Cross-platform SEO: the new key to visibility for restaurants in 2025

Oct 1, 2025

Google, TikTok, Instagram, Apple Maps, ChatGPT… these platforms now dominate how customers discover restaurants online. And in 2025, their walls are collapsing. A TikTok video can appear on Google, a Google review can show up on TikTok, an Instagram post can rank in a Google search. Even virtual assistants (ChatGPT, Siri, Alexa…) pull data from all these sources before recommending a restaurant.

Exciting? Yes. Demanding? Even more.

It’s no longer about simply “being everywhere”. It’s about being understood everywhere. Here’s why cross-platform SEO has become essential for restaurateurs — and how to master it.

2025: The End of Silos, the Rise of the Connected Multi-Platform Era

For years, each platform operated in isolation, with its own content and language. That era is over. Today, content flows seamlessly across channels. The walls between ecosystems are crumbling, creating visibility that’s no longer tied to just one source.

The transformation is already visible:

On the left, an Instagram recipe post appears directly in Google search results for “Pasta alla vodka Paris 9.”
In the middle, TikTok — in testing — displays Google reviews (average 4.8★ and comments) on the page of a Parisian restaurant.
On the right, Apple Maps now integrates new sources like the Michelin Guide and TripAdvisor to enrich its local results.
Along the bottom, the logos of ChatGPT, Instagram, Google, TikTok, Apple illustrate how these channels are connecting, with AI combining all this data to decide which establishment to recommend.

Concretely, Instagram is now indexed by Google: since July 2025, public Instagram accounts and posts can rank among the top results on Google. The once-closed social network has officially joined the family of SEO tools for restaurants.

Meanwhile, TikTok is becoming a full-fledged local search engine. Nearly 40% of young people now prefer searching for restaurants on TikTok or Instagram rather than Google — a shocking statistic revealed by a Google VP. The video platform has even started testing direct integration of location data: in 2025, TikTok began displaying Google Maps and Google Business Profile reviews on restaurant pages, alongside native TikTok reviews. In other words, what a customer says about you on Google may now show up on TikTok.

It’s not just social platforms blending. Apple Maps (the iPhone’s mapping app) also pulls data from multiple sources. In France, Apple integrates reviews from TripAdvisor and TheFork/LaFourchette to evaluate restaurants. The service even allows users to book a table via TheFork directly from the Maps app.

Where platforms once lived in their own bubbles, we’re now witnessing a convergence of ecosystems. For restaurateurs, this cross-pollination offers massive opportunities for visibility — but also raises the stakes: you need to perform well across all fronts at once.

AI and Virtual Assistants: The New Recommendation Filter

At the same time, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping SEO. Diners no longer just search on Google or within an app; they can ask ChatGPT, Bing Chat, or other assistants which restaurant to choose. These AIs pull their answers from the entire body of online content.

One striking example: a diner recently admitted, “I found this restaurant on ChatGPT,” after eating there.

This shift has given rise to the concept of “GEO” (Generative AI Optimization) — the art of optimizing your presence so that AI can find and recommend you.

The good news? 80% of what pleases AI is still the basics of local SEO and reputation management. Conversational algorithms prioritize classic signals:

Your establishment’s authority online.
The consistency and completeness of your listings (Google, Facebook, etc.).
The quality and freshness of your customer reviews.

For a restaurant to be cited by ChatGPT or another assistant, it must first excel in SEO — meaning strong rankings on Google and influential platforms.

In short, AI acts like a meta-search engine: it scans Google, TikTok, Instagram, TripAdvisor, and more, then recommends whoever stands out. Your mission: make sure that’s your restaurant.

A Customer Journey Without Your Website

These shifts are directly transforming the customer journey. Today, a diner can go from discovery to booking without ever visiting your official website.

For example: a potential customer sees your daily special on Instagram → searches your name on Google → checks reviews on Google or TripAdvisor → books a table via Reserve with Google or TheFork — all without clicking on your site once.

Google has leaned into this: with its “Book with Google” feature, diners can reserve a table directly from Google Search or Maps, bypassing your site. Likewise, Apple Maps integrates TheFork for direct bookings.

Being highly visible beyond your website is therefore more critical than ever. A study shows that 8 out of 10 French consumers choose their restaurant after researching online. But these searches don’t always land on your website: customers rely on ratings, photos, and descriptions they see directly on third-party platforms.

This makes it essential that your profiles everywhere are complete, attractive, and up-to-date. Your online reputation hinges on this: a polished Google Maps profile, a strong TripAdvisor ranking, mouth-watering Instagram photos, a few viral TikTok videos… this cross-platform mix often convinces diners before they’ve ever typed your URL.

Every Platform Has Its Own Language: Be Understood Everywhere

For restaurateurs — especially those managing multiple locations — the challenge isn’t just to “be everywhere.” It’s to speak each platform’s language so both algorithms and users understand you. Each has its own code:

Google: The battlefield is still local SEO. Optimize your Google Business Profile: categories, keywords, review replies, regular updates (photos, posts, menus). Goal: rank in the Top 3 on Google Maps and capture maximum traffic.
Instagram: Visuals and engagement drive discovery. Now, your Instagram posts can appear on Google — but only if your captions are clear, keyword-rich (e.g., Italian restaurant Paris 9), and your account is public and professional. Instagram also uses Instagram Maps to show nearby spots, with user photos and stories. Inspiring content here can attract new customers via both Instagram and Google.
TikTok: Discovery happens through short, geo-tagged videos with clear descriptions. Gen Z actively searches for local recommendations (e.g., “best brunch Paris”). TikTok even added a Nearby section and restaurant pages with reviews, directly competing with Google. A viral TikTok video can skyrocket your local reputation overnight.
Apple Maps, TripAdvisor, Yelp, TheFork: Here, reviews and ratings are everything. Apple draws heavily from these platforms: a 4.5★ TripAdvisor score or a Michelin mention boosts your Apple Maps visibility. Assistants like Siri or Alexa also pull “best rated” results from these aggregators. Don’t neglect any listing: every star counts.

All these platforms speak different languages, but your message must remain consistent. For chains, this requires careful coordination: name, address, hours, menu — everything must be identical across platforms. A menu or schedule change should be updated everywhere.

At the same time, adapt your tone and content to each network while maintaining your brand identity. It’s a balance between local personalization and global consistency. The payoff? Maximum visibility for an audience seamlessly moving across channels.

Keys to Optimizing Your Cross-Platform Visibility

How can you keep up with this revolution and stand out? Here are three essentials:

Consistent, complete information everywhere
Ensure your contact info, hours, menu, and photos are uniform across Google, Apple Maps, Instagram, TikTok, TripAdvisor, etc. A single incorrect detail on one platform (like a wrong phone number on Apple Maps) can cost you bookings elsewhere.
Content tailored to each channel
Publish text and visuals optimized for both algorithms and people. On Instagram and TikTok, use appetizing descriptions with the right hashtags and geo-tags. On Google, optimize titles and descriptions with local keywords (e.g., organic pizzeria Marseille). Your content should entice diners and be easy for AI to parse (Google indexes captions, TikTok reads text on-screen, etc.).
Active reputation management
Monitor and respond to reviews. Thank satisfied customers, address criticism professionally. Positive reviews boost rankings on Google, TripAdvisor, TheFork — and now they travel: a 5★ Google review enhances your TikTok profile, while negative reviews may hold you back in AI recommendations. Assistants like Siri also factor in average ratings when suggesting restaurants.

Remember: in 2025, everything is connected. Weakness on one channel can impact them all. A sloppy Instagram caption without keywords may reduce your Google visibility. Poorly managed Google reviews may surface on TikTok. A neglected reputation risks AI ignoring you in favor of better-rated competitors. By optimizing each piece of your digital presence, you send clear, consistent, readable signals to both algorithms and people — and that tips the balance in your favor.