Local businesses today depend heavily on online visibility. In 2025 according to Backlinko nearly 88 % people using to Google to find places to eat, dine, or order food. So being at the top of local search results can really help a restaurant or hotel. At Cyprus Digital Agency, we specialize in helping businesses dominate local search rankings. In this regard our recent success with Madam & Sir Restaurant in Durban is the perfect example.
Within just a few months, we took the restaurant from barely visible online to #1 ranked in Google search results for competitive keywords like:
- “restaurant in Durban”
- “affordable restaurant Durban”
- “restaurant in Durban South Africa”
Now resturants is at number 1-3 on more than 21 keyword. It significantly increase in website visits, customer calls, foot traffic, and table reservations.
This case study will break down exactly how we achieved these results, the SEO strategies we used, and why local SEO is the ultimate game-changer for restaurants.
The Client: Madam & Sir Restaurant
Madam & Sir is a stylish restaurant located in Durban, South Africa. They offer a mix of local and international dishes, designed for both dine-in and takeaway customers.
However, despite having great food and service, the restaurant was struggling with online visibility. When people searched for restaurants in Durban, they weren’t showing up on the first page of Google. So it means meaning they were losing potential customers to competitors.
That’s when they reached out to Cyprus Digital Agency for help.
The Challenge
When we first started working with Madam & Sir Restaurant, we faced several SEO challenges:
- Their Google Business Profile (GBP) wasn’t fully optimized.
- They had very little visibility for important local keywords.
- Competitors were already dominating the local map pack.
- The restaurant wasn’t getting consistent online reviews.
- No strong local citations or backlinks were supporting the brand.
In other words, while the restaurant had a great offline reputation but it wasn’t showing anywhere in the Google.
Our SEO Strategy
To turn things around, we implemented a comprehensive Local SEO strategy tailored to restaurants. Here’s a breakdown of the steps:
- Google Business Profile Optimization
The foundation of local SEO starts with a strong Google Business Profile. We:
- Optimized the business name, description, and categories.
- Uploaded high-quality photos of the restaurant, food, and interior.
- Added opening hours, contact details, and location pins.
- Created weekly Google posts to boost engagement.
- Keyword Research
We conducted in-depth keyword research to find high-traffic, high-intent keywords relevant to Durban’s local food scene. Our focus keywords included:
- “restaurant in Durban”
- “affordable restaurant Durban”
- “restaurant in Durban South Africa”
By targeting a mix of broad and long-tail keywords, we positioned Madam & Sir to capture both general searchers and niche ones as well.
- On-Page SEO & Website Enhancements
Although GBP was our main focus so we also optimized the restaurant’s website according to the restaurant need. We:
- Improved meta titles and descriptions for key pages.
- Created localized content highlighting Durban dining.
- Enhanced site speed and mobile responsiveness.
- Local Citations & Backlinks
We built citations on trusted directories such as TripAdvisor, Yelp, and local Durban food blogs.
Additionally, we built contextual backlinks from local websites to improve domain authority and reinforce credibility. In this we used the HARO technique.
- Reviews & Engagement
We encouraged the restaurant to actively collect Google reviews from happy customers. Each positive review boosted trust and engagement, helping push rankings higher.
6- CDA Turbo Strategy :
After doing all this we then activated our CDA turbo strategy machine as well which helped the restaurant to come at top within few months .
The Results
After just a few months of SEO work, the results were outstanding. Madam & Sir Restaurant achieved:
- #1 Ranking for “restaurant in Durban”
- #1 Ranking for “affordable restaurant Durban”
- Top Positions for “restaurant in Durban South Africa” and related queries
- A massive increase in Google Maps visibility
- Higher customer calls, bookings, and foot traffic
