Why Every Restaurant Should Claim Their TripAdvisor Listing

Marketing + PR,

With 4.9 million restaurants* on TripAdvisor and counting, it’s likely that your restaurant is already listed on TripAdvisor. Your customers are likely uploading photos and leaving reviews of your restaurant without you knowing — meaning you’re missing out on a chance to influence the conversation and gather important feedback about how you’re doing.

But there’s more you could be missing out on. Here’s just a few of the reasons why you should claim your listing:

We’re One of the World’s Largest Restaurant Sites*

TripAdvisor isn’t just the world’s largest travel site. We’re also one of the world’s largest restaurant sites.* Claiming your listing on TripAdvisor means you have access to over 200 million monthly visitors.** Both locals and travelers use TripAdvisor as a restaurant discovery site with the average of 86% of respondents from a recent survey stating they have opted to dine at a restaurant as a result of a TripAdvisor ranking, review, rating or award. That’s a huge opportunity to make sure your restaurant stands out. And the best part...

It’s Completely Free

Yes, claiming your listing and setting up a TripAdvisor account is free! We want to make sure your listing accurately represents what you serve and what your restaurant is like. The person who knows that best is you.

Keep Your Listing Up-to-Date

Once you’ve claimed your listing, you’re able to control how and where it appears to TripAdvisor users by updating your business details. In the “Manage Listing” tab in the Management Center, you’ll be able to:

  • Update your restaurant’s description and contact information
  • Verify your map location and add any details to your address, like suite number, plaza, or square
  • Maintain your hours for each day of the week
  • Choose up to five cuisine categories like Italian, Vegetarian, or Seafood where your restaurant will appear
  • Select which meals your restaurant serves
  • Edit the amenities you offer, such as parking, reservations, outdoor seating, or delivery

Claiming your listing helps ensure everything about your restaurant on TripAdvisor is accurate and up-to-date. And choosing your amenities and cuisines is the best way to make sure locals and travelers discover your restaurant.

Showcase Your Brand

Besides making sure your basic information is accurate, claiming your listing allows you to show off your brand — what your restaurant is all about. Choose “Photos” from the “Manage Listing” tab in the Management Center to upload your own professional photos of your establishment, choose your primary photo that will appear across the site, and monitor photos that travelers post.

This isn’t just important from a brand management standpoint. It can really drive more business. In a recent study, we found that businesses with at least one Management Photo saw 44% more engagement on their page and those with more than ten total photos saw nearly 96% more interaction with their page — that’s more people coming to your website, clicking on your address, or booking a table.

Respond to Reviews

Of course, your brand isn’t just what your restaurant looks like. It’s everything from the way your host greets people at the door to the quality of food and more. The greatest advantage of claiming your listing is being able to actively respond to your customers.

It’s a common myth that diners only write reviews to complain — it’s simply not the case. In fact, the majority of people write a review to share a great experience they had. Think of it like the new version of word-of-mouth.

That’s important for encouraging new diners to choose your restaurant. Diners want to see that you care about their experience, whether it was positive or negative. Up to 94% of respondents in a recent survey indicated that they have read a Management Response to a TripAdvisor review, with the majority noting that they found it helpful and that it encouraged them to try a restaurant, despite a bad review.

Not sure how to get started? Read our guide here.

See Your Performance

Finally, once you’ve claimed your listing, you have access to your performance. Find it by going to “Performance Dashboard” under the “Performance” tab in the Management Center. In the dashboard, you’ll be able to see at a glance your TripAdvisor ranking, your average bubble rating, and how many visitors are coming to your listing.

You’ll also be able to see how you’re doing against your competitors. We’ll show you which other restaurants in your area diners look at when they also look at your restaurant, and you can choose up to five competitors to track your metrics against in the “Competitor Details” dashboard.

Access Free Promotional Tools

When it comes to marketing your business beyond your listing, we offer a host of free tools to make it as easy as possible for you. In the “Marketing Tools” dropdown on the Management Center, you’ll be able to:

  • Order TripAdvisor stickers for your door or street-facing window
  • Order business cards, check presenter inserts, and other printouts for your restaurant
  • If you’re received an award, order your certificate and other promotional materials
  • Add widgets to your website to display a TripAdvisor badge or your latest reviews

How to Claim Your Listing

To find out if you’re already listed on TripAdvisor, simply search for your restaurant by typing in the name. You’ll see immediately whether or not your restaurant already appears. If it’s not on TripAdvisor or you’re opening a brand new restaurant, you can submit your listing here.

Once your business is listed, it’s easy to claim it. To register:

  1. Start by heading to tripadvisor.com/Owners and searching for the name of your restaurant.
  2. Once it appears, click the orange “Claim Your Listing” button.
  3. Then, fill out the form with your business phone number, email, role, and preferred language. Click the orange “Continue” button.
  4. In order to access Management Center tools, we’ll need to verify your identity. We have a few options for verification and all are free and quick.
  5. Start managing your listing!