Podcast

The invisible pizza brand: Making customers 'see' you online

While invisibility may be a coveted capability in fantasy films, it can be a death sentence for great pizza brands that just don't show up on the web. Use these ideas to bring your brand into the light of day online.

Photo: iStock compilation

February 26, 2020

Each day, Google processes more than 3.5 billion searches, and among that hefty quantity are an equally hefty percentage of consumer searches for a place to eat. In fact, this search is performed more often than those for hotels, retailers or entertainment. 

As a result, web searches are increasingly playing a pivotal role in informing dining decisions. The question then becomes, "How does your brand cut through the 'noise' to rise to the top of the pile of search results, and then really stand out?"

The answer is a short one: SEO — as in search engine optimization. If a pizza brand's leaders want it to emerge at the top of the heap, it must be easy for diners to find it and SEO is the master key. 

Simply put, SEO is all about optimizing your information so it appears higher in search results. Think about every time someone searches for something on Google: Most will typically only actually look at the first page of results. 

In fact, according to Shopify, more than 70% of consumers actually click on a link in that initial page of results. The second page and beyond are rarely even loaded onto the screen. 

But although SEO is key to your pizzeria's success, operators really need to look mostly at local search engine optimization, as opposed to that on a national level. That's because local searches are the ones that actually seek restaurant address, hours and direction instructions that your most likely customers — those in the surrounding community — need to know before they go. 

So then, how does your brand and its restaurant locations land high on that potential diner's search results page? Here are a handful of ways to make that happen. 

Begin at the beginning: Get on Google 

Before you look anywhere else, you need to confirm you are listed on Google. Use the tool, Google My Business (GMB), to ensure you are set up for success. Signing up is a fairly simple process. Google will verify you are the owner of the business and once they do that, you are able to take control of your information on Google. 

Don't forget to NAP 

The three most important letters to your local search ranking are NAP, as in Name, Address, Phone number. Ensuring search engines can easily find basic and current information about your business is crucial in local SEO. 

Google pulls information from your website, as well as other sites around the web, to rank mentions of your NAP, based on consistency and quantity. This means that you have to do more than register with Google, you must get your information out to more sites. A few places to start on this key task include online directories, like the Yellow Pages, and social media profiles, such as a Facebook page. 

The do's of reviews

While Google may be the primary superhighway for your web presence, reviews are like the flashy red sports car that attracts all the attention. In fact, slightly more than half of consumers, ages 18-54, say they "always" read online reviews of local businesses. 

Not only are consumers reading online reviews, but they are also using them to make decisions about where to eat pizza. The quantity and quality of a restaurant's online reviews play a major role in search visibility. 

As a result, it's critical that operators take time to read and reply to reviews posted on social media channels like Facebook, Yelp or Foursquare. And not just the positive reviews, either. Make sure you respond promptly and thoroughly to negative reviews, as well, since this shows your brand values feedback. Better still, it shows search engines that you engage with customers. 

Get 'outside' a little 

No matter how much you optimize your own site, it's also still important to generate so-called "backlinks" on other sites and sources that point back to your brand's own website. In fact, the more of these "external links," your brand has, the easier it is for a search engine to find you. 

Backlinks also lend an element of authority to your site because, after all, if other businesses are linking to your pizzeria's website, there's a strong sense that your brand executes on its promise and does so very well. So, consider working with community organizations to get them to include your site in their own directories, thus generating the backlinks that raise your brand's online prominence. 

Reel them in

Once you start pulling in restaurant searchers, you can begin the process of converting them into paying customers. That means your website must be mobile-friendly and/or accessible by an app, since consumers primarily search and investigate brands on mobile devices and quite often want to place orders the same way. 

Consider implementing an online ordering system to avoid the fees that delivery apps charge per order. Not only does online ordering meet customers' demands today, but it also allows you to collect relevant information about your customers, potential customers and their behavior, providing the insights needed to launch targeted campaigns. 

There's a plethora of information out there on the SEO subject, but instead of going down that "rabbit hole," focus on these beginning steps and you'll make great strides in giving your pizza brand a greater and more prominent web presence with customers and those waiting to discover what your brand is creating.