Google Enables Restaurants to Manage ‘Order Online’ CTA on Listings

Today, more and more consumers seek out restaurants based on whether or not they offer pickup or delivery. Think about how many times you've searched on Google for something along the lines of: 'Chinese restaurant near me that offers pickup?'

To make it easier for consumers to order online, Google started featuring an 'Order Online' button directly on restaurant profiles. When clicked, users are directed to Place Action Links where they can place orders for pickup or delivery – either via a third party, like Doordash and UberEats, or directly on the restaurant's first-party website or mobile app.

Restaurants now have the ability to provide Place Action Links to their first-party ordering page via the Google Business Profile API. Restaurants can also indicate whether a place action link is for Pickup, Delivery, or both.

This is a huge opportunity for restaurant owners to connect with consumers and make it easier for them to convert into paying customers. Restaurants that previously did not have an Order Online button featured on their listing will now have one prominently displayed if they supply a Place Action Link via API – either for Pickup or Delivery.

Without an Order Online button, not only may consumers be less likely to choose you, but Google could also be less likely to promote your restaurant in search.

Additionally, Google may suggest language on your listing that reads, 'may offer pickup' and 'may offer delivery' if they are uncertain whether you offer those services. This not only may impact where you rank in search, but could also make consumers feel less confident that you offer those services. By providing a Place Action Link explicitly for pickup and delivery, the 'may offer delivery' and 'may offer pickup,' respectively, will disappear. These signals provide more confidence to both consumers and Google.

The need for restaurants to answer consumer questions is more important now than ever. According to Yext customer data, 87% of total search views for food services comes from mobile devices vs desktop; that's the highest of any vertical. This number is a clear indication that consumers often search for food on-the-go.

Although there is no data clearly linking mobile searches to online food orders, people that search for food on-the-go typically look for options that they can get quickly – by definition, food that they can pick up or get delivered.

Make sure you're taking advantage of these Google features to help make it as seamless as possible for consumers to find and place online orders with your business.

Interested in using Yext to manage your listings? Reach out to your Yext representative or request a demo here.