TripAdvisor for Restaurants

Even though travel has been a bit scarce over the past year and a half, people who are exploring new places are as hungry as ever to visit the best local restaurants as a key part of their experience. One of the most effective ways to get these traveling diners to find you is to create a free online listing for your restaurant on TripAdvisor.

TripAdvisor can help connect your restaurant with guests researching upcoming travel and where they want to eat while on their trip. Restaurants are one of four business categories that qualify for a TripAdvisor listing (the others are Hotels, Attractions and Vacation Rentals).

The restaurant category holds a particular importance within the TripAdvisor network. In December 2019, TripAdvisor acquired SinglePlatform, one of the leading menu management companies, to offer a better experience to restaurant researchers and the ability to view restaurant menus on TripAdvisor.

This article will walk you through the steps to claim your free TripAdvisor listing and take advantage of the 200 million people researching restaurants at their next travel destination every month.

1. Claiming Your TripAdvisor Listing

If your restaurant has been open for months, then TripAdvisor likely created a listing for you already. Log in to TripAdvisor Owners, type your business name and select it from the drop-down menu. You’ll need to verify that you’re an authorized representative of your restaurant. The most common ways to verify this are via phone or with a credit card (no charge is actually made). In some cases, verification via email may be an option as well.

2. Creating a TripAdvisor Listing

If you’re opening a new restaurant, or can’t find your business listed on TripAdvisor, then you can request a new listing. Visit TripAdvisor Owners and select the “Get listed now” link below the search box. This will bring you to a page where you can request a listing for your restaurant. Then you’ll have to fill out three sections: Your information, Listing information for your property and Property details. TripAdvisor editors will verify this information before publishing your listing, which typically takes about 5 business days.

Pro Tip: Use an email address @your-domain that matches your restaurant website address for faster approval.

3. Optimizing Your TripAdvisor Business Listing

When optimizing any online listing the most important thing to remember is to:

1. Fill out all available fields. Online listings with extensive information are more likely to rank higher in search results.
   • Note: TripAdvisor is a free service! You don’t need to fill out any paid fields like Menu, Advertising, Connecting other accounts or Performance. These are add-ons and should be used based on your budget and business needs.
2. Provide accurate and consistent information. Restaurants with consistent information across all online listings are more likely to rank higher in search results.

TripAdvisor has certain free features that are valuable for restaurants:

• Menu
  TripAdvisor enables restaurants to post a link to their online menu from their listing. For hungry diners looking to book a restaurant, an up-to-date menu is key to their decision.
  Pro Tip: TripAdvisor also offers a free QR code that can link to your contactless menu. Log into your TripAdvisor Owner Account to view and print your QR Code.



• Gift Cards
  Make sure to select the option for “My restaurant offers gift cards” when editing your TripAdvisor listing. This enables you to include a link where customers can purchase a gift card (or if no link is available, they will direct customers to call your restaurant).



• Cuisines and Amenities
  When editing your TripAdvisor listing there is an entire section dedicated to “Cuisines and Amenities” which are unique to restaurants on TripAdvisor. Make sure to fill out every question in this section including cuisine types, meal times served, features and amenities (like Delivery or Takeout) and what your restaurant is known for.

4. When to Update Your TripAdvisor Listing

It’s important to update the information on your TripAdvisor listing any time your business information changes. Typically speaking this information should not change often (a good rule of thumb is to review this information every 3-6 months). In special circumstances (like a global pandemic) there are options to list your restaurant as “temporarily closed” or “only available for takeout or delivery.”

5. Performance Reporting

TripAdvisor offers a Performance Dashboard for your restaurant that shows your rating, ranking, photos and total reviews on their network. You can also review visitors and engagement to your TripAdvisor listing over the past week – 12 months.