The Challenge
• Competition from established cafés in Makkah dominating local search results and Google Maps.
• Complete lack of digital identity or reviews due to the café’s recent opening.
• A new website unoptimized for local SEO, with basic technical performance (3-second load time).
• The need to quickly build a local customer base in a crowded area with many options.

The Goals

1. Reach the top 3 Google Maps results (Local Pack) for local café-related keywords.
2. Build organic traffic and attract local customers from scratch.
3. Establish the café as a new and preferred destination in Makkah within 2-4 months.

The Strategy

1. Creating and Optimizing Google Business Profile
   o Set up a new profile with precise details: address (Al Zahir, Main Al Zahir Street), operating hours, and categories like “café” and “specialty coffee.”
   o Uploaded 20 professional photos of coffee, desserts, and modern seating, optimized with terms like “Al Zahir café.”
   o Activated the “Posts” feature to share opening promotions like “free coffee with every dessert in the first week.”
2. Competitor Analysis and Targeted Keywords
   o Analyzed competitors’ Google Business Profiles to identify keywords they dominated, such as “Makkah cafés” and “specialty coffee.”
   o Targeted local terms like “best café in Al Zahir,” “specialty coffee nearby,” and “new Makkah café” based on search volume.
3. Rapid Review Collection
   o Launched a review campaign using QR codes on tables, offering a 15% discount for reviews within the first 30 days.
   o Responded to reviews within 12 hours, using phrases like “Thank you for visiting our new Al Zahir café” to boost SEO.
4. Website Optimization
   o Improved load time to 1.5 seconds by optimizing code and compressing images.
   o Created pages like “Al Zahir Café – Specialty Coffee in Makkah,” optimized with local keywords and H1/H2 tags.
   o Added Schema Markup for “Cafe” with address and menu details to enhance visibility.
5. Targeted Backlinks for Local Keywords
   o Built manual backlinks tied to targeted terms, such as posts on local blogs titled “Best New Cafés in Makkah” linking to the café.
   o Listed the café in local directories like “Makkah Guide” and “Foursquare” with links containing “Al Zahir café.”