website clicks can give you an idea of how many people are interested enough to learn more about your restaurant. If you’re running ads, you can even track how many people actually make reservations or place an order after seeing them. These numbers tell you whether your social media strategy is driving real results or if you need to switch things up.
Likes are nice, but comments and shares are where the real magic happens. Engagement is a powerful metric that gives you insight into how much people are connecting with your content. If your posts are getting lots of comments and shares, it’s a good sign that your audience is not only enjoying your content but also feeling compelled to engage with it — and even tell others about it. This type of organic sharing can help spread the word about your restaurant to new people, without you spending a dime on advertising.
To boost engagement, ask your audience fun, interactive questions. For example, post a poll asking, “Which dish should be our next special?” or “What’s your favorite brunch spot in Edmonton?” By encouraging people to comment, you’re fostering a community around your restaurant and giving them a reason to return to your page. If you notice that certain types of posts (like behind-the-scenes kitchen videos or customer shoutouts) are getting higher engagement, that’s a clear signal to create more of that content. On the flip side, if a certain post type falls flat, don’t be afraid to tweak your approach.
Reach and impressions might sound like technical terms, but they’re pretty simple once you break them down. Reach refers to the number of unique people who saw your post, while impressions measure how many times your content was displayed, whether or not it was clicked. Both of these metrics are essential when figuring out how many eyes are actually on your restaurant’s content.
If you’re trying to get more diners in Edmonton, tracking reach can help you understand how well you’re doing at getting your name out there. A higher reach means your content is spreading to a broader audience, which is exactly what you want. Impressions, on the other hand, show whether people are seeing your posts multiple times, which can be a good thing! Sometimes, it takes more than one exposure for someone to decide to check out your restaurant. But if your impressions are high and your engagement is low, it might mean people are seeing your posts but not interacting with them. That’s your cue to re-evaluate your content and make it more engaging or relevant.
While likes and comments are great for boosting your social media presence, website clicks and conversions are the metrics that truly show whether your efforts are translating into more diners. Website clicks measure how many people visited your website directly from your social media posts or ads. This is especially important for restaurants that offer online reservations or takeout orders. If people are clicking through to your site but not making a reservation, it might be time to tweak your landing page or make the reservation process easier.
Conversion tracking is another key metric to watch, especially if you’re running paid ads on Facebook or Instagram. A “conversion” could be anything from someone making a reservation to ordering delivery, depending on your goals. Platforms like Facebook Ads Manager even let you track specific actions, so you can see how many people saw your ad, clicked through, and completed a purchase. This level of detail is super useful for understanding which campaigns are working and which need improvement.
One way to boost conversions is by creating targeted ads for specific events or promotions. For example, if you’re hosting a weekend brunch special, create an ad that directs people to your reservation page. By tracking conversions, you’ll know exactly how many diners you gained from that promotion — and whether it’s worth running again in the future.
Now that you’re tracking the right metrics, it’s time to use that data to refine your strategy. Social media isn’t a “set it and forget it” kind of deal. The more you analyze your metrics, the better you’ll understand what content resonates with your audience and what doesn’t. Maybe you notice that your cocktail photos get double the engagement compared to your food posts. Or maybe your TikTok videos are bringing in more website clicks than Instagram posts. Use these insights to guide your future content.
For example, if you’re seeing high engagement on posts that showcase customer testimonials or local collaborations, you might want to focus more on community-driven content. On the other hand, if you find that video content is performing better than static images, you could lean into creating more reels, TikToks, or behind-the-scenes footage. It’s all about finding what works best for your restaurant and doubling down on those strengths.
Analyzing social media metrics may seem like a daunting task at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s an invaluable tool in your digital marketing toolkit. By keeping an eye on key metrics like engagement, reach, and website clicks, you’ll get a clearer picture of what’s working and how you can get more diners in Edmonton. So go ahead, dig into those numbers, tweak your strategy, and watch your restaurant’s online presence grow!