Making dough with Diane: December 2012

The pizza business is a very competitive one. Type “pizza” into your
Google search bar and you will probably see hundreds of millions of
results. So how can you get your pizza operation to appear on the first
page of a search? To accomplish that feat, you need to create an online
presence.

The pizza business is a very competitive one. Type “pizza” into your
Google search bar and you will probably see hundreds of millions of
results. So how can you get your pizza operation to appear on the first
page of a search? To accomplish that feat, you need to create an online
presence.

Today, your website needs to offer much more than just an
address, phone number and menu. It needs to engage your visitors, and
get them to visit your website over and over again. Your website also
needs to have proper search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to
improve in search engine rankings.

SEO is a must for all businesses today. Here are some tips to improve yours.

1. Good keywords
Good
SEO starts with your keywords. Research the most important keywords and
phrases that relate to your pizza operation by asking your customer
what keywords they would use to search, studying your competitors’
websites, or using a keyword research tool. Include these relevant
keywords in your homepage, your title tag and the rest of your content.
Make sure you mention your location (city, town, province) repeatedly.
 
2. Update often
One
of the key things that search engines look for is whether or not a
website is constantly changing. Make sure you update your website on a
regular basis (once a week at a minimum). Update new photos of your
pizza or other products, promote your specials, upload videos, or start a
blog. All the movement on your website will help you move up in the
search rankings.

3. Build reciprocal links
Another way to
increase your SEO is by building more reciprocal links to and from your
website. Work with all the local non-competitive businesses in your area
to help increase the number of links leading to and from your website.
You can also get your suppliers to do reciprocal links.

4. Provide value-added content
Yes,
your website should provide important information like location,
operating hours, your menu and a map. But you should also provide
value-added content like recipes or how-to videos. Offer recommendations
for wines that pair well with your pizza. Develop a series to entice
your customers to visit your website on a weekly basis.

5. Use social media
Social
media will help you increase your search rankings significantly, but
make sure that you research which social media tools would work best for
your pizza operation. Certain social networks may not be very
effective, depending on the demographics of your operation’s customer
base.

6. Make your website attractive
Convey the personality of
your pizza operation through your website via colour, text, graphics,
videos, games, design and content. Your website should be like your
storefront – it should draw potential customers inside to try your
products.

7. Build relationships with customers
Make your
website a place where you can interact with your customers. Allow
customers to order pizza or make reservations online, have them sign up
for a newsletter, allow them to post their comments on a comment board –
the possibilities are endless. Whatever you choose, make your website
interactive.

Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping restaurant, foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 30 years. Her company provides innovative and revenue-increasing foodservice and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns, and much more. Contact her at 416-926-1338, toll-free at 1-888-926-6655 or chiasson@chiassonconsultants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com.