But now it’s also about restaurants. And not about the restaurants nearby, that would be too easy. In the future, Google Maps will be able to make restaurant recommendations individually for each user. For this purpose, Google evaluates the restaurants visited so far based on the location history and applies a recommendation engine to this data. Usually this is done by comparing the data of individual users with the entire pool of information.
Google Maps will guide you to the “best” restaurants nearby in the future
However, another role is played by the classification of a restaurant. For example, if a user visits regularly Asian restaurants, the Japanese, Thai and Chinese in the vicinity are ranked accordingly higher. You will receive a higher score, in this case a higher value for “Your Match”.
However, users can also change these preferences manually and set other priorities, thus overwriting or readjusting their motion profile.
Regional or individual?
In the press release, Google advertises the option to “Discover delicious regional dishes”. In other words, the ideal destination for trips abroad and holidays. It remains to be seen to what extent the previously described individualization functions will take effect and how flexibly they will be implemented at other locations. It would be a pity if you could only find the best pizzeria or the best steakhouse nearby, but the local restaurants were left out…
What does this mean for restaurateurs?
This is another important reason to keep your Google My Business listing as up-to-date as possible. And as precisely as possible, because the information stored here is essential for matching – and for recommending the restaurant to potential guests who are looking for something and who may also fit perfectly into the restaurant’s target group.
Among the other new features, Google (Maps) now displays the restaurant’s “Most Popular Dishes”. Guests can complete it by uploading a photo and a description. You have no influence on the quality of these images. But of course you can also upload a selection of the most typical, best or most requested dishes yourself and control what is displayed – and how the restaurant is perceived by potential new guests…
