Restaurant Menus on Google Maps

Google for Restaurants May 26, 2023

Search results on Google Maps have become more and more important for restaurants who want to be found in "near me" searches. The guest experience begins with their first interaction with your brand, and often that happens during their search experience.

84% of diners research online menus before choosing where to eat, 44% of Google searches are on desktop, and 42% of users click on the Google Maps nearby results when searching locally. — Search behavior shows that diners are looking for menus before they choose a place to eat, and are using Google Maps as a research source for local searches. Data sources: https://www.touchbistro.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/DinerReport2022_Final.pdf https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/desktop-mobile-tablet/united-states-of-america

Up until now (May of 2023), Google Maps' menus tab only appeared on mobile searches. Meaning restaurants with menus in their Google Business Profile weren't seen by nearly half of the diners using Google Maps to research local "near me" dining options.

We're happy to report that the Google Maps menus tab is now available on both mobile AND desktop! We at Marqii been on our menu management soapbox for years, so we feel prepared to explain why this is important.

When 84% of the US population wants to find a place to eat, they're likely to open up either their computer or phone, type in "<food they're craving> in my city," and scroll through the options to check out menus. Restaurants who have an up-to-date menu on their Google Business Profile have an advantage – diners can select a nearby restaurant on Google Maps and take a look through the menu in just two clicks.

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Now diners searching on both desktop and mobile can view menus for restaurants in Google Maps in just two clicks.

Menus are even broken into categories, so potential guests can scroll through appetizers, desserts, the wine list...whatever you choose to input into your GBP knowledge card.

Breads Bakery's Google Maps menus are broken into categories like "Coffee and Tea," "Eats," and "Brunch."

The next step for restaurants is to make sure their online menus are always up-to-date. A guest who researches your menu on Google Maps then arrives to find that menu item is no longer available is not beginning with a great guest experience.

You can of course do these uploads manually, and make updating menus on Google Business Profile part of your menu change process. OR you can use Marqii to link all your online menus – including the ones on Google – directly to your POS. That means when you update a menu item, change a price, or add a special in your POS, it will automatically update across the internet.

To learn more about how Marqii can automate your menu management and improve your guest experience, set up a time to chat with us at marqii.com.