Key takeaways
- Publish the menu as text on a web page, not only as a PDF or photo.
- Fill in the Business Profile menu editor: changes take 24 to 48 hours to show.
- Mark up the restaurant with Restaurant schema and hasMenu.
- Keep hours, holiday hours and the booking link correct every week.
Why should the menu be an HTML page?
Because guests search for dishes, dietary options and prices, and text on a page can be read, searched and quoted. A menu that only exists as a PDF or a photo is harder to read on a phone and harder to update. Keep one HTML menu page, with sections, descriptions and prices, and link to it everywhere.
How do you set up the menu on Google?
Food and drink businesses can use the Business Profile menu editor to add sections, items, descriptions and prices. Google says changes can take 24 to 48 hours to appear. Add the menu URL in the business information too, and keep both in sync whenever dishes or prices change.
Details are in Google's help page on the menu editor. Combine it with the checks in our Business Profile audit checklist: categories, hours, attributes and photos.
Structured data for restaurants
Use the Restaurant type with hasMenu pointing to the menu page, or a structured Menu with sections and items. Address, phone, hours, price range and the reservation URL all belong in the markup, matching what the page shows. The LocalBusiness schema guide covers the shared properties.
What content actually helps a restaurant?
Content that answers a diner's next question: dishes with photos, dietary options, private dining and events, parking, kids' policies and how to book. Seasonal menus and special nights give a reason to update the site and the profile. Long articles about food trends rarely bring guests to the table.
Reviews and photos
Recent photos and reviews help prominence, one of the three factors Google names for local ranking. Ask guests on the receipt or by QR code, but never offer a free dessert for a review, which Google's Maps policy bans. Restaurant programs are part of white label restaurant SEO within our white label SEO services.
Frequently asked questions
Is a PDF menu bad for SEO?
It is not banned, but an HTML menu is easier to read on phones, to search and to update. Keep the PDF as an extra if needed.
How fast do Google menu changes appear?
Google says 24 to 48 hours for changes made in the Business Profile menu editor.
Can a restaurant reward guests for reviews?
No. Google's Maps policy bans offering discounts or free items in exchange for reviews.
Which schema should a restaurant use?
Restaurant, with hasMenu linking to the menu and the same address, hours and phone as the page.
Should restaurants blog?
Only about things guests act on: events, seasonal menus, private dining and news.
About the author
Juan José Giraldo is a senior SEO specialist with 5+ years of experience. He works on technical and local SEO for 600+ US car dealerships and supervises the SEO of 18 US e-commerce stores. He runs White Label SEO LATAM from Medellín, Colombia, and delivers white label SEO for agencies in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Read more · LinkedIn.