10 tips to improve your restaurant's Tripadvisor ranking

Being listed in a city's top 3 on Tripadvisor can boost a restaurant's sales by 10%! Proof that the 4.3 million restaurants listed on Tripadvisor can really benefit.

With almost 400 million unique visitors per month during the summer season, Tripadvisor is the leading tourism reference site. Controlling your establishment's e-reputation on this channel can help you expand your customer base and boost your business. Here are our 10 tips for improving your ranking on Tripadvisor. It's important to note that ranking depends mainly on the following 4 criteria:

• Average reviews
• The number of reviews: TripAdvisor weights the ranking obtained with the rating by the number of reviews.
• Frequency of reviews: this is an indication of the consistency of your services.
• Recent reviews: a review left the day before is much more valuable than one published a year ago.

1) Claim and complete your professional profile

The first thing to do is to get hold of your establishment's profile. If it's not yet listed on Tripadvisor, simply request it by entering the necessary information:

It's also possible that a customer, by writing the very first review of your establishment, has automatically listed it on Tripadvisor. If this is the case, simply take the lead by indicating that you're the manager of your establishment. Describe your establishment precisely, giving as many practical details as possible: opening hours, address, access, menu, prices... Don't forget toupdate this information immediately in the event of any changes.Add a detailed description, optimized with the right keywords, that accurately and precisely describes your establishment. To further improve your SEO and ensure that as many tourists as possible have access to your information, translate it into several languages. Cedars, a Lebanese restaurant in Paris, has translated its description into English, Spanish, German and Italian:

2) Get the best possible average score

With an average rating of less than 4 stars out of 5, don't expect to be among the very top of the Tripadvisor rankings. To reach the top of the rankings, you need an average rating of at least 4 stars... and that's not always enough. Aim for an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5!A 10% increase in the rating score raises the ranking by 6.1%.

3) Collect more reviews

96% of Tripadvisor users consider reviews to be an important factor when choosing an establishment. What's more, the number of reviews collected is an essential criterion in Tripadvisor's algorithm! Conclusion: you need to pay close attention. Encourage your customers, verbally or in writing, to leave you a review: you'll not only get valuable feedback, but also a better chance of being listed on Tripadvisor. And don't hesitate toorder a "Recommended by Tripadvisor" sticker on your website: they're free, and sticking them in your shop window will remind your customers that you're present on the platform.Le Capiello restaurant is a fine example of this: it owes its success to its many glowing reviews. Located in the 15th arrondissement of Paris and open since January 2017, it found itself at number 1 in the Tripadvisor rankings in the moderate fare category. To encourage your customers to leave a review in writing, Tripadvisor offers the free Avis Express option. After their visit, your customers will receive an e-mail inviting them to leave a review:

Be careful not to encourage your customers to leave a review on the spot: if they are connected to your wifi, Tripadvisor may think it's a fake review on your part.

4) Add the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence widget to your website

If you've received an attestation of excellence from Tripadvisor, install the widget on your website to promote your success. Here's how to find the lines of code to insert on your website to include a Tripadvisor widget:

You can then choose the widget(s) you'd like to integrate into your site. We particularly recommend "Attestation d'Excellence" and "Avis élogieux", which allow you to scroll through the good reviews on your site.

5) Encourage detailed reviews

The importance of reviews also lies in their accuracy. The more detailed they are, the more valuable they are! First of all, they allow us to update the information about your establishment: a review left a year ago may not be consistent with your current situation if you've changed menu, owner or made some improvements. So, quite naturally, we trust acustomer who describes his or her experience and explains why he or she is satisfied with it, more than a customer who simply says he or she is satisfied!

6) Try to get your customers to vote for the best comments

A 5-star customer review that has received several "useful review" votes will be valued by the Tripadvisor algorithm and given more weight than others. This will boost your rating.

7) Reply to reviews

Whether positive or negative, take the time to respond to your customers' comments. By doing so, you show them that their opinion is valuable. It's an opportunity to thank them for having made the effort to write it, but also to correct or add information, apologize in the event of an incident or provide a solution to a problem. Your listing on Tripadvisor will be all the better for it: the platform favors establishments that take the time to respond to their customers, which is naturally a sign of seriousness. This will also reassure visitors to your business page, and may even convince them to book with you.When dealing with a bad review, always keep a benevolent tone! A snarky response, even if you think the review is unfair, can make a very bad impression on other prospects.

8) Feed your account with beautiful photos named with the right keywords

Add beautiful photos of your establishment to entice your prospects to come and discover it. Remember to name each one with precision, using the right keywords: this will improve your SEO.Example of a name: Pizza Bianca - Italian restaurant La Pizza d'Anita - Paris 16

9) Report abusive reviews

If you think you have received a false or misleading review, you can report it to Tripadvisor by clicking on the "Reviews" tab and then "Report a review":

If Tripadvisor considers that the review does not comply with the rules, it will be deleted. Don't hesitate to report any reviews you find suspicious, as removing them can only be good for you.

10) Respect Tripadvisor rules

While Tripadvisor can help you increase your sales, you must abide by certain rules, otherwise you may be penalized:

• write false reviews of your establishment,
• ask for advice in exchange for a reward,
• write positive or negative comments about your competitors within a 15 km radius.