One of the key items listed on any good restaurant website is the menu. But would it shock you to know that the format for the menu matters?

Read on as our team at Pl8ted – your source for restaurant web design and menu management software – shares a few key insights on how to best share your menu on your website:

PDF vs. Website Integration

One of the biggest mistakes we see in restaurant advertising is that restaurants are notorious for simply uploading a PDF of the current menu and calling it good. This seems fine – and efficient! – to most, but as an advertising agency, we see this as a huge mistake! Why? Because you are missing out on valuable opportunities for website integration and search engine optimization. Instead, you should make sure to use an actual page of your website and enter in the entire menu vs. a PDF that cannot be viewed or classified by Google. 

Why Does it Matter If Search Engines Can View My Menu?

Okay – so you might be thinking, “why does it even matter if search engines can view my menu? They can see the rest of my menu, and that’s good enough for me!” We get it. Here are 3 reasons why it’s just not smart marketing:

1.    Search Engines Love Sites with Depth

Search engines tend to favor sites that have more pages over those that are bare bones. This means that if your menus are on PDFs, you are missing valuable opportunities to allow for added richness to your site, which in turn, gets you ranked higher in search engines. 

2.    Search Engines Can Search Specific Menu Items

If someone types in “cheeseburger,” Google actually takes into account restaurant search results that have this item on their menu. The search engines can cross-reference the search request with your menu and direct people there – or rank you higher because they see it listed – but if it’s in PDF format, they simply won’t know to look for it. 

3.    Menu Search is Hot

As a restaurant, you know how important having a menu online is to your guests. In fact, research shows that when someone is searching your restaurant, 75% look up the menu! And for mobile users, technology and functionality are key. Most restaurant searches happen on mobile devices when potential guests are looking for restaurants nearby, want to see menus, or need to order takeout. These statistics continue to climb, so when we’re evaluating search and Facebook advertising for restaurants in Dallas, we must take into account mobile users and how they use your restaurant websites. 

Need Website Help?

You’ve come to the right place! At Pl8ted, we specialize in restaurant advertising including website design, social media marketing, menu management systems, search engine optimization, lead generation, reputation management, and more. Give us a call today for a consultation and learn more about how we can help your restaurant thrive.