Local SEO for Coffee Shops
There's a reason terms like "coffee shop near me" are some of the highest volume keywords in any community. Local SEO is vital for coffee shops looking to raise brand awareness and win new customers. Most coffee shops don't have the capacity or experience to implement a robust SEO strategy, but it can be one of your brand's best long-term investments – aside from a really good scone recipe.
Why Does SEO Matter for Coffee Shops?
Local SEO relies on rigorous keyword research to discover a mix of high-volume and high-intent terms relevant to your business, community, and products. There are three categories of keywords that coffee shops can use to improve their position on the SERP and Google Business Profile – more on that in a bit.
Geomodifiers
Combine a broad term, like "coffee shop", with your location, and you immediately improve both its relevance and your ability to compete. More than 165,000 people search for "coffee shop" per month; about 140 searches for "coffee shop traverse city," and it's a very easy keyword to rank for.
This location-specific keyword group can apply to your brand (especially if you own a franchise) and specific products or services. Research which terms your brand and your competitors rank for and target those same keywords with a geomodifer to win more valuable clicks.
Use location-specific terms in your site's homepage title tag, meta description, and other relevant pages – but don't overdo it.
coffee shop in [your city]
coffee shop [your city]
locally-owned coffee shop [your city]
starbucks [your city] – if you own a franchise!
"Near me" Keywords
About 46% of Google searches have local intent, which means the user wants to take immediate action to contact a business nearby. Use "near me" keyword variations to capture low-funnel users looking for coffee right now. Case in point: "coffee shops near me" has nearly five times the monthly keyword volume of "coffee shop" with over 550,000 monthly searches.
Try to find two to three relevant content blocks to use these terms on your site:
coffee shops near me
local coffee shops near me
best coffee shops near me
Feature-based Keywords
When users have several options, they often make purchasing decisions based on the differentiating characteristics of each brand. For coffee shops, it's important to win those long-tail, feature-focused keywords that often prove decisive. Use keywords that show why your coffee shop is different, such as:
coffee shops with wifi
drive thru coffee shops
coffee shops outdoor seating
An easy win? Many of these differentiating keywords also have variations that include both geo modifiers and "near me," making it possible to combine a few keyword targets into a single line of text.
Coffee Shop Website Tips
Your site's overall SEO impact is based on thousands of factors, including the site's age, platform, underlying structure, and more. Especially in competitive markets, having a clean, optimized, and easy-to-use website improves organic position and the user experience. Start with a technical site audit to tidy up issues like 404 response code pages and messy metadata. As you tackle the big problems, focus on the details, such as:
Improving user engagement
Increasing conversion rate
Capturing more emails or customer loyalty accounts
Google Business Profile for Coffee Shops
Google's push to the no-click SERP means most users' first interaction with your brand isn't your website, but your Google profile. Optimizing your coffee shop's GBP lets you capture more real estate on the search engine results page, address barriers to conversion (such as parking, hours, online ordering, etc.), and give potential customers a look inside with stunning photography.
Google Business Profile Best Practices
Start by getting all the details just right. Update your website URL, include a direct link to your online order platform (your Toast listing, for example), and information on your menu. Try to include 10-15 high-quality photos showing your location's exterior, interior seating, and your top drink and food options. Your Google listing should mimic the experience of walking in, ordering, and taking a look around.
The Most Important Thing….
We have all checked a coffee shop or restaurant's hours, double-checked them, and left brokenhearted when they were closed after all. Make updating your hours a primary responsibility of your manager or core staff, and check its accuracy often.
Give Your Coffee Shop's SEO a Shot
Get customers in the door and let your coffee speak for itself. Local organic search is a great investment in your brand's long-term marketing efforts and a key driver of qualified site traffic. We can help. Contact Sovis Media today to start the conversation.