Google Ads for Restaurants: Search Campaigns that Convert
Written by Hospitality On The Map
Quick answer: Search works when you target buying intent, show reasons to book now, and measure actual table conversions. Start with Exact/Phrase around cuisine + city and occasions, run a small Brand campaign for defence, schedule ads around service times, and bid to real value (bookings/orders), not just clicks.
Pair this with a fast website, a complete Google Business Profile, and—when you’ve covered core Search demand—scale discovery with Performance Max. Multi-site brand? See Multi-Location SEO. Seasonal spikes? Use Seasonal & Event SEO.
Contents
- 1 1) Intent map: what Search should (and shouldn’t) do
- 2 2) Campaign & ad group structure (modern, not 2018)
- 3 3) Keywords & match types: control first, scale later
- 4 4) RSAs that sell tables (pinning, IFs, assets)
- 5 5) Geo & dayparting: target where/when people book
- 6 6) Bidding to outcomes: CPA, value & ROAS logic
- 7 7) Landing pages & CRO: friction kills covers
- 8 8) Measurement & value mapping: bookings over clicks
- 9 9) Waste control: negatives & query hygiene
- 10 10) Weekly ops checklist: 15-minute rhythm
- 11 FAQs
- 12 Want Search that actually fills tables?
1) Intent map: what Search should (and shouldn’t) do
- Brand (your name + “booking/menu/phone”): cheapest, easy conversions; run as a small separate campaign for defence against OTAs/competitors.
- Non-Brand high intent: “italian restaurant covent garden”, “best sunday roast notting hill” → your core Non-Brand campaign.
- Occasions: “bottomless brunch leeds”, “private dining mayfair” → separate ad groups with tailored copy & sitelinks.
- Discovery/awareness (broad ideas, recipes): not Search’s job here—use PMax and social instead.
2) Campaign & ad group structure (modern, not 2018)
- Campaigns by market/region (e.g., London vs Midlands) or by business line (Dining vs Private Dining/Events).
- Ad groups by intent themes (not SKAGs):
- Cuisine + city/area (Italian, Steakhouse, Sushi)
- Occasions (Brunch, Sunday Roast, Group Dining)
- Private Dining/Events
- One winning landing page per ad group (Menu/Reserve/Private Dining), plus sitelinks to the others.
3) Keywords & match types: control first, scale later
Start here (Exact + Phrase)
- [italian restaurant covent garden], “italian restaurant covent garden”
- [sunday roast notting hill], “sunday roast notting hill”
- [private dining mayfair], “private dining mayfair”
Layer location variants (city, area, landmarks) and intent fillers (book, menu, open now).
Test later (tight Broad)
- Only after values are wired + negatives robust.
- Use in a separate test campaign; monitor query quality daily.
Build negatives up-front: jobs, wholesale, recipes, cookware, vouchers (if not offered), competitor brands (policy-dependent), locations you don’t serve.
4) RSAs that sell tables (pinning, IFs, assets)
RSA copy framework
- H1 (pin 1): {Cuisine/Occasion} in {Area}
- H2 (pin 2): Book Your Table Online
- H3+: Proof/USPs (★4.6, Terrace, Sunday Roast, Dog-Friendly)
- Desc: Value prop + urgency (Tonight/Lunch) + phone & map cues
IF functions: show city/area names or “Call Now” during open hours.
Assets that lift CTR/CVR
- Sitelinks: Menu • Reserve • Locations • Private Dining
- Callouts: Terrace • Family-Friendly • Gluten-Free Options
- Structured Snippets: Cuisines (Italian, Steak, Seafood)
- Image assets: hero dishes/interior (real photos outperform stock)
- Call asset: route mobile users to phone during service
- Location assets: link your GBP for maps, calls and directions
5) Geo & dayparting: target where/when people book
- Presence-based targeting around realistic travel radii; exclude far postcodes or regions.
- Daypart around service: lunch, pre-dinner, and last-minute windows. Bias bids/budget to these times.
- Call-only emphasis at peak times; make sure staff can answer within 3 rings.
- Multi-site? Segment campaigns by city/region and use location structure on the site.
6) Bidding to outcomes: CPA, value & ROAS logic
- If values are wired: start on Maximise Conversion Value (learn) → set a tROAS slightly above break-even. Adjust with seasonality around holidays/sports.
- If values aren’t wired yet: use Maximise Conversions → tCPA with sensible proxy values (calls ≥60-120s, directions, enquiry leads) until real booking/order values arrive.
- Brand vs Non-Brand: keep Brand cheap and capped; invest in Non-Brand where incremental bookings come from.
For full ROAS modelling and Value Rules, see Performance Max for Restaurants & Hotels (the maths applies to Search too).
7) Landing pages & CRO: friction kills covers
- Match intent to page: cuisine/area → Menu + Reserve; “private dining” → Private Dining page with capacities, set menus, enquiry form.
- Above the fold on mobile: Book button, phone, hours, map; no heavy carousels.
- Menus in HTML (keep PDF as labelled download). See Website SEO & UX.
- Trust: rating, recent photos, local FAQs (parking, allergens, dog-friendly). See Reviews & Reputation SEO.
8) Measurement & value mapping: bookings over clicks
- Track with value: reservations (expected spend × covers), online orders (basket value), phone calls (duration-based), directions (small proxy), private dining enquiries (lead value).
- Import offline reservations from your booking system if possible so smart bidding learns from real revenue.
- GBP ↔ Ads: link for location assets and better local formats; attribute calls/directions properly.
9) Waste control: negatives & query hygiene
- Account negative lists: jobs, careers, wholesale, recipes, cookware, vouchers (if N/A), irrelevant cuisines, and areas you don’t serve.
- Search Terms mining twice weekly: add winners as Exact, block irrelevant with negatives.
- Keep PMax honest with Brand exclusions, so your Search Non-Brand budget isn’t cannibalised.
10) Weekly ops checklist: 15-minute rhythm
- Rotate 2–3 new RSA assets per top ad group; keep best pins, test the rest.
- Review search terms; add negatives; promote proven queries to Exact.
- Check hour-of-day & location performance; push budget to winning windows/areas.
- Verify conversion values and call tracking; sanity-check average value per booking.
- Feed winning angles into event pages and PMax asset groups.
FAQs
Is competitor bidding worth it for restaurants?
Usually not—the intent is often loyal to the competitor and CPCs are high. If you test it, cap bids and use clear differentiators, then judge by bookings, not CTR.
How many ad groups per campaign?
Enough to reflect distinct intents (cuisine, brunch, roast, private dining) without spreading data too thin. 3–6 strong ad groups per campaign is typical.
Do we need video for Search?
Not required for Search, but add image assets—they materially lift engagement on mobile.
Want Search that actually fills tables?
We build intent-driven campaigns, wire real conversion values and optimise around service times—so you get bookings, not just clicks.
