Restaurant PPC that pays for orders and bookings, not just clicks
Google Ads for restaurants works when catering, private events, reservations and direct ordering are treated as separate goals. We structure campaigns by revenue stream, send each to its own page, and judge everything against orders and bookings that actually happened.
Why restaurant Google Ads accounts waste money
The most common restaurant account we see runs a broad campaign for the cuisine near me, pointing at the homepage. It gets clicks. It also pays for people who already chose you, for searches far outside your delivery area, and for diners who would have found you on the map anyway, with no way to tell whether any of it produced an order.
Paid search works best for restaurants where one conversion is worth a lot, such as a catering order or an event booking, or where you want to move diners from delivery apps to your own ordering. A single dine-in visit is usually better won through your Google profile and reviews.
How we build a restaurant Google Ads account
The structure decides whether your ad budget brings in orders and events or simply disappears.
Campaigns split by revenue stream
Catering, private events, direct ordering and reservations each get their own campaign, so budget follows the revenue you most want and you can see which ones pay.
Ad schedules that match your service
Ordering ads run when the kitchen is taking orders. Catering and event ads lean into weekday business hours when planners search. No paying for clicks when you are closed.
Call, order and booking assets
Ads with call buttons, direct order links and reservation links, so the next step is one tap on a phone.
Negative keywords from day one
Restaurant job searches, recipes, nutrition and calorie queries, and competitor names you do not want to pay for excluded before launch, then refined weekly from real search terms.
Geography by realistic distance
Ordering ads limited to your delivery area, dine-in ads to how far people will drive for you, and catering to the businesses you can actually serve.
Landing pages per goal
Catering traffic lands on a page with sample menus, minimums and a quote form. Ordering traffic goes straight to your menu and checkout. See restaurant website design.
Google Ads and Meta ads together
Search ads catch people already looking, such as catering for an office or a venue for a party. Meta ads on Facebook and Instagram reach nearby people with mouth-watering video and offers before they search.
We plan both against one budget. When search is producing cheaper catering orders, budget leans that way. When you are launching a menu, an event or a slow-night offer, social carries more. Treating them as separate silos usually means overpaying in one of them.
What we measure for restaurants
A click is not a meal sold and an inquiry is not a signed event. We follow every step to the money.
Every call logged
Calls from ads are logged and recorded, so it is clear which searches lead to catering orders and table bookings and which bring job seekers and sales pitches.
Orders and reservations
Online orders, reservations and catering requests tracked as separate conversions, because each is worth a different amount.
Revenue from ads
Order values and booked events tied back to campaigns wherever possible, so bidding optimises toward revenue rather than cheap clicks.
Cost per order or booking
The number we report against. It is the only one that tells you whether the budget is earning its keep.
Restaurant PPC pricing
Setup is a single $499 fee. After that, management is billed monthly by the size of your ad budget, and Google charges your card for clicks.
Starter — $650/mo
For restaurants spending about $500 to $2,500 a month on ads. Catering and ordering campaigns, keyword research, ad writing and testing, tracking, negative keywords and budget control.
Growth — $950/mo
For $2,500 to $7,500 a month in ad spend. Adds more campaigns across revenue streams, landing page advice, deeper conversion work and fuller reports.
Scale — $1,500/mo
For $7,500 to $15,000 or more a month, such as restaurant groups. Adds competitor and market research and priority attention.
We will review your search terms, call recordings and structure, and show you where the budget is going.
Google Ads for restaurants: questions
Plain answers for restaurant owners. Call us if your question is not here.
01Are Google Ads worth it for restaurants?
For catering, private events and direct online ordering, often yes, because each conversion is worth enough to cover the click. For individual dine-in visits, your Google Business Profile and reviews usually do more for less.
02How much should a restaurant spend on Google Ads?
Enough to gather useful data on the revenue stream you are targeting, which for most local restaurants means at least $1,000 a month in ad spend. Below that, focus on your Google profile and menu first. The right number depends on your area and capacity.
03Should I bid on my own restaurant name?
Often yes, cheaply, if delivery apps or competitors are showing ads above you for your name. A brand campaign can send those diners to your own ordering instead of an app that takes a commission.
04Are Facebook and Instagram ads good for restaurants?
They work well for new openings, events, new menus and offers, especially with good video of real food. Search ads usually produce more ready-to-order customers, so most restaurants do best running both.
05How quickly will Google Ads produce orders?
Clicks usually start the day campaigns go live. Knowing your true cost per catering order or booking takes a few weeks of data, because events are booked less often than meals are ordered.
06Will you work inside our existing Google Ads account?
Usually, yes. A restaurant account with real order and booking history is worth keeping, so we restructure it in place unless the old tracking would mislead the new campaigns.