I often finish my morning jog with a quiet craving. Something warm, something simple, maybe lontong kari or rice bowl. A place with plastic chairs by the sidewalk, steam rising from the kitchen.
But when I try to find that kind of restaurant on Google, I usually see… nothing
The sad thing is, I know they exist. I’ve been there before. However, they seem to disappear when I search for them online. That’s when I start wondering: why is it so hard to find these places in a simple search result?
They Open Early, But They Say Nothing
Some restaurants do the right thing; they fill out their Google My Business information. They write their opening hours. They upload pictures. They tick the box that says “serves breakfast.” And it works. When I search “restoran Surabaya yang buka pagi“, they show up.
But many others? They don’t even have a GMB page. No pin on Google Maps. No information about when they open. Some don’t even mention breakfast at all. It’s like they’re only discoverable if I stumble upon them physically, not digitally.
Others just wait to be covered by someone else. They hope a media outlet like Kumparan or Detik will write about their menu. They rely on being included in an article titled “10 Restoran di Surabaya untuk Sarapan”. Sure, it’s nice to be featured. But what happens when no one writes about them? They’re stuck in the shadows.
Some restaurants do go the extra mile. They built a website. However, the site often displays only a few interior photos or an outdoor façade. No mention of which one of their menu can be enjoyable at breakfast. So even when someone searches “sego krawu buka pagi di Surabaya“, their site gets ignored by AI Overview of Google.
They opened their doors in the morning. But they forgot to open their mouths online.
Social Media Is Not a Magic Wand
I get it. Everyone is on Instagram. Some restaurants post every day. They upload beautiful food shots, aesthetic videos, or reels of kitchen routines. People love them. But here’s what most owners don’t realise: Google can’t really read your Instagram. Nor TikTok. Those platforms don’t show up well in search results.
So, if your restaurant is open from 6 AM, but you only post it on a platform generated by Meta or Bytedance? Good luck getting found by someone typing “sarapan di Surabaya” on Google.
This is not about hiring a fancy agency. There are many people out there who can help; individuals who know how to build small websites or write content that fits your voice and appears in search results. Sometimes, all it takes is a straightforward sentence: “Kami buka jam 6 pagi dengan menu sego krawu dan nasi campur.”
That line, in the right place, can make the difference between being invisible and being someone’s favourite morning stop.
I’m just someone who wakes up early, runs around the sports yard, and hopes that when I type something into Google, I get more than paid ads and hotel buffets. I want to find the real places. The warm ones. The hidden gems.
So if you open early, tell the world, not just with pictures, but with words in the website that Google can read. Let the search result lead hungry hearts to your door.
Vicky Laurentina adalah food blogger, sekaligus dokter dan ibu dari seorang anak. Buka halaman ini, “Tentang Vicky Laurentina” untuk tahu latar belakang Vicky, atau follow Instagram dan Twitter untuk tahu keseharian Vicky.
Having a Google business account is not enough, right? The restaurant’s owner have to fill the opening and closing hours, food pictures, etc. So, google has much more power than social media?
What about non TLD blog? Does it have power to promote a business on Google?
Totally agree! A Google Business account is just the appetizer, especially if the owner doesn’t fill in things like operating hours, food photos, or even the address properly. It is like setting up a warung but forgetting to tell people why people must visit their warung and when the warung is open .
And yup, Google is powerful, it’s like the go-to search when people are hungry. Social media helps, but Google is where people search with intention. Social media is not a place for people who search with specific intention.
About non-TLD blogs, they can still show up on search results if the content is strong. But let’s be real, people these days are a bit judgy. When they see a restaurant blog with a domain like “mieayam123.blogspot.com,” trust can slip faster than sambal on a white shirt. A proper domain makes the business look way more legit and serious in Google’s eyes and the customer’s.
That’s right. When I stay in Surabaya, I usually pick a hotel that doesn’t include breakfast. Because I want to go on a little food hunt.
But sometimes, when I search on Google, I can’t find the right spot. That’s why I think Food Business owners should really consider creating w website.
Or maybe even guest post on my blog. Hehehe…
I’d love to hear which spots you have found so far, maybe we can compile a little foodie map together. And your blog sounds like the perfect place for those businesses to start getting seen. Got any recent food hunts worth writing about?