Boosting local visibility and increasing sales are critical for local businesses, especially restaurants. According to a post from Binwise, approximately 30% of restaurants in the U.S. fail in the first year, and over five years, 80% of them typically shut down.
Rib & Chop House, a premium steakhouse in Cheyenne, Wyoming, faced similar challenges due to declining sales and rising local competition. By 2016, the restaurant was on the brink of bankruptcy.
With our years of expertise in ranking local businesses at the top of search engine results, Rib & Chop House turned to us for a revitalization. Through a personalized local SEO strategy, we significantly grew their business and helped them thrive.
This case study details how strategies like keyword research, Google My Business optimization, content marketing, and social media engagement played a vital role in the restaurant’s turnaround.
Let’s dive into how we helped them achieve this success.
Local SEO Strategy Overview
For establishments like Rib & Chop House in Wyoming, local SEO has played a significant role in attracting nearby customers.
Local SEO is a specialized approach that helps businesses, particularly local ones like restaurants, improve their online visibility in specific geographic areas.
This can be achieved by enhancing the restaurant’s presence on Google Maps, Google Search results, local business directories, and other platforms.
When someone searches for terms like “restaurants near me” or “best steakhouse in Cheyenne” or even uses voice search, local SEO ensures that the restaurant ranks higher in the search results. The following local SEO practices can accomplish this:
- Optimizing the website
- Updating the Google My Business (GMB) profile
- Engaging in content marketing
- Maintaining consistent business information across various online platforms and local directories
- Local Link Building and Backlink
- Actively managing customer reviews and interactions
For Rib & Chop House, local SEO can increase visibility not only in general searches but also in map results, where potential diners are often looking for directions, reviews, and menus. This enhanced visibility can help build trust among local customers and boost sales for the restaurant.
Challenges Faced by Rib & Chop House
Rib & Chop House, a renowned restaurant offering prime steaks, fresh seafood, and delectable baby back ribs, was established in 2001 by Burke and Melissa Moran. This couple’s culinary expertise quickly captivated locals with their high-quality food, served in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere.
However, starting in 2015, their sales began to decline as new restaurants emerged near Cheyenne, Wyoming. This increased competition posed a significant challenge to their business.
To keep their doors open, Rib & Chop House eventually needed to take out loans and run their day-to-day operation.
Despite these financial difficulties, they never compromised on the quality of their food. Their commitment to serving the best possible food remained unshakeable. Unfortunately, the declining sales and inability to expand their offerings eventually led to financial difficulties, reaching up to the pinnacle of filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
In 2016, facing declining sales, Rib & Chop House turned to Upspell, a digital marketing firm, as a last resort to revitalize their business. The restaurant’s main goal was to increase its online visibility and attract more local customers.
Upspell LLC, understanding the situation, focused on local SEO strategies to help them rank higher in search results for Cheyenne.
SEO Strategies Implemented by Upspell LLC
1. Local Keyword Research:
Upspell LLC focused on a localized keyword strategy to ensure Rib & Chop House appeared in relevant search results. Firstly, the team conducted thorough keyword research to find high-intent, location-based keywords that potential customers were using in Cheyenne and nearby areas.
Like the phrases “best steakhouse in Cheyenne,” “Wyoming family dining,” “local restaurants in Cheyenne,” and many others. These keywords targeted specific user intent, such as people looking for family dining options, local eateries, or tourists searching for the best restaurants in the area.
By integrating these localized keywords across the restaurant’s website content, meta tags, and other on-page elements, Upspell made sure Rib & Chop House ranked for the most relevant searches.
This allowed the restaurant to capture traffic from users actively seeking dining options in Cheyenne, giving it a competitive edge in local search results.
2. Google My Business Optimization
Optimizing Google My Business (GMB) was a critical step in enhancing Rib & Chop House’s local SEO strategy. They ensured all essential details, such as the restaurant’s name, address, phone number (NAP), operating hours, and services, were accurate and regularly updated.
Furthermore, after lots of R&D, location-based keywords like “Cheyenne steakhouse” and “family dining in Wyoming” were seamlessly integrated into the profile, helping to improve search rankings.
Additionally, Upspell worked on adding high-quality, engaging images that highlighted the restaurant’s ambiance and popular dishes, making the profile more attractive to potential diners.
Proper categorization of the business (steakhouse, family restaurant) ensured it was listed in the right searches.
3. Local Citation Building:
Another fundamental aspect of boosting local visibility is to maintain local citation consistency. For Rib & Chophouse, it was crucial to update and maintain it.
Upspell audited the restaurant listing across various online platforms, including major directories like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and specific local Cheyenne restaurant directories.
Upspell’s team meticulously checked for discrepancies in the restaurant’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) across all the platforms available. Furthermore, Upspell also focused on expanding the restaurant’s presence by creating new listings on reputable local and industry-specific directories.
Each listing was carefully crafted to include relevant keywords, enhancing visibility while providing potential customers with essential information about the restaurant.
4. On-Page SEO Optimization:
On-page SEO optimization was a key element of Upspell LLC’s strategy to boost Rib & Chop House’s visibility in local search results. This approach ensured the website was structured to allow search engines to easily crawl, understand, and rank its content.
We optimized the website with localized keywords, improved technical aspects like loading speed, and focused on enhancing the user experience. Key on-page elements, including title tags, meta descriptions, and headings (H1, H2, H3), were revamped. Alt-tags were also added to all images to improve accessibility and SEO.
In addition to content updates, we strengthened the website’s technical framework. This involved improving site speed, enhancing mobile responsiveness, simplifying navigation, and implementing structured data (schema markup) to help search engines better understand the content.
Upspell didn’t just focus on SEO. We made sure the site was visually appealing, intuitive, and easy to navigate, encouraging users to engage more with the content. These changes ultimately boosted traffic, improved search rankings, and strengthened the restaurant’s local presence.
5. Mobile Optimization:
Mobile optimization was a top priority for Upspell, given that almost all the users who searched for local businesses were on mobile devices. We made sure that Rib & Chop House’s website was fully responsive, adapting smoothly to different screen sizes, whether on smartphones or tablets.
We also emphasized faster loading times. A slow website can lead to users bouncing off, especially on mobile. Thus, we optimized the site’s speed for quick access.
Additionally, we focused on creating a seamless and user-friendly experience, making navigation and finding key information—like menu, location, and contact details—easy on mobile devices.
This mobile-first approach significantly helped Rib & Chop House capture customers searching for dining options while on the move, improving both their user engagement and local search rankings.
6. Customer Reviews and Reputation Management
Customer review and reputation management were crucial for boosting the restaurant’s online presence. Upspell encouraged satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on platforms such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, and TripAdvisor.
These reviews helped enhance the restaurant’s credibility and attract new customers. Upspell motivated customers through follow-up emails, on-site prompts, and social media, encouraging them to share their experiences.
Additionally, both Upspell and Rib & Chop House responded to all reviews—both positive and negative—to build trust with potential customers.
Positive reviews were acknowledged, while negative ones were addressed with professionalism and solutions, showcasing the restaurant’s commitment to customer satisfaction.
This strategy not only improved Rib & Chop House’s reputation but also contributed to higher local search rankings.
7. Local Link Building and Backlinks:
Local link building and backlinks were crucial in improving Rib & Chop House’s online presence. Upspell LLC partnered with local influencers, bloggers, and food critics who shared content and linked back to the restaurant’s website, boosting its credibility and authority in search engines.
We also sought opportunities for mentions on local community websites, event listings, and food-related directories. These high-quality backlinks enhanced the restaurant’s search engine rankings and increased its visibility.
By building these local partnerships and securing backlinks, Upspell successfully improved the restaurant’s domain authority, increasing its relevance in local search results.
8. Content Marketing:
As they say, Content is king and Upspell LLC launched content marketing campaign to boost Rib & Chop House’s visibility. The campaign included blog posts, special promotions, and menu highlights, all designed to attract more customers. Each piece of content was optimized for local SEO, targeting keywords related to Cheyenne and the restaurant’s offerings.
By using location-based keywords like “Cheyenne steakhouse” and “family dining in Wyoming,” the content helped the restaurant appear in relevant local searches. This increased organic traffic and improved its search rankings.
Additionally, the content emphasized Rib & Chop House’s involvement in local events and the Cheyenne community. This not only attracted visitors but also positioned the restaurant as a local favorite.
9. Social Media Marketing:
Upspell LLC strategically used social media to enhance Rib & Chop House’s local search visibility in Cheyenne, Wyoming. This approach involved engaging with the community and promoting the restaurant through targeted campaigns.
By leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, Upspell enabled the restaurant to share regular updates, special promotions, and information about local events, which increased user engagement.
We created localized content that resonated with Wyoming residents by sharing photos of the restaurant’s dishes and behind-the-scenes experiences.
This strategy attracted local followers and improved the restaurant’s visibility. Additionally, we encouraged customers to share reviews, photos, and check-ins on social media.
These interactions further improved the restaurant’s local SEO by signaling to search engines that Rib & Chop House was active and relevant within the community.
Results: Increased Visibility and Restaurant Sales Growth
Implementing these strategies helped Rib & Chop House increase its online visibility and enhance its reputation.
Here’s how our strategies contributed:
- Improved the restaurant’s visibility in search results, making it easier for potential customers to find them.
- Attracted more visitors to the restaurant, leading to increased foot traffic and ultimately higher sales.
- Made the website user-friendly, allowing customers to easily navigate and find important information.
- Built trust and created a loyal community around the restaurant.
- Resulted in higher conversion rates, translating website visits into actual diners.
- Positioned Rib & Chop House as a leading dining option in Cheyenne.
The combined efforts in SEO and digital marketing laid the foundation for long-term growth, helping the restaurant maintain its presence in the local market.
Final Thoughts
As we move into the 2020s, local SEO is something businesses can no longer ignore. Through the successful implementation of local SEO strategies, this well-known Cheyenne restaurant achieved remarkable growth.
Upspell LLC was proud to partner with the restaurant, which saw increased foot traffic, improved search rankings, and a stronger local presence. This led to higher sales and stronger community trust.
Our efforts built a foundation for sustained growth, positioning Rib & Chop House as a cornerstone of Cheyenne’s dining scene. We understand that boosting local visibility and increasing sales is crucial for service industries, especially restaurants.
Implementing local SEO is complex and requires consistent effort. If you’re looking to enhance your local SEO, Upspell LLC can help.
With our years of success in helping businesses shine, you can always count on a safe hand in Upspell. For a free consultation, contact Upspell for sustainable growth of your business.
