Why Local SEO is Important for Caterers

Where do people head to first when they are looking for a caterer? That’s right — the internet. According to Forbes, 70% of businesses get most of their online website traffic by appearing on the first page of results. Do a quick test: search for “catering near me” or include your city in the search query. Does your catering business appear on the first page of results? This could be the missing link to making your catering business explode, so keep reading to find exactly how you can get on that first page.

Caterer Local SEO

Just like any other business, caterers need a strong marketing strategy and you should plan to include local search engine optimization in that strategy. Luckily, there are several easy (and free) ways to optimize your online presence in order to gain more customers. Set some time aside to work on your SEO efforts because it truly will make a difference. 

If you do not have the time to work on your SEO efforts, SEO Design Chicago offers caterer marketing services. We have worked with catering businesses based in Chicago as well as across the country to provide advertising and consulting services as well as digital marketing strategies and best practices. We can create the best plan for you and your catering business and services to succeed.

In this article we will discuss what local search engine optimization for caterers is, why it is so important, and some of the best local search engine optimization techniques.

catering business seo

Local SEO for Caterers

So what exactly are SEO and local SEO? SEO, or search engine optimization, is the marketing technique of improving the quality and quantity of the traffic sent to your catering website from search engines. More importantly, it is getting traffic from free and organic search results, so you don’t have to spend money doing it! This will help increase your rankings on the search engine result page (SERP) so that your website appears to more people.

Local SEO is the same idea as SEO, but with a location-based target attached to it. It is focused on a specific geographical area with boundaries for your SEO catering efforts. It uses optimization, link building, content creation, and more to find customers who search for your services or who just want more information. This is great for smaller, local businesses that are trying to reach a localized audience. It is also useful for a bigger business that might have a good standing with their audience on a more widespread angle, but want to target the locals. With a wider audience, you can become number one on the search engine’s list of best catering companies.

With local SEO, the search query might look something like, “catering company near me,” or “best catering company within 10 miles of…” Those keywords are what make it local SEO, because it is narrowed down to a certain proximity.

No matter what size your business is, SEO Design Chicago can help with your catering business’s rankings on the search engine result page so its visibility to potential customers goes up. 

catering service

Why Caterers Should You Use Local SEO

Now that we know what local SEO is, that leaves one question: why is it important for your website’s search engine rankings?

First of all, local SEO is important because if you are based in San Antonio, you do not want to be advertising to people in El Paso. They are not your target audience. Local SEO helps narrow that audience down so you can save time and money on marketing plans. 

Local SEO for catering is designed specifically to increase the likelihood that your catering company will be found by customers who use the same keywords throughout their research process.

Google has strict protocols on how it ranks websites on the search engine result page, so by using local SEO for catering, your catering business will have the best chance of being on the search engine result page. In turn, this helps boost your website’s relevancy and quality while also increasing traffic to your website as well as sales and conversions.

Remember, only one website can be at that first spot for any one search query on the search engine result page. Plus, only a handful more are on the entire first page. The closer to the top your company is on the search engine page, the more reliable customers perceive it to be. Your business’s credibility and reputation will be more trustworthy. That number one spot will receive more traffic and thus more sales from customers than any other spot.

seo for caterers

Best Local SEO Techniques for Caterers

We explained what local SEO is and why it is important for your catering business rankings. Now, we will go over some local SEO best practices to get your catering website to that number one spot on the search engine result page!

Catering Keywords 

Keywords may not seem like much they are imperative to succeeding with your local SEO efforts! Catering keywords are important because when Google sends it web crawlers to comb through websites that relate to a user’s search query, it will look for these keywords in your catering website content or Google My Business profile. If it contains a keyword, Google will tag it and index it, and present it to the user on the search engine result page. The more keywords that match the search query, the higher up Google will display your website.

A good place to start is with keyword research and identifying the phrases and words people will use to find your catering business online. You will want to rank for keywords like “catering near me” and “catering + [name of your city or town.]” 

Once you have those keywords chosen, you can incorporate them throughout your catering website’s pages in the titles, meta descriptions, headings, and body paragraphs. 

It is also worth noting that you should opt for natural keyword usage in your website and content when it comes to marketing for a chiropractic business. Google will penalize a website that crams too many keywords in one spot.

Web Design and Development

Don’t disregard the web design and development of your catering website — the user experience on your website is just as important as the services you offer and most definitely contributes to your SEO results. A potential customer will leave your website if it takes longer than a few seconds to load. That’s why it’s essential to make sure your catering website’s web design and development is the best it can be.

Web development includes optimization as well. You want to make sure your website is responsive. Make sure it is optimized for mobile because most people conduct local searches on their phone. If your catering website is not optimized for mobile, it will looky funky when someone looks at it on their phone. 

Web design is often forgot about when people are creating a marketing plan but it is just as important as everything else! You want your website layout to make sense and look attractive, whether that’s the actual color scheme you use or the relevancy of the menu options. Include the name of your business or logo somewhere near the top of the pages where people can easily spot it — it is the face of your business after all. 

catering near me

Original Content

Don’t take content from other caterers. Doing so will damage your reputation and your Google search engine ranking. The best local SEO strategy is to write your own original content to distinguish your catering business from others. Content can include any of the following:

  • Blog posts
  • Links
  • Photos and videos
  • Infographics
  • Customer reviews or testimonials

Make sure to choose content that is relevant to your catering business. Photos and videos are the perfect place to start. Also, content is where you are going to include a lot of your catering keywords, but remember, don’t overuse them and space them out evenly as best you can.

Google My Business

Every caterer needs a Google Business Profile. Formerly called Google My Business, it is great because it allows you to tie together all the previous best local SEO practices. Google My Business is a profile you can create on the search engine for your catering business. Within the profile, you can include:

  • Business name
  • Website link
  • Physical address of business
  • Hours of operation
  • Contact information (phone number, email, etc.)
  • Business category
  • Specific catering services
  • Photos and reviews

Just make sure to follow Google My Business best practices, or have an expert optimize your profile for you.

why local seo is important for caterers

Local SEO for Caterers at SEO Design Chicago

Now that you have the basics on how to utilize local SEO for caterers, you can put it to good use to bring in more customers and gain website traffic and conversion! 

SEO Design Chicago offers local SEO services for caterers. We will do all the work for you so you can continue expanding your business and treating people to some amazing food and delicacies.

SEO Design Chicago has worked with catering clients in Chicago and across the country providing marketing, consulting, and digital strategy services. You don’t want to miss out! Plus, we work with clients in cities like San Antonio, Denver, and Seattle. No matter where you are located, SEO Design Chicago can help your catering business boost its SEO ranking!

FAQ:

  • What is local SEO for caterers?
  • What are good keywords for caterers?
  • Which is the best agency for local catering SEO?
  • Why is local SEO important for caterers?
  • What are the best local SEO strategies for caterers?

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