Manchester Restaurant SEO: Get More Table Bookings
How Manchester's top restaurants fill tables without paying 20%+ commission to Just Eat and Deliveroo. Rank higher on Google, get found by diners, and take direct bookings.
Why Manchester Restaurants Need SEO
Manchester has over 2,400 restaurants competing for diners. Just Eat and Deliveroo charge 15-35% per order. Google receives 3.2 million restaurant searches in Manchester monthly. Yet most restaurants don't appear on page 1.
High-Intent Manchester Restaurant Keywords
People searching for restaurants want to book NOW. Target these high-conversion keywords:
- "restaurants in Northern Quarter Manchester" - 2,100/mo
- "restaurants Deansgate" - 1,800/mo
- "restaurants near me Manchester" - 6,600/mo
- "best restaurants Spinningfields" - 890/mo
- "Manchester city centre restaurants" - 4,400/mo
- "Italian restaurant Manchester" - 5,400/mo
- "best steakhouse Manchester" - 1,600/mo
- "Indian restaurant Manchester" - 8,100/mo
- "vegan restaurants Manchester" - 2,900/mo
- "Thai food Manchester" - 3,600/mo
Intent-Based Keywords Convert Better
"Book table Manchester" and "restaurant reservations Manchester" have lower search volume but 3x higher conversion rates than generic searches.
Rank in Google's "Top 3" Restaurant Pack
When someone searches "restaurants near me", Google shows 3 local results with photos, reviews, and booking buttons. Here's how to get in:
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Complete Every Field
Menu, opening hours, price range (£-£££), cuisine type, attributes (outdoor seating, wheelchair access)
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Get 100+ Google Reviews
Restaurants with 100+ reviews rank 4x higher. Ask diners: "Please leave us a Google review, not just TripAdvisor"
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Upload Food Photos Weekly
Restaurants with 100+ photos get 520% more calls. Show dishes, interior, and happy diners
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Use Google Reservations
Integrate OpenTable or similar to let diners book directly from Google
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Post Weekly Updates
New menu items, special events, happy hour deals - keeps your listing fresh
Restaurant Website SEO That Converts
Your website needs to outrank Just Eat and convince diners to book direct:
Don't use PDF menus - Google can't read them properly. Use HTML text instead:
✅ Good:
HTML menu with text descriptions that Google can index
❌ Bad:
PDF menu or menu as image only
Include dish names, ingredients, and prices. This helps you rank for "best [dish] in Manchester" searches.
- Compress all food photos (use TinyPNG)
- Page should load in under 2 seconds on mobile
- 46% of diners abandon sites that load slowly
- Test with PageSpeed Insights
- 89% of restaurant searches happen on mobile
- Make phone number clickable (tap to call)
- Booking button visible without scrolling
- Address links directly to Google Maps
Manchester Restaurant Link Building
Links from local Manchester sites boost your rankings significantly:
- Manchester Evening News - Food reviews
- Manchester Confidentials - Restaurant coverage
- Manchester Wire - Food blog
- The Manc - Viral food content
- Manchester Food & Drink Festival
- Invite local food bloggers for reviews
- Sponsor Manchester United or City events
- Get listed on VisitManchester.com
- Partner with nearby hotels/theatres
- Create "Best Manchester Restaurants" guides
Schema Markup for Restaurants
Add Restaurant Schema to show star ratings, opening hours, and price range directly in Google search results:
Review Stars in Search Results
Show your 4.7★ rating directly in Google - increases click-through by 35%
Opening Hours Display
Searchers see "Open until 11pm" without clicking through
Menu Item Rich Results
Your signature dishes can appear in Google Image search
The Challenge
Independent Italian restaurant competing against 47 other Italian places in Manchester. Relied on Deliveroo (28% commission) and walk-ins. Website ranked on page 5.
The Strategy
- Rebuilt menu as searchable HTML with detailed dish descriptions
- Built content hub: "Ultimate Northern Quarter Food Guide"
- Optimized Google Business with 200+ photos and weekly posts
- Got featured in Manchester Evening News and Confidentials
The Results (14 Months)
Ready to Fill More Tables?
We've helped 18+ Manchester restaurants reduce platform dependency and increase direct bookings. Get a free SEO audit and see how we can help your restaurant.