What they check, in seconds
- Open now, and the wait. Current hours on Google, and a waitlist link if you use one.
- The menu with prices, as text, not a blurry photo.
- Photos of the food and the view, recent and real.
- Reviews that mention the dishes and the service.
- Whether they take reservations, for larger groups especially.
Seafood searches
Murrells Inlet calls itself the Seafood Capital of South Carolina, and visitors search like it: “seafood Murrells Inlet,” “oysters near me,” “fresh fish restaurant.” Your Google categories, menu items and website should use the plain names of what you serve, so Google can match them. Listing the day’s catch on your site and Google profile gives both something fresh to show.
Locals, the rest of the year
After the season, it’s the people of Murrells Inlet, Garden City and Pawleys who keep a restaurant going. A locals’ night, off-season hours posted everywhere, and an email list collected in summer all help. See off-season marketing.
Written by Nikita Huttenlocher, founder and lead engineer at Huttenlocher Technologies, a web design and software company in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.