Updated 3/15/2022: Menufy’s has discontinued Google Ads management and migrated to HungerRush360 Marketing.

Your restaurant knows how to make delicious food. You also know how to provide superior customer service. The hard part is figuring out how to reach customers and encouraging them to place online orders. 

This is where Google Ads steps in.

"Google Ads are a great way to reach potential new customers in your area, increase site traffic, and brand your restaurant," explained Chloe Helling, a Menufy digital marketing specialist. 

If you feel intimidated by this form of advertising, we're about to break it down for you.

What are Google Ads?

Google Ads is an online advertising tool that helps businesses connect with their customers. 

"Think of Google Ads as digital real estate. Creating an ad for your restaurant is like investing in a lucrative plot of land," suggested Marcus Walker, digital marketing and client service lead at Menufy.

You can create online ads to reach people exactly when they're interested in your restaurant or cuisine through this tool. 

There are several varieties of ad formats:

• Text

• Responsive

• Image

• App promotion

• Video

• Product Shopping

• Call-Only 
  

You can choose the ad format where your ad appears, set a budget that's comfortable for you, and easily measure the impact of your ad.

Then Google delivers your ads to your target audience on its platforms, such as Google Maps and Google Search. When 93% of US consumers are searching online for a local business, you may want to consider getting your restaurant in on the action.

How Do They Work?

Internet users conduct 3-4 Google searches every single day, according to Single Grain. That translates to a tremendous amount of online traffic. Taking advantage of Google Ads would tap into this pool of potential customers.

Depending on your restaurant's advertising goal, there are different ways to bid for your ads, such as clicks, impressions, conversions. By selecting one of these bidding methods, advertisers only pay when their ad produces the desired result.

Bidding Types & Use Examples:

• Cost-Per-Click (CPC): drive customers to your restaurant's website

• Cost-Per-Thousand Viewable Impressions (vCPM): share a business update/promotion with a large audience

• Cost-Per-Action (CPA): encourage customers to click your "order now" link
  

Restaurateurs will then select keywords to target customer searches. A good keyword would be anything your patron might search for online, such as cuisine, location, or specific menu items.

Google weighs the relevancy of keywords when deciding your ad's position. The keywords you choose should match the searcher's intent as much as possible. Your ad will be matched with search queries based on the keywords you selected.

But, are they pricey?

When it comes to Google Ads, the amount you bid determines your ad’s position compared to similar ads. Just like an auction, the highest bid wins and receives the top spot. 

In crowded markets, such as insurance agencies, the competition for the keywords and ad placement can drive up the price per click. However, the restaurant industry is fairly unsaturated. 

Yes, your restaurant will be bidding against other restaurants. But competition is relatively low for various target keywords associated with your business, such as "spaghetti near me" or "best crab legs."

The less-crowded restaurant market means lower per click pricing, averaging less than $2 per click. 

As a restaurant operator, pricing is important and can make or break your profit margin. With Google Ads, you can set a maximum daily budget and pause your ad at any point. 

Can Google Ads Help My Restaurant?

"Google Ads are a great idea for new restaurants or restaurants that have just created a Google listing to reach people. Sometimes it can take a while to gain momentum on Google when you are just starting out. This is a great way to jump start that,"  suggested Chloe Helling.

Advertising with Google helps your restaurant in many ways: 

• Easily direct more traffic to your website 

• Receive more online orders

• Drive more foot traffic to your store 

• Increase email sign-ups

• Appear higher in search rankings

• Increase brand recognition

Paid ads are one of the best ways to enhance online visibility for your business, leading to more online orders. In the past, restaurants could rely on nearby foot traffic, newspaper ads, and other print media to help boost restaurant awareness.

Tips from the pros

Menufy's digital marketing experts have used Google Ads to help hundreds of restaurant clients connect with more customers. They suggested a few pro tips that will get your restaurant started.

"I would suggest restaurants use their $100 promotional advertising credit from Google Business Profile," suggested Chloe Helling.

"First, restaurants need to understand the core of their business and build advertising goals around that," advised Andy Lowder, Menufy’s business development director.

"What good are your ads if you don't know how successful they are? Restaurant operators should use Google Analytics to see how much website traffic or online orders are coming from your ads. Menufy clients can link their Google Analytics directly to their manager portal, making it even easier to track revenue and online orders," explained Nikki Finley, a Menufy digital marketing specialist. 

Conclusion 

Google Ads connects the right message to the right people at the right time. 

“Ads allow restaurants to target specific geographies and demographics. That way, you can put your brand in front of people in your area," suggested Lowder.

Menufy’s premium marketing service, HungerRush 360 Marketing, features automated text campaigns designed to jumpstart your restaurant’s brand visibility. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Dimmitt, Marketing Communications Coordinator

Melissa began her digital marketing career nearly a decade ago at a restaurant group. She worked with restaurant managers and executive chefs while coordinating seasonal menu releases, executing photoshoots, and creating fresh digital content.