Restaurant SEO Keywords List That Bring in Diner and Increase Online Orders

Article Last Updated:
May 6, 2025

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Today, when someone searches for “brunch cafe in Nashville”, “best date night restaurants in Chicago”, or “order Mexican food near me”, they’re not browsing casually; they’re ready to eat, visit, or order. That’s why local restaurant keyword optimization has become a critical growth lever for restaurant websites, GBPs, and paid ad campaigns.

This guide will assist:

• Independent restaurant owners who want more foot traffic and reservations
• Café managers trying to stand out in competitive downtown areas
• Hospitality marketers managing visibility across multiple locations

We’ve created this list based on real data—from Forki’s in-house performance testing, successful SEO/PPC campaigns run for U.S.-based restaurants, and our continuous keyword audits across various cuisine types, service styles, and locations.

The goal?

To give you a ready-to-use keyword list that’s grouped by intent and marketing channel (SEO & PPC), so that you can start ranking or bidding on terms that bring in new customers.

100 High-Intent SEO & PPC Keywords for Restaurants (Grouped by Category)

These 100 keywords are strategically grouped to help restaurant owners, marketers, and hospitality businesses plan content, run ads, and optimize their presence for maximum visibility and conversions in organic search and paid campaigns. 

Each category reflects real search behavior from diners and potential customers across the U.S.

⚠️ These 100 keywords are just a sample of what you can work with. Your restaurant’s real potential lies in finding keywords tailored to your location, audience, and offerings.

👉 To unlock the full list and identify what can move the needle for your business, contact Forki for a personalized keyword strategy.

Why Choosing the Right Restaurant Keywords Matters?

For restaurants, where most searchers are ready to act quickly; whether to book a table, order delivery, or just find somewhere nearby, keyword strategy directly increases foot traffic, reservations, and online orders.

Queries Impact Real-World Outcomes

Every time someone searches for “brunch near me” or “best tacos in Tampa,” they’re showing clear intent to make a decision soon. When your restaurant shows up in those moments, it translates directly to more filled tables and online orders.

This isn’t theory; it’s backed by data and trends we see across Forki client campaigns. Optimized restaurant websites and GBP listings that target local and service-based terms consistently attract more engagement. 

For instance, with 69% of restaurant operators now having a website (2025 State of Restaurants Report), visibility depends more than ever on whether you’re targeting the terms your future customers are using.

Keyword Role in SEO & Paid Campaigns

The keywords you target power both organic and paid visibility. In restaurant SEO, they help your website and GBP appear in organic search results, map packs, and even voice search queries. On the paid side, the same or similar keywords guide your Google Ads, ensuring your budget goes toward high-intent diners.

For example, a keyword like “private dining restaurant downtown LA” may have low search volume, but it’s extremely high intent—and we often see it driving conversions in both organic and PPC campaigns for Forki clients.

SEO Keywords vs. PPC Keywords – Where They Overlap

SEO Keywords tend to be broader and informational, used for long-term visibility, for example:

• “best sushi in Seattle”
• “family-friendly restaurants near me”
• “gluten-free pizza options Dallas”

PPC Keywords often focus on more immediate, commercial intent, for example:

• “book rooftop dinner NYC”
• “Happy hour deals today”
• “order vegan burger delivery now”

That said, they often intersect. For example, a keyword like “romantic dinner spot Chicago” works great on your website landing page but also converts well in Google Ads.

At Forki, we analyze which keywords are performing across both channels and often use PPC to test keyword value before committing to a longer-term SEO strategy. This approach ensures that every keyword chosen is tied to real-world outcomes—not just rankings, but results.

Restaurant Keywords Categories That Drive Visibility

Understanding the different types of keywords and where to apply them helps you attract the right diners through both organic search and paid ads. Here’s a quick breakdown of the categories that matter most for restaurants:

Branded vs. Non-Branded Keywords

• Branded Keywords include your restaurant’s name or variations of it (e.g., “KFC Bistro,” “IHOP Restaurant LA”).
  • Use case: Best for people already familiar with your brand. Make sure your website, Google Business Profile, and review platforms are optimized for these terms.

• Non-branded keywords focus on what you offer without naming your business (e.g., “Mexican restaurant downtown,” “outdoor brunch spot”).
  • Use case: These help attract new diners who haven’t heard of you yet—crucial for growth.

Website vs. GBP Targeting

• Website Keywords can be broader and more descriptive. These are great for detailed searches like “gluten-free Italian food near me” or “best date night restaurant in Atlanta.”
  • Use case: Use them in headers, meta titles, and on-page content to rank your site in local searches.
• GBP Keywords should be more direct and location-sensitive (e.g., “pizza near tampa,” “open late restaurants”).
  • Use case: Focus on service categories, GBP Q&A, and customer reviews to improve your visibility in the map pack.

PPC-Focused Commercial Intent Keywords

These keywords are used in paid campaigns to capture ready-to-act diners. They often include action phrases like “book,” “order,” or “reserve.”

• Examples:
  1. “order Thai food delivery now”
  2. “book rooftop dinner Chicago”
  3. “Happy hour deals near me”
     
• Use case: These drive immediate traffic and conversions. At Forki, we often test these first in PPC before scaling organically.

Keeping your keyword categories aligned across channels helps maximize visibility and reduce wasted effort. When you’re ready, we can show you how we map these across your restaurant’s online presence.

How to Find the Best Keywords for Your Restaurant?

Finding the right keywords starts with understanding what your potential diners are searching for. It’s not just about search volume—it’s about local relevance, search intent, and how close someone is to making a decision. 

A keyword like “best tacos in Austin” carries more buying intent than a generic term like “taco price.” The goal is to focus on terms that match what people are looking for right before they choose where to eat.

To build a keyword list, start by using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or even Google’s Instant method. These help you spot phrases people are actively typing, along with how competitive or locally popular they are. 

Once you’ve gathered a set of terms, organize them by intent (informational vs. action-based) and topic clusters (e.g., cuisine type, location, features like delivery or outdoor seating). 

This makes it easier to structure your website and content around what people are trying to find—and when they’re most likely to visit or order.

What to Check Before Targeting Restaurant Keywords

Before committing to any keyword, it’s important to evaluate a few key factors that can impact your visibility and results. First, look at the competition level—some keywords may be highly searched but dominated by big platforms or directories. 

You’ll also want to check for local intent to ensure the keyword aligns with nearby searchers, not just general interest. For example, “pizza delivery” performs very differently when tied to a specific area like “pizza delivery in Lincoln Park.”

Next, consider whether the keyword is best suited for your website or you’re GBP. Keywords that include “near me” or specific neighborhoods tend to perform better on GBP. 

Finally, avoid keyword cannibalization—don’t use the same keyword on multiple pages or listings, or they’ll compete with each other. A quick review of how a keyword appears in search results can help you decide where and how to use it effectively.

How to Rank for Restaurant SEO Keywords in 2025

Start with localized content—make sure your menu pages, location details, and service descriptions reflect the keywords diners are searching for in your area. 

Your GBP also plays a major role—ensure your primary services, customer reviews, and Q&A section include natural mentions of your top keywords.

Finally, build authority through local citations, backlinks, and consistency across platforms. These help boost your chances of appearing in the map pack, where many high-intent clicks happen. 

These are the processes we use for our clients at Forki. Want us to grow your business, our Restaurant SEO Services are built just for this.

Restaurant PPC Keywords & How to Use Them

The best PPC keywords for restaurants are action-driven and hyper-local, like “order Thai food near me” or “book rooftop dinner Chicago.” These phrases work because they match diner intent with immediacy. A keyword is ideal for PPC when it signals what the searcher wants and shows urgency.

Before scaling any campaign, we always A/B test different variations—adjusting match types, locations, and time-based triggers to see which ones convert best. This not only saves the budget but sharpens future targeting. 

We also use PPC results to uncover organic keyword opportunities, identifying terms that perform well in ads and can be built into SEO content.

Running PPC without the right keyword targeting wastes ad budget; our PPC Campaigns for Restaurants are focused on results, not guesswork.

Common Keyword Targeting Mistakes to Avoid

Many restaurants miss out on local visibility by falling into common keyword traps. One of the biggest issues is targeting broad, generic keywords like “best food” or “lunch specials” without any context—these often lead to irrelevant traffic or none at all.

Another mistake is skipping location modifiers. Without terms like your neighborhood, city, or ZIP code, Google can’t connect your business to local searches. It’s also a misstep to use the same keywords across every page—this creates internal competition and weakens your overall SEO structure.

Lastly, misalignment between your website and GBP hurts trust and consistency. If your site talks about brunch and your GBP doesn’t mention it at all, you’re missing a key signal that helps you rank. Avoiding these mistakes ensures your efforts translate into real visibility.

Article Summary

• Local keyword targeting is essential for driving foot traffic, online orders, and reservations.
• Keywords are grouped by cuisine, location, dining occasion, features, and business type.
• Differences between SEO and PPC keywords are explained with real use cases.
• Guidance on how to find, evaluate, and cluster keywords for better targeting.
• Tips on what to check before using keywords, including intent and competition.
• Strategies to rank keywords across your website and GBP.
• How to use PPC keywords to test and uncover high-converting opportunities.
• Common mistakes like ignoring location modifiers or using broad terms are covered.
• Includes 100 high-intent keywords you can apply right away.

All insights are based on Forki’s client campaigns and performance testing.