Google is spotlighting the most cherished restaurants across several major cities in the US.
Google’s new local favorites lists highlight the top-rated restaurants, hidden gems, and rising stars in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.
‘Local Favorite’ is a designation that was introduced this past summer in Google My Business. Initially, there was limited information on how to achieve this status, apart from it being awarded to the top 5% of businesses.
Google has now explained more about what determines the top 5%:
“Every day, people visit Business Profiles on Google to look at reviews, menus, or photos, and use that information to make decisions about where to eat or what new places to try. The Local Favorites lists use these ratings, reviews, and actions people take on Business Profiles—like calling a business, clicking on the website, or requesting directions—to identify what restaurants to highlight.”
Considering ‘Local Favorite’ status is still a relatively new feature, there is much to learn about optimizing for it. In SEO, one of the best ways to improve your site is by analyzing other top-ranking sites.
To that end, if you want to learn more about achieving ‘Local Favorite’ status, it may help to examine the profiles of businesses that have earned the distinction themselves.
In addition to highlighting local favorites, Google’s new lists feature the top 10 rising stars and hidden gems. A ‘Rising Star’ is a restaurant that is new and gaining popularity, while a ‘Hidden Gem’ is a place with a small number of largely positive reviews.
Lastly, Google revealed that businesses receive a recognition package after earning ‘Local Favorite’ status, which includes window stickers.
