Start with the five things a hungry phone searcher checks
Most people searching for food are on a phone, often standing somewhere, often hungry. BrightLocal's 2026 local SEO statistics show 73% of local searches start on a mobile device, and 46% of consumers say they always or often add 'near me' to a search. They also trust Google (66%) and Google Maps (45%) more than a business website (36%).
That means your Google Business Profile does the first job. Your website backs it up with the details that do not fit in a profile. Build both around the same five questions.
- Are you open right now, and until when?
- What does the food look like?
- How much does it cost?
- Can I order, call or get directions in one tap?
- How far away are you, and is there parking?
Hours, including holidays and the late-night window
Set your regular hours first and choose 'Open with main hours.' Google only shows special hours when your profile is set this way. Special hours cover short changes, up to 6 days in a row, for holidays, events or anything unusual like a family emergency or a kitchen repair.
Google recommends confirming your hours for official holidays even when they are the same as usual. On listed holidays, a warning can appear on your profile telling people your hours might differ. Confirming them removes the doubt.
If parts of your business keep different hours, use 'More hours.' Google offers separate hours for delivery, takeout, drive-through and pickup. Picture a taqueria in Hayward where the dining room closes at 9 but the walk-up window serves until midnight. Without 'More hours,' late-night customers see 'closed' and keep driving.
- Confirm Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day before they arrive.
- Add days that matter to your customers, like Super Bowl Sunday or Dia de los Muertos, if your hours change.
- Set 'More hours' for the window, the truck or the catering pickup counter if they differ from the dining room.
- Put one person in charge of hours changes so nobody forgets.
Menu and ordering links
Google gives food businesses three ways to show a menu: the structured menu editor, a link to a menu page, or menu photos. Use the editor. It lets you group items into sections like appetizers, mains and desserts, and it is what feeds the menu clicks Google counts as a top restaurant metric. A photo of the board is better than nothing, but it is not the same.
Menu changes can take 24 to 48 hours to appear on Maps and Search, so do not panic when a new price does not show right away. If Google shows an old price, it is often pulling from a second source like a delivery app. Open the Menu tab and choose your preferred menu source.
For ordering, you can add third-party providers and your own custom ordering link, set a preferred provider, and remove providers you no longer use. Availability varies by region, so check what your profile offers. If you can, put your own link first.
Many taquerias have a menu that is only on a wall board or only in Spanish. Type it into the editor in the language most of your Google searchers use, and keep the full bilingual version on your website. Then add that web page as your menu link. Whatever you publish, post the real price a customer pays at the counter.
- Enter your best-selling items first, with a photo of each.
- Match prices on the profile, the website and the wall board.
- Set a preferred menu source and a preferred ordering link.
- Check the menu once a month, since other sources can appear again.
Photos and attributes
Google's photo specs are simple: JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB, 720 by 720 pixels recommended, 250 by 250 minimum. Photos should be in focus, well lit, and free of heavy filters or AI edits. Google says the image should represent reality. A clean phone photo in daylight meets every one of these. You do not need a photographer.
Google's restaurant guide asks for the exterior, the interior and the overall dining experience. The exterior helps people find the door. The interior tells them if it is a quick counter or a sit-down place. Food photos answer the second question on every hungry person's list.
Attributes are the short labels on your profile, such as dine-in, takeout and delivery. Google's setup guide puts them in the same step as photos and menu. Turn on every one that is true for you and leave off anything that is not. A wrong attribute brings the wrong customer, and then a bad review.
- The front of the building from the sidewalk, with the sign readable.
- The counter or dining room during a normal shift.
- Your five best plates, shot from above on a plain table.
- The salsa bar, the drinks case, the parking lot if you have one.
- Replace the set a few times a year so the profile looks alive.
Reviews: ask everyone, reply to all, never pay
Reviews are not optional. BrightLocal's 2026 consumer review survey found 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses and 41% always do. 47% will not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews, and 74% only pay attention to reviews from the last three months. So you need a steady trickle, not a one-time push.
Replies matter as much as stars. 89% of consumers expect owners to respond, 81% expect it within a week, and 42% are unlikely to use a business that ignores its reviews. Generic copy-paste replies make half of consumers less likely to choose you. Write a short real reply in the language the reviewer used. Two sentences is enough.
Never trade anything for a review. Google's review policy prohibits money, discounts, gifts or other benefits in exchange for a review, including to change one. A free agua fresca for five stars is a violation. A card on the table that says 'How did we do?' with a QR code is fine. The FTC's Rule on Consumer Reviews and Testimonials goes further. It bans fake reviews, bans suppressing negative reviews, and requires disclosure when employees or insiders post reviews. The FTC can seek civil penalties. Asking only happy customers and hiding the rest is a risk under this rule.
- Ask every customer the same way, at the register or on the receipt.
- Reply to every review within a week, good or bad.
- Report a review that is clearly about another business, then reply calmly. You cannot delete it yourself.
- Do not have staff or relatives post as customers.
Posts, Q&A and the website
Google Posts are for offers, updates and events. There is no evidence that Google penalizes you for skipping a day. Post when you have something real: a new item, a holiday special, a catering menu, a closure. A post with a photo and a date beats a daily post that says nothing.
The Q&A section is public, and anyone can answer. Ask and answer your own common questions, such as parking, whether you take cards, or how to order for a party. If a stranger answered wrong, post the correct answer.
Your profile answers the quick questions. Your website holds what does not fit: the full bilingual menu, a catering form, photos of the room, directions and parking. Link the website from the profile and the profile from the website. Test both on your own phone on cell data, not shop Wi-Fi.
Two old tips to ignore. Do not add words like 'best tacos' or your city to your business name on Google. The name rules require your real-world name, and stuffing it is a common cause of suspension. And do not look for the old Google My Business app. You now manage the profile directly from Google Search or Maps while signed in.
- Post monthly at minimum, and always for holidays and specials.
- Answer your own top five questions in Q&A.
- Keep name, address and phone identical on the profile and the website.