Google has quietly announced on the features page that businesses can now "add your menu to a listing via the API, according to new menu guidelines for Google My Business." Well, it seems it can be done also outside of the API, according to Mike Blumenthal.
This is an issue because previous, many businesses were unhappy with how Google showed their outdated or even blank or empty menus from third-party sites.
Now the business owner can define where Google links to for their menus.
There are two types of menus:
- A menu for an eating and drinking establishment (like restaurants or cocktail bars) that lists the complete set of food and drink items that are available at the business. A menu for a service business like a barber, spa, or car repair shop that lists the complete set of services that are available at the business.
Here are the guidelines for them:
- The menu should be representative of the items and services that are available for customers at the business. Full menus can be meal-specific (like breakfast, lunch, or dinner) and have links to other menu pages. For example, you may choose to link to your business’s dinner menu, which in turn may include links to the breakfast and lunch menus.
- Sample menus that only list “popular items” (or similar excerpts) should not be submitted.
- Menu URLs can’t be direct links to third-party ordering or delivery services.
- Third parties that manage listings on behalf of clients must notify and have the consent of the business owner to submit a menu URL for a business.
Forum discussion at Local Search Forums.
