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Local SEO For Restaurants in Thailand: A Case Study
This case study details how we helped Eatali Soi 5, an Italian restaurant in Pattaya, Thailand, increase their bookings by over 30% in 90 days through targeted local SEO strategies. The document outlines the initial challenges, diagnostic steps, implemented strategies, and achieved results, emphasizing the significance of local search optimization for restaurants in Thailand.
The Starting Point: Great Food, Poor Visibility
This is a story of immaculate Pizza, Google Maps, and the power of local search optimization.
Picture this: You’re craving authentic Italian pasta. You grab your phone and type “Italian restaurant near me.” What happens next determines whether a restaurant thrives or barely survives in 2025.
This is the story of how we transformed Eatali Soi 5 from a hidden gem to the go-to Italian spot in Pattaya, dominating local searches and increasing their bookings by over 30% in 90 days.
Local SEO isn’t about tricking Google. It’s about showing up — for the expat craving carbonara, the tourist searching “restaurants near me,” and the Thai foodie typing “ร้านอาหารอิตาเลียนใกล้ฉัน” (Italian restaurant near me).
When Eatali’s owner first approached us, their situation was familiar:
  • Buried on page 2–3 of Google Maps
  • Less than 20 reviews despite being open for 6 months
  • No local pack visibility for “Italian restaurant near me”
  • Inconsistent business information across platforms
  • Zero optimization for “near me” searches
Eatali had all the ingredients of a 5-star Italian restaurant: handmade pasta, a cozy trattoria vibe, and rave reviews from expats. But when hungry tourists Googled:
  • “Italian Restaurant Pattaya”
  • “restaurants near me,”
  • or “best Italian food pattaya”
Eatali was buried on page 2 — or worse, invisible. And with 80+ competitors fighting for the same keywords. We knew we had our work cut out.
When potential customers searched for "Italian Restaurant Pattaya", "restaurants near me", or "best Italian food pattaya" Eatali was often invisible. This meant they were losing customers to competitors with average food but better Google visibility.
The Diagnosis: Why Great Restaurants Stay Hidden
During our initial local SEO audit, we pinpointed several key issues hindering Eatali's online presence.
  1. Their Google Business Profile was basic — missing crucial categories, attributes, and menu items
  1. Location-based keywords were non-existent in their online presence
  1. Reviews were genuine but sparse and unoptimized
  1. Their website wasn’t properly geotargeted
  1. Local citations were inconsistent or missing
These shortcomings meant that Eatali was not effectively communicating its relevance to local searchers, causing it to be overlooked by potential customers in Pattaya.
“We were losing customers to restaurants with average food but better Google visibility” — Owner, Eatali Soi 5
The Undeniable Local SEO Opportunity for Restaurants in Thailand
The potential for local SEO in Thailand's restaurant industry is massive.
Consider this:
  • “ร้านอาหาร ใกล้ฉัน” (restaurant near me) generates a staggering 1.22 million monthly searches.
  • Niche searches such as “ร้านข้าว ใกล้ฉัน” (rice restaurant near me) and “ของกิน ใกล้ฉัน” (food near me gets 110,000 and 60,500 monthly searches, respectively.
  • There are even more specific queries like “ร้านอร่อย ใกล้ฉัน” (delicious restaurant near me) that get 49,500 monthly searches.
These numbers aren't just abstract data points, they represent real, hungry customers who are actively searching for restaurants on Google every day.
Since a majority of restaurants have yet to optimize for these terms, the opportunity to stand out and attract a substantial influx of new customers is immense. By strategically targeting these keywords, restaurants can significantly boost their visibility and capture a larger share of the local market.
The Game Plan: Local SEO Magic
To transform Eatali Soi 5's online presence, we implemented a comprehensive local SEO strategy, focusing on three core areas:
  1. Google Business Profile Optimization: We began by thoroughly optimizing their Google Business Profile (GBP), adding relevant secondary categories, updating the menu with proper schema markup, and incorporating targeted keywords into the business description. We also enriched the profile with over 100 high-quality food photos.
  1. Sustainable Review Generation Strategy: Recognizing the importance of reviews, we launched a "drop a review, get a free beer" incentive, leading to a 50% increase in reviews within the first month alone. This helped to improve Eatali's reputation and credibility on Google Maps.
  1. Local Citation Building: To build trust signals and authority for Eatali's GBP, we created consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across 50+ citation-building platforms for restaurants, including popular sites like HappyCow, Foursquare, and Yellowpages.
The Results: From Hidden to Highlighted
Within just 90 days, Eatali Soi 5 experienced a remarkable transformation, going from a hidden gem to a highly visible destination in Pattaya's food scene.
  • Italian Restaurant Pattaya”: Position 17 → Position 1(↑16 spots, 400 searches/day, #1 Ranked!))
  • Local visibility: 51% → 71%.
  • “Restaurants near me”: Climbed from page 4 to page 1, despite the insane competition.
  • Even niche Thai keywords like “ร้านอาหารอิตาเลียน” (Italian Restaurant) saw a 20% traffic increase.
  • Review count increased from 80 to 150
  • Business Profile Interactions increase by at least 20% every month
  • Direct calls from Google Maps increased by 25%
  • 86%(!) of viewers come from Google Maps (indicating success of optimizing GBP profile from Local SEO)
What does this mean?
Local SEO isn’t just about ranking higher — it’s about connecting with the people who are searching for exactly what you provide.
For Eatali, that meant showing up for the expat craving carbonara, the tourist searching “best italian food pattaya” or ”restaurants near me,” or the Thai foodie typing “ร้านอาหารอิตาเลียนใกล้ฉัน” (Italian restaurant near me).
When done right, Local SEO becomes the digital equivalent of the friendly local who points you to “that amazing Italian place down the street.”
“We’re not just full on weekends anymore. Every day, new customers tell us they found us on Google Maps” — Owner, Eatali Soi 5
Conclusion: The Power of Local SEO for Restaurants
This case study demonstrates the transformative power of local SEO for restaurants. Eatali Soi 5 is a top destination in Pattaya’s food scene. Local SEO strategy is the unsung hero.
To thrive in today's competitive landscape, restaurants must prioritize local SEO. By optimizing their online presence and actively engaging with local searchers, restaurants can significantly increase their visibility, attract more customers, and ultimately achieve sustainable growth.
Every restaurant owner should take inspiration from Eatali Soi 5's success and invest in a comprehensive local SEO strategy to unlock the full potential of their business.

Rankings for "Italian Food" - #1 in Most of Pattaya, and Laem Chabang as well.