5 Paid Advertising Tips for Ottawa Restaurants

For many consumers, a quick internet search is the first way they search for information about a product or service. For example, customers could search for “vegetarian restaurants in Ottawa” and use the organic page rankings or reviews to make a decision.

Knowing this, your restaurant can leverage paid advertising to increase sales. This is achieved through Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns. Using this strategy you can move your restaurant to the top result when a customer searches for certain keywords. You may be hesitant about running paid marketing campaigns if your restaurant operates on narrow margins, but PPC for restaurants is one of the most effective ways to reach out to potential customers, grow your presence online, and build your brand within your budget.

Advertising Ideas for Restaurants To Boost Their Business in Ottawa

Optimize for Mobile Devices

In 2016, 72% of queries on search engines related to beverage and food were done on mobile devices. When thinking about online advertising, restaurant owners should consider prioritizing smartphone users to enable them to arrive at a certain decision and take action. You should think about how your landing page appears on any type of screen, considering both aesthetic appearance and quick loading time to ensure mobile users can find what they need and order quickly.

Use Location-Based Keywords

When people in Ottawa search for online restaurants, they usually look for something close to where they live, work, or enjoy spending time. PPC ads for restaurants can use this information to your advantage by targeting location-based keywords. Examples of this include using words like Ottawa, ByWard Market, Westboro, and other region-specific keywords in your ad campaigns.

These detailed keywords are more efficient because they are less common than other searches and are likely to be seen by your target customers because of the specificity.

Implement Call Extensions in Your Ads

To enhance customer experiences and ease of use, there are several Google Ads extensions that you can take advantage of. A call extension is an important feature to consider, as it will display the phone number of your restaurant in Google searches. This in turn makes your contact information more accessible and contributes to driving more calls to your business.
This will make it easier for your customers to contact you about reservations, opening hours, or your menu. When viewed on a mobile device, this extension lets customers directly click on your number and call your store. As a restaurant owner, this feature will improve the quality and volume of calls to your business and increase the chances of profitable conversations.

Set a Geographic Area for Your Ad Targeting

Specifying the geographic area for your ad targeting helps you pre-qualify relevant groups of Google searchers. One of the greatest mistakes that marketers make when creating their restaurant’s Google Ads is not targeting the right audience group, but you can minimize this problem by driving traffic from searchers only within your restaurant’s geographic area. 

Having conversations with front-of-house staff and managers can help you learn your geographic reach by asking how far clients travel to your restaurant. Typically, diners generally don’t drive more than about 30–45 minutes to visit a restaurant. Unless there is a big event happening, customers like to look for restaurants in their area. You can use this information to help you target ads at people who are likely to visit your restaurant on the basis of physical proximity.

Schedule Your Ads According to Operating Hours

Setting your ad schedule so that your ads are displayed only on the days of the week that your store is open or most busy is a cost-effective strategy. Scheduling ads during hours or on days your business is closed can result in wasted resources, since it costs your business money that will likely not generate immediate benefits.

Optimize Your PPC Ad Campaigns for Your Ottawa-Based Restaurant

Search engines have become an increasingly vital factor in helping people pick their favorite restaurants to visit. Your restaurant’s visibility on search engines can make a significant difference in whether a customer chooses your restaurant. PPC ads for restaurants efficiently attract customers, and enhance your visibility and ROI. If you haven’t invested in PPC ads yet, consider this your sign to give it a try!