Mastering Restaurant Pay-Per-Click Advertising

“In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is failing. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.”

– Paul Barron, Restaurant Marketing Expert

Introduction

Consumers in today’s digital age increasingly rely on internet resources as their primary means of gathering data and making choices. Because of this, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising has become an effective way for restaurants to improve their profile, attract more diners, and stand out in this competitive industry.

With the steady rise of online ordering and digital browsing habits, mastering restaurant PPC advertising has become not just advantageous, but crucial. A well-executed PPC campaign helps restaurants reach potential customers at the exact moment they’re searching online for dining options, driving relevant traffic to the restaurant’s website, and ultimately converting these website visitors into customers.

By leveraging this powerful marketing strategy, restaurants can optimize their ad spend, enhance their online presence, and ultimately, drive more traffic to their venues. But what does it take to master restaurant PPC advertising? This comprehensive guide will walk you through the key facets of restaurant PPC advertising and why it’s crucial for your marketing arsenal.

What is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising?

Restaurants can promote themselves online utilizing search engines and social media employing pay-per-click (PPC) advertising without paying until a potential customer clicks on their ad. The “Pay-Per-Click” approach for these ads means the advertiser only pays when a user clicks on the ad.

The objective of PPC advertising is to lead the person viewing it to click through to the advertiser’s website or app, where that visitor can complete a valuable action, such as making a reservation or ordering food.

The core idea behind PPC is to reach potential customers who are actively looking for what you offer, but rather than trying to improve your website’s organic ranking with search engine optimization (SEO) tactics (which can be time-consuming and uncertain), you essentially pay for a prominent spot on search results or a targeted social media feed.

Let’s say you own a restaurant in San Francisco, California, and you want to attract more customers. You might set up a PPC campaign with a search engine like Google. You choose specific keywords related to your business, such as “best Italian restaurant in San Francisco”. Your ad can show up first in the search engine results page (SERP) when someone searches for such terms. A price is charged per click on your ad that results in a user visiting your website.

Your PPC campaign’s cost per click (CPC) depends on the number of advertisers competing for the same keyword and the quality and relevance of your ad and website.

The beauty of PPC advertising is that you can start seeing results very quickly. It’s also very measurable and controllable – you can set a budget for how much you want to spend, and sophisticated tracking tools let you see exactly what you’re getting for your money, such as how many people click your ads.

Key Elements of PPC Advertising

Pay-per-click advertising has various components that contribute to campaign success. For the finest outcomes, it is essential to give these factors serious thought and optimization.

1. Keywords

Keywords are the words and phrases that advertisers bid on. They’re chosen based on what potential customers might use when searching for a product or service. For restaurants, this could be terms like “Italian restaurant in [city]” or “best pizza near me”. Keyword research tools, such as Google Keyword Planner, can help identify high-volume, relevant keywords.

2. Ad Copy

The ad copy is the text of the PPC ad itself. Ads must be engaging, useful, and convincing to earn clicks. The ad copy should include the target keyword, highlight unique selling points, and include a clear call to action (CTA), such as “Book a table now” or “Order online”.

3. Landing Pages

A landing page is the webpage a user lands on after clicking on a PPC ad. This page should align with the ad’s promise and offer a seamless user experience. It should be easy to navigate, have clear and relevant content, and include a strong call to action.

4. Quality Score

Quality Score is a metric used by Google Ads that influences your ad rank and cost per click (CPC). It’s based on factors like the relevance and quality of your ad and landing page, and your historical Google Ads account performance. A higher Quality Score can lead to higher ad placements and lower costs.

5. Ad Extensions

Ad extensions provide additional information and increase the visibility of your ads. They include things like location extensions (which show your restaurant’s address), call extensions (which add a phone number or call button to your ad), and sitelink extensions (which add additional links to your ad, leading to different pages on your website).

6. Geo-Targeting

Geo-targeting allows you to target your ads at users in a specific location. This is of utmost significance for local companies like restaurants that cater to a certain community.

7. Conversion Tracking

Conversion tracking involves setting up tracking codes to measure the actions users take after clicking on your ad. Reservations, purchases, and newsletter subscriptions all fall within this category. Tracking these conversions allows you to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns and calculate your return on investment.

8. Bid Strategy

Your bid strategy determines how you’ll bid in the ad auction. You could choose to focus on maximizing clicks, maximizing conversions, or targeting a specific position on the search results page. Your bid strategy should align with your overall campaign goals.

Each of these elements plays a vital role in a successful PPC advertising campaign. They each require careful planning, testing, and optimization to drive the best possible results.

Role of PPC Advertising on Increasing Restaurant’s Visibility

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising can improve a restaurant’s exposure in several ways. Let’s delve into the specifics of how this digital marketing approach can enhance a restaurant’s presence and attract more customers.

1. Instant Visibility on Search Engines

One of the main advantages of PPC advertising is its ability to provide instant visibility on search engines. Pay-per-click (PPC) ads can boost your restaurant’s search rankings immediately, unlike SEO, which might take months. This means that your restaurant can get immediate exposure to a large audience of users who are actively searching for dining options.

2. Targeted Local Advertising

PPC platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads allow you to target your ads at users in a specific location. This is particularly valuable for restaurants, which typically serve customers in a specific geographic area. 

With geo-targeting, your restaurant’s advertisements will only be shown to customers in close proximity who are likely to dine there. This increases your visibility among the most relevant audience: local diners.

3. Enhanced Visibility Through Ad Extensions

PPC ads can be enhanced with various ad extensions that provide additional information and make your ads more prominent in search results. 

For example, location extensions can show your restaurant’s address and a map marker alongside your ad, making it easy for potential customers to see where you’re located. Call extensions can add a phone number or call button to your ad, encouraging potential customers to make a reservation.

4. Increased Visibility on Mobile

While out and about, many people search for restaurants on their phones. PPC ads can be optimized for mobile devices, ensuring that they look great and perform well on small screens. 

Mobile PPC ads can also include features like click-to-call buttons, which make it easy for mobile users to contact your restaurant directly from the ad. This increases your visibility and accessibility among mobile users.

5. Visibility on Partner Websites

Through the use of Display Network advertising, a form of PPC advertising, your ads can appear on a wide range of partner websites. This increases your restaurant’s visibility beyond the search engine results page and helps to build brand awareness among a broader audience.

6. Remarketing

PPC platforms also offer remarketing (or retargeting) options, which allow you to serve ads to people who have previously visited your website. This can help keep your restaurant at the top of their mind and encourage them to return, increasing your visibility among an audience that has already shown an interest in your restaurant.

PPC advertising plays a crucial role in increasing a restaurant’s visibility. It allows restaurants to reach a wide audience quickly, target their ads to the most relevant users, and stay visible in an increasingly competitive online environment. With the right strategy, PPC advertising can help attract more customers and boost a restaurant’s bottom line.

Case Study: Subway

A global brand that has leveraged PPC advertising effectively is Subway. They have been known for their innovative and results-driven digital marketing campaigns. Subway’s PPC strategy has contributed significantly to its marketing success and bottom line.

• Geo-targeted Advertising: Subway uses geo-targeted ads to reach potential customers in specific locations. This means their ads are served to users who are in proximity to a Subway outlet, increasing the likelihood of physical visits.

• Day Parting: Subway tailors its PPC ads based on the time of day. For instance, they may promote breakfast subs in the morning and dinner specials in the evening, aligning with users’ dining preferences at different times.

• Mobile-First Approach: Recognizing the predominance of mobile searches, Subway optimizes their PPC ads for mobile devices, ensuring a seamless browsing experience for users on the go.

• Landing Page Optimization: Subway directs its PPC ad traffic to well-designed landing pages that offer clear and compelling calls to action, such as “Find a store” or “Order now.”

• Data Analysis: Subway uses data from its PPC campaigns to gain insights into customer behavior, preferences, and conversion patterns. This data is then used to refine and improve future PPC strategies.

The Benefits of Restaurant PPC Advertising

PPC advertising offers a multitude of benefits that can help restaurants thrive in a competitive marketplace. Let’s explore some of these advantages for your restaurant’s marketing strategy.

1. Immediate Visibility

Unlike SEO, which takes time to yield results, PPC can provide immediate visibility on search engines. Wordstream indicates that 46% of clicks go to the top three paid ads in search results.

2. Precise Targeting

PPC allows for targeted advertising based on keywords, location, device, and even time of day. This level of precision is advantageous for restaurants that wish to reach a specific demographic or market segment.

3. Measurable Results

With PPC, every click, impression, and conversion can be tracked. This helps restaurants measure their marketing ROI.

4. Cost Control

Restaurants can set a budget for their PPC campaigns and only pay when their ads are clicked. This is a cost-effective method of advertising, especially for smaller restaurants or those just starting with PPC.

5. Brand Visibility

Even when users don’t click on PPC ads, the exposure helps increase brand awareness. The restaurant industry, which relies heavily on patrons’ positive word of mouth, places great emphasis on this.

6. Increased Local Visibility

Local businesses make up 72.4% of PPC marketers, indicating its effectiveness for local marketing according to WebFX. Restaurants can significantly benefit from this, as they often depend on local customers.

7. Faster Results than SEO

While SEO is a long-term strategy, PPC can provide quick results, making it ideal for new restaurants looking to establish an online presence or for promoting time-sensitive offers.

8. Control Over Ad Scheduling

Restaurants can schedule PPC ads to run during peak times or when they’re likely to get maximum engagement.

9. High ROI

For every $1 spent on Google Ads, businesses make an average of $2 in revenue, suggesting a high ROI potential in PPC campaigns as shown by Google Economic Impact Report.

10. Increased Traffic and Sales

Well-optimized PPC campaigns can drive significant traffic to your website and increase sales. Unbounce notes that 50% of people arriving at a retailer’s site from paid ads are more likely to buy than those from organic links.

15 Best PPC Advertising Strategies for Restaurants

Unleashing the full potential of your restaurant’s PPC advertising starts with employing the right strategies. In this section, we’ll uncover 15 proven strategies to maximize your restaurant’s online visibility, attract more customers, and boost your return on investment.

1. Keyword Research and Selection

Start by identifying the most relevant and effective keywords for your restaurant. These should relate to your cuisine, location, unique selling points, and popular dishes. Find high-volume keywords with low competition using tools like Google’s Keyword Planner.

2. Geo-Targeting

Geo-targeting allows you to show your ads to customers in a specific location. For restaurants, targeting ads to local users can be particularly effective, since dining is often a local activity. You can even adjust your bids based on location to focus more on high-value areas.

3. Mobile Optimization

With more people using smartphones to find dining options, it’s crucial to optimize your PPC ads for mobile. Ensure your ads look good and function well on smaller screens, and consider using mobile-specific ad formats where available.

4. Ad Scheduling (Dayparting)

Ad scheduling, also known as dayparting, allows you to run your ads at specific times. You could run your ads during peak dining hours or when people are likely to be planning their meals.

5. Engaging Ad Copy

Your ad copy should be compelling and enticing. Highlight what makes your restaurant unique, whether that’s your gourmet menu, amazing ambiance, or great deals. Make sure your copy includes a strong call to action to encourage clicks.

6. Use of Ad Extensions

Ad extensions can provide additional information and increase the visibility of your ads. You can use location extensions to show your restaurant’s address, call extensions to encourage bookings, or sitelink extensions to direct users to specific pages on your website.

7. Landing Page Optimization

Your landing page should align with your ad copy and provide a seamless experience for users. It ought to accurately portray your restaurant, encourage customers to contact you, and get them to the information they seek with minimal effort.

8. Regular Testing and Optimization

Continually test and optimize your PPC campaigns for better performance. You can experiment with different keywords, ad copy, bidding strategies, and landing pages to see what works best.

9. Competitive Analysis

Analyze your competitors’ PPC strategies to identify any potential opportunities or gaps in your own strategy. Tools like SEMRush or SpyFu can help you see which keywords your competitors are targeting.

10. Use of Negative Keywords

Negative keywords can prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches, saving you money on wasted clicks. For example, a luxury restaurant might use “cheap” as a pejorative.

11. Remarketing

Remarketing allows you to show ads to people who have previously visited your website, helping you stay top of mind and encouraging them to return. You can even tailor your ads based on what they viewed during their last visit.

12. Tracking and Analytics

Use tools like Google Analytics to track the performance of your PPC campaigns. This can help you gain insight into user behavior and pinpoint potential problem areas.

13. Seasonal Campaigns

Tailor your PPC campaigns to different seasons or events. For instance, you could run a special campaign around holidays, or promote summer dishes during the warmer months.

14. Diversify Across Platforms

While Google Ads is the most popular PPC platform, adding Bing Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads to your ad budget will increase clicks and reach.

15. Monitor Industry Trends

Stay updated with the latest trends and changes in PPC advertising. Incorporating new features and best practices can help keep your advertising interesting and relevant.

Restaurant PPC Advertising Red Flags to Avoid

While PPC advertising can drive substantial results for your restaurant, there are pitfalls that can hamper your success. Here, we’ll reveal common PPC advertising red flags that could drain your marketing budget and provide practical solutions to dodge these potential setbacks.

1. Ignoring Mobile Optimization

With the majority of searches coming from mobile devices, ignoring mobile optimization could mean missing out on a significant chunk of potential customers. Make sure your ads, landing pages, and website are all mobile-friendly. Use mobile-specific ad formats where available, and consider the user experience on mobile devices when designing your campaigns.

2. Neglecting Local SEO

Local searches often drive the most relevant and high-converting traffic for restaurants. Ignoring local SEO could mean missing out on these potential customers. Make sure your PPC campaigns are geo-targeted to your location, and use location-specific keywords where relevant. Keep all of your restaurant’s internet profiles current and consistent.

3. Setting and Forgetting Your Campaigns

PPC advertising requires regular monitoring and optimization to ensure maximum performance. Your advertising budget could be wasted if you merely launch your campaign and then ignore it. Regularly review your campaign performance, and make adjustments as needed. Test different keywords, ad copy, and bidding strategies to see what works best.

4. Ignoring Negative Keywords

Without negative keywords, your ads could appear for irrelevant searches, wasting your budget on clicks that are unlikely to convert. Regularly review your search term reports and add irrelevant or ineffective terms to your negative keyword list.

5. Failing to Track Conversions

Without tracking conversions, you can’t evaluate your marketing or ROI. Set up conversion tracking for your campaigns, whether that’s tracking website orders, bookings, or calls to your restaurant. Review these metrics regularly to assess the effectiveness of your campaigns.

6. Overly Broad Targeting

If your targeting is too broad, you could end up serving ads to users who are unlikely to be interested in your restaurant, wasting your ad budget. Use precise targeting settings in your PPC campaigns, focusing on the demographics, locations, and behaviors that are most relevant to your restaurant.

7. Unattractive Ad Copy

If your ad copy isn’t engaging or enticing, users are unlikely to click on your ads. Spend time crafting compelling ad copy that highlights what makes your restaurant unique and includes a strong call to action. Test different versions of your ad copy to see what works best.

8. Sending Users to Irrelevant Pages

If your PPC ads send users to pages that aren’t relevant to their search or your ad, they’re likely to bounce without converting. Make sure each ad sends users to the most relevant page on your website. In many cases, this will be a specially designed landing page that matches the offer and messaging in your ad.

9. Ignoring the Competition

If you ignore what your competitors are doing in PPC, you could miss out on valuable strategies or risk being outperformed. Use competitive analysis tools to monitor your competitors’ PPC strategies, and learn from their successes and mistakes.

Step-By-Step Guide on Implementing PPC Advertising for Restaurants

A successful PPC advertising campaign can be launched with relatively little effort. We prepared a step-by-step guide to help your restaurant begin and perfect a pay-per-click advertising campaign.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Start by identifying what you hope to achieve with your PPC campaign. Are you looking to increase website traffic, online orders, bookings, or brand awareness? Having clear goals will help guide your PPC strategy and provide a benchmark for measuring success.

Step 2: Conduct Keyword Research

The next step is to select the best keywords for your restaurant. These should relate to your cuisine, location, unique selling points, and popular dishes. Find high-volume keywords with low competition using tools like Google’s Keyword Planner.

Step 3: Set Your Budget

Think about your PPC marketing budget. Remember, with PPC, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, so you have control over your advertising costs. Get started with a realistic budget, keeping in mind that you may always make adjustments as needed.

Step 4: Create Your Ads

Craft engaging and compelling ad copy that highlights what makes your restaurant unique. Your ad copy should include your target keyword, a compelling offer or call to action, and any relevant details like location or hours. You can create different ad variations to test which ones perform best.

Step 5: Set Up Geo-Targeting

In your PPC platform, set your ads to target users in your restaurant’s location. That way, you know your restaurant’s ads are reaching the folks most likely to dine there.

Step 6: Optimize for Mobile

Since many consumers search for restaurants on their phones, ads should be mobile-friendly. Make sure your ads and website provide a good user experience on mobile devices, and consider using mobile-specific ad formats where available.

Step 7: Set Up Ad Extensions

Ad extensions can provide additional information and increase the visibility of your ads. Consider using location extensions to show your restaurant’s address, call extensions to encourage bookings, or sitelink extensions to direct users to specific pages on your website.

Step 8: Design Your Landing Pages

A user’s click on your ad should take them to a landing page that is consistent with the ad language and easy to use. This website should be an accurate reflection of your restaurant, with an engaging CTA and straightforward navigation.

Step 9: Set Up Conversion Tracking

Set up conversion tracking to measure the success of your PPC campaign. This might involve tracking online orders, bookings, or calls made from your website. Regularly review these metrics to assess your campaign’s performance and ROI.

Step 10: Launch Your Campaign

When you’re satisfied with how your PPC campaign is set up, you may begin advertising. Monitor its performance closely in the initial days and weeks, and be prepared to make adjustments as needed.

Step 11: Regular Monitoring and Optimization

PPC advertising isn’t a set-and-forget strategy. Regularly monitor your campaign’s performance, and make adjustments to your keywords, ad copy, targeting, and bidding strategy as needed. You can get the most out of your advertising budget if you regularly test and tweak your strategy.

Step 12: Expand and Refine

As you gain more experience with PPC advertising and gather more data on what works for your restaurant, you can expand and refine your strategies. This might involve exploring new keywords, launching campaigns on additional PPC platforms, or testing new ad formats.

Remember, the key to a successful PPC campaign is continuous testing, monitoring, and optimization. Be patient, stay flexible, and keep learning to maximize your success.

How to Choose the Right Platform for Your Restaurant’s PPC Ads

For maximum ROI, your restaurant’s Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads must be on the right platform. Here’s a simple guide to making that decision:

1. Define Your Marketing Goals

Knowing your goals helps you choose the correct platform. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive more traffic to your website, increase online orders, or encourage more bookings? The goals you set will help determine which platform is best suited for your needs.

2. Identify Your Target Audience

Understand who your customers are and where they spend their time online. Are they using search engines like Google or Bing to find places to eat? Are they more likely to be on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram? Knowing where your audience is will help you choose the right platform.

3. Evaluate Each Platform’s Features

Each platform has different features and benefits. Google Ads is known for its extensive reach, Bing Ads can be less competitive, and social media platforms offer different types of engagement and demographic targeting options. Understand the strengths of each platform and how they align with your marketing goals.

4. Consider Your Budget

PPC advertising costs can vary widely from platform to platform. Research the average cost-per-click (CPC) for your industry on each platform. While a platform might seem ideal in terms of features and audience, it may not be feasible if it doesn’t fit within your budget.

5. Review Case Studies and Success Stories

Look at case studies or success stories from other restaurants that have used each platform. This can give you an idea of what kind of results you might expect and how different platforms have worked for businesses similar to yours.

6. Start Small and Test

If you’re unsure which platform to choose, consider starting small and testing different options. You could run similar campaigns on two different platforms and see which one performs better. This approach can provide valuable insights into which platform is most effective for your business.

7. Measure, Evaluate, and Optimize

Once you’ve chosen a platform and launched your campaign, it’s crucial to measure the results, evaluate the performance, and make necessary optimizations. Use the platform’s analytics tools to track key metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and return on ad spend (ROAS). This will help you refine your strategy over time.

Remember, choosing the right platform for your restaurant’s PPC ads is a strategic decision that should be based on your specific marketing goals, target audience, budget, and the unique features of each platform. By following this step-by-step guide, you can make an informed choice that helps drive the best possible results for your restaurant.

How to Tailor Seasonal Restaurant PPC Campaigns

Seasonal campaigns can be an excellent way for restaurants to drive more customers to their establishment. By aligning Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns with different seasons or events, you can create promotions that resonate with customers’ changing needs and preferences throughout the year. Here’s how you can effectively tailor your PPC campaigns to different seasons or events:

1. Understand Seasonal Trends

Identify the times of the year that are important for your restaurant. This could include traditional seasons, holidays, or events in your local community. Analyze historical sales data, if available, to identify peak periods and downturns in business.

2. Plan Your Campaigns in Advance

Timing is crucial for seasonal campaigns. You need to plan your campaigns in advance to ensure you’re ready to launch when customers start searching for seasonal dining options. Remember, it takes time to create your ads, choose your keywords, set your budget, and optimize your landing pages.

3. Choose Relevant Keywords

Your keyword strategy should align with each season or event. For example, during the summer, you might focus on keywords like “outdoor dining,” “summer cocktails,” or “best ice cream.” During the Christmas season, you might target keywords like “Christmas dinner reservations,” “holiday parties,” or “New Year’s Eve dinner.”

4. Create Seasonal Ad Copy

Your ad copy should reflect the season or event you’re targeting. Highlight special menu items, discounts, events, or any other seasonal features that your restaurant offers. Make sure your call-to-action aligns with your seasonal offering.

5. Design Landing Pages for Each Season/Event

Your landing page should match the promise of your ad. If your ad promotes a special summer menu, the landing page should highlight that menu with appealing images and compelling copy. The goal is to provide a seamless experience for users from the moment they click on your ad to the moment they make a reservation or order.

6. Optimize for Mobile

Many people use their mobile devices to search for restaurants, especially when they’re on the go during the holiday season or a local event. Ensure your ads and landing pages are optimized for mobile devices to provide the best user experience.

7. Track Your Results

Use conversion tracking to measure the success of your seasonal campaigns. This will help you understand which ads and keywords are most effective and will inform your strategy for future seasons.

8. Use Remarketing

Consider using remarketing to re-engage users who have visited your website during the seasonal period but didn’t make a reservation or order. They’re likely to be interested in your restaurant and may just need a little reminder.

By tailoring your PPC campaigns to different seasons or events, you can connect with customers’ seasonal needs and interests, making your restaurant the go-to choice for dining experiences all year round.

Summary Checklist of Action Plans

A great strategy is only as effective as its execution. To help you take your newfound knowledge and apply it effectively, here’s a summary checklist of action plans that will guide you in implementing your restaurant’s PPC advertising campaign for maximum impact.

• Research and select relevant keywords for your campaign.

• Define your target audience and set up precise targeting in your PPC campaign.

• Craft engaging and persuasive ad copy.

• Design an optimized landing page to maximize conversions.

• Set a reasonable budget for your PPC campaign.

• Monitor and adjust your campaign based on performance data.

• Implement a mobile-optimized PPC strategy.

• Schedule ads to run during peak hours or when you’re likely to get maximum engagement.

• Analyze the PPC strategies of your competitors to learn and improve.

• Regularly update your PPC strategy based on current trends and industry best practices.

Conclusion

In summary, mastering restaurant PPC advertising is no longer optional; it’s a must-have skill for restaurateurs, restaurant managers, and marketing professionals. In the face of rising competition and changing consumer behaviors, leveraging PPC advertising can ensure your restaurant stands out, attracts more customers, and achieves significant growth.

The sooner you start implementing and refining your PPC strategy, the sooner you’ll start reaping its benefits. Remember, in a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible. So, start making your restaurant visible today with a robust PPC advertising strategy.

READ ALSO: The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertising for Restaurants