Competitive Keyword Targeting
Focused on high-value non-branded searches related to steakhouses, NYC dining, and the restaurant’s Manhattan location.
Hospitality and Local SEO Case Study
888% Growth in Top 3 Rankings for BLT Steak
SEO Image helped BLT Steak build dominant visibility for highly competitive New York City steakhouse searches, increasing Top 3 rankings from 8 to 79 and expanding estimated organic traffic by 185%.
Campaign Overview
Building first-page visibility in one of the country’s most competitive restaurant markets
BLT Steak operated in a crowded Manhattan market where established steakhouses, national directories, review sites, and major publishers all competed for the same diners. SEO Image developed a focused campaign to strengthen the restaurant’s visibility for broad steakhouse searches, New York City dining terms, and high-intent local discovery.
The goal was not simply to increase branded traffic. It was to reach diners who had not yet chosen a restaurant and were searching for terms such as “steakhouse,” “NYC steakhouse,” and related Manhattan dining queries.
888%
Growth in Top 3 rankings
229%
Growth in Top 10 rankings
185%
Estimated organic traffic growth
211%
Growth in total ranking keywords
Source: Semrush.
The Challenge
Winning attention before diners chose where to eat
BLT Steak needed visibility beyond searches for its own name. The larger opportunity was to appear when diners were still comparing restaurants and searching broadly for a steakhouse in New York City.
That meant competing against well-known restaurant brands, editorial lists, review platforms, and local search results for some of the most commercially valuable hospitality terms in Manhattan.
Local SEO Strategy
Connecting BLT Steak with the searches that influenced dining decisions
SEO Image aligned the website with the location, cuisine, authority signals, and search language prospective diners used when evaluating Manhattan steakhouses.
On-Page and Local Relevance
Strengthened page content and search signals around cuisine, location, and the terms prospective diners used.
Authority and Visibility Growth
Improved the site’s ability to compete for broad restaurant searches instead of relying only on users already familiar with the brand.
Measured Growth
Top 3 rankings increased from 8 to 79
BLT Steak’s search footprint expanded across every major visibility measure. Top 3 rankings increased from 8 to 79, Top 10 rankings grew from 140 to 460, total ranking keywords increased from 149 to 464, and estimated monthly organic traffic rose from 1,286 to 3,663.
888% Top 3 Growth
Top 3 keyword rankings increased from 8 before the campaign to 79 after SEO growth.
229% Top 10 Growth
Top 10 rankings increased from 140 to 460, significantly expanding first-page visibility.
211% Keyword Growth
Total ranking keyword visibility increased from 149 terms to 464.
185% Traffic Growth
Estimated monthly organic traffic increased from 1,286 to 3,663.
Source: Semrush.
Search Visibility
#1 visibility for broad NYC steakhouse searches
During the engagement, BLT Steak appeared first for broad, highly competitive searches including “steakhouse” and “NYC steakhouse.”
These were not branded searches from diners who had already chosen BLT Steak. They placed the restaurant in front of prospective customers while they were actively comparing where to dine.
Why the Campaign Worked
Stronger relevance created more opportunities to be discovered
Non-Branded Visibility Expanded Reach
Ranking for broad steakhouse terms exposed BLT Steak to diners who had not yet selected a restaurant.
Top 3 Growth Increased Discovery
Moving more keywords into the highest organic positions gave the restaurant greater visibility while diners compared options.
Local Context Strengthened Relevance
The campaign aligned cuisine, location, and search intent with the way New York City diners looked for restaurants.
Put Your Restaurant or Hotel in Front of More Ready-to-Choose Customers
SEO Image helps hospitality brands compete for the local and organic searches that influence where customers choose to dine, stay, and visit.