10 terms
Local SEO
Local SEOThe practice of getting a physical business to show up in Google's local search results when nearby customers search for what you sell.Read definition
Local PackThe block of three map-based business listings Google shows at the top of local search results, also called the 3-pack or Map Pack.Read definition
NAP ConsistencyMaking sure your business Name, Address, and Phone number appear identically everywhere they show up online.Read definition
CitationsMentions of your restaurant's name, address, and phone number on other websites — directories, review sites, social profiles, local guides.Read definition
Local SEO AuditA structured review of every signal Google uses to rank a local business — GBP completeness, citations, reviews, on-page SEO, and technical setup.Read definition
Proximity SignalsHow physically close your restaurant is to the searcher — the single strongest factor in Local Pack ranking for high-intent queries.Read definition
Relevance SignalsHow clearly your business looks like the right answer for a particular query — driven by category, name, description, menu, and on-site content.Read definition
Prominence SignalsHow well-known and well-reviewed your business looks to Google — review volume, review quality, brand mentions, links, and citation breadth.Read definition
Local Pack RankingWhere your business appears in the three-result Local Pack for a given query — position 1, 2, 3, or off the pack entirely.Read definition
Geographic ModifierA location word added to a search query — "near me", "in chelsea", "downtown phoenix" — that signals local intent to Google.Read definition
8 terms
Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile (GBP)The free Google-owned listing that controls how your restaurant shows up in Google Search and Google Maps.Read definition
GBP Categories (primary vs secondary)The taxonomy Google uses to classify your restaurant — one primary category (the most important ranking signal) and up to nine secondary ones.Read definition
GBP AttributesYes/no flags and tags on a Google Business Profile — outdoor seating, takeout, vegan options, wheelchair accessible, accepts reservations, and dozens more.Read definition
GBP PostsShort timely updates — offers, events, new menu items, news — that appear on your Google Business Profile and influence ranking by signaling activity.Read definition
GBP PhotosThe images on your Google Business Profile — exterior, interior, food, team, menu — that drive both ranking signals and click-through from search.Read definition
GBP Q&AThe public question-and-answer thread on a Google Business Profile, where anyone can ask and anyone — including you — can answer.Read definition
Review Reply RateThe percentage of customer reviews you have publicly responded to — a tracked metric in most local SEO platforms and a visible quality signal to customers.Read definition
Review VelocityThe rate at which a business gets new reviews — typically measured in reviews per week or per month — and a strong prominence signal in local search.Read definition
6 terms
Restaurant marketing
Menu EngineeringThe discipline of designing a menu — items, prices, layout — to maximize profit per cover, using sales data and contribution margin per item.Read definition
Food Cost PercentageThe cost of food ingredients as a percentage of food revenue — typically 28-35% for a healthy full-service restaurant, sometimes 25-30% for fast-casual.Read definition
Contribution MarginRevenue minus variable cost on an item — what each unit sold contributes to covering fixed costs and profit.Read definition
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)The total cost — paid ads, agency fees, software, time — divided by the number of new customers acquired in a period.Read definition
Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)The total profit a single customer generates across their relationship with the restaurant — visits times average ticket times margin.Read definition
Average Ticket SizeThe average amount spent per check or per cover — a core unit-economics metric and a leading indicator of menu and upsell performance.Read definition
4 terms
Operations
Direct OrdersOrders placed through a restaurant's own website, app, or phone — bypassing third-party delivery platforms and their commissions.Read definition
Third-Party Delivery CommissionThe percentage of each order that DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and similar platforms keep — typically 15-30%, depending on tier and market.Read definition
POS IntegrationConnecting your point-of-sale system to other tools — online ordering, delivery, loyalty, accounting — so orders and data flow without manual rekeying.Read definition
Kitchen Display System (KDS)A digital screen in the kitchen that shows incoming orders — replacing paper tickets and integrating directly with the POS and online ordering.Read definition
2 terms
Data and structured content
Schema MarkupStructured data tags on a website (typically JSON-LD) that tell Google explicitly what the page is — a Restaurant, a Menu, a MenuItem, an Event.Read definition
Core Web VitalsGoogle's three measurable scores for real-world page performance: Largest Contentful Paint (loading), Interaction to Next Paint (responsiveness), Cumulative Layout Shift (stability).Read definition
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