How New Restaurants in Dubai Can Scale Fast with SEO, Google Performance Max, and Careem In-App Ads

How to Scale Your Restaurant in Dubai: A Comprehensive Guide

Launching a restaurant in Dubai is exciting. However, scaling it quickly is where most owners struggle. The city’s dining scene is crowded, and customer attention shifts every week. The good news is that with smart digital marketing, you can stand out and build a loyal customer base from the very beginning.

In 2025, success depends on visibility. Whether you are opening a café in Business Bay or a fine dining concept in Jumeirah, your restaurant must appear where people are already looking, such as Google Search, Google Maps, and delivery apps like Careem.

This guide explains how new restaurants in Dubai can grow faster using three essential tools: SEO, Google Performance Max, and Careem in-app advertising.

1. Start with SEO to Own Your Local Visibility

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the foundation of every restaurant’s growth strategy. Before you spend on ads, you need to appear organically when people search for food near them.

Why SEO Should Come First

SEO builds long-term trust and visibility. When your restaurant appears organically, customers see it as more credible. SEO continues to work even when your ads stop, and it saves money by attracting free traffic.

Step by Step SEO Plan for Restaurants

1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Claim and verify your restaurant listing. Use your real restaurant name, address, and phone number consistently everywhere. Add high-quality photos of your food, menu, interior, and team. Keep your opening hours updated and encourage customers to leave reviews after every visit.

2. Use Local Keywords on Your Website

Target location-specific keywords such as “Italian restaurant Dubai Marina” or “best burger in Downtown Dubai.” Create a dedicated landing page for your neighborhood and include a digital menu that Google can read easily.

3. Publish Content Regularly

Post updates about your new dishes, chef specials, or events. Write short blogs like “Best Brunch Spots in Dubai Marina” and mention your restaurant naturally within the article. These posts help you appear in local searches.

4. Get Links from Local Websites

Collaborate with Dubai food bloggers, influencers, and local magazines. Register your restaurant on popular directories like Zomato, TripAdvisor, and Time Out Dubai. Every quality backlink improves your Google ranking.

5. Fix Technical SEO Issues

Make sure your website loads fast, especially on mobile devices. Use descriptive titles such as “Authentic Lebanese Restaurant in Dubai Marina,” and optimize your images with meaningful alt text. When someone searches “restaurants near me,” your restaurant should appear in the top Google Maps results and on the first page of search results.

2. Use Google Performance Max Campaigns to Scale Fast

Once your SEO is active, launch Google Performance Max campaigns to reach even more potential customers. Performance Max uses Google’s artificial intelligence to show your ads across all Google platforms such as Search, Maps, YouTube, Display, and Gmail.

Why Performance Max Works for Restaurants

Performance Max helps you reach people at every stage of the decision process. It automatically finds people who are likely to visit, book, or order from you and adjusts bids to deliver the best results for your budget.

How to Set Up a Restaurant Performance Max Campaign

1. Choose Clear Goals

Decide what success means for you. It could be website bookings, phone calls, or direction requests on Google Maps.

2. Use Great Photos and Headlines

Upload high-quality photos of your dishes, interiors, and staff. Write ad copy that highlights what makes you special, such as “Authentic Emirati Breakfast,” “Dubai’s Favorite Sushi Buffet,” or “Family Brunch with a View.”

3. Target the Right Audiences

Add people searching for “restaurants near me,” “food delivery Dubai,” or “brunch in Dubai.” Use remarketing lists for people who have visited your website before.

4. Set a Smart Budget

Start with a modest daily budget, for example, 50 to 100 AED, and give the campaign at least two weeks to learn. Focus on customers within 10 kilometers of your restaurant.

5. Track and Improve

Connect your Google Ads account with Google Analytics and your Google Business Profile. Track how many people called, requested directions, or made reservations after seeing your ad.

3. Reach Hungry Customers with Careem In-App Advertising

In Dubai, Careem is more than a delivery app. It is a local marketplace for food, transport, and services. Advertising directly inside the Careem app lets you reach people who are actively looking to order food right now.

Why Careem Ads Are Powerful

You show up next to your competitors at the exact moment users are choosing where to eat. It is one of the most cost-effective ways for new restaurants to reach high-intent customers.

How to Use Careem Ads Effectively

1. Target by Cuisine and Area

Show your ads to users in your specific neighborhood such as JLT, Downtown, or Dubai Marina. Choose audience segments based on cuisine like Indian, Japanese, Italian, or healthy food.

2. Offer Exclusive Promotions

Use limited-time discounts or combo meals to encourage first-time orders. Highlight fast delivery and value.

3. Boost Your Ratings

Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews inside the app. Higher ratings improve your visibility and ad performance.

4. Connect Careem to Your Other Campaigns

Add QR codes on your packaging that lead back to your Careem profile. Retarget those customers later through Google or Meta ads to build long-term loyalty.

4. Combine SEO, Google Ads, and Careem for Maximum Growth

These three channels work best when used together.

• SEO builds long-term visibility and trust.

• Google Performance Max drives instant traffic and bookings.

• Careem Ads capture hungry customers who already have intent to order.

  
  

Together, they cover every part of the customer journey from discovery to decision, giving your restaurant constant exposure and measurable growth.

5. Additional Tools to Support Your Marketing

To make your strategy even stronger, add these tools.

• Meta Ads for remarketing and event promotions.

• Email campaigns to announce new menus and brunches.

• TikTok and Instagram Reels to share short behind-the-scenes videos.

• Influencer collaborations with Dubai food bloggers to create buzz.

  
  

Each of these supports your core growth channels and keeps your restaurant top of mind.

6. Measure Your Results

Keep track of your progress every month.

Review:

• Growth in organic Google traffic and “near me” keywords.

• Number of calls and direction clicks from Google Maps.

• Return on ad spend from Google Performance Max.

• Orders and ratings from Careem.

• Customer retention and repeat orders.

  
  

Scaling fast is not about spending more. It is about learning what works and repeating it consistently.

Conclusion

New restaurants in Dubai can grow fast when they focus on visibility and intent. Start with SEO to build a strong foundation, use Google Performance Max for quick customer acquisition, and run Careem in-app ads to capture users ready to order.

This three-step system combines long-term brand growth with short-term sales results. If you implement all three, your restaurant will not just survive; it will thrive and become one of the most popular dining spots in Dubai.

For more information on how to implement these strategies, visit our services page.