Introduction
ITALIANO Restaurant Rawai, located in Rawai, Thailand, is a beloved Italian eatery known for its authentic pizzas, pastas, and dining experience. Despite its local popularity, the restaurant struggled with limited online visibility and engagement in a competitive tourist-driven market. This case study explores how ITALIANO Restaurant Rawai leveraged a multi-channel digital marketing strategy to boost its online presence, drive engagement, and increase conversions over a 30-day period (March 13, 2025, to April 11, 2025).
Challenges
ITALIANO Restaurant Rawai faced several digital marketing challenges:
- Local and Tourist Competition: Competing with numerous dining options in Rawai required standing out in local and tourist searches.
- Mobile Optimization: With 90% of GMB views from mobile devices, a seamless mobile experience was essential.
- Organic Engagement: Social media relied heavily on paid ads (99% of views), limiting organic reach and engagement.
- SEO Visibility: Ranking for high-intent keywords like “Italian restaurant Rawai” was critical to attract both locals and tourists.
- Conversion Tracking: Limited data on website reservations made it challenging to measure the full impact of digital efforts.
Strategy
To overcome these challenges, ITALIANO Restaurant Rawai implemented a comprehensive digital marketing strategy:
- Google My Business (GMB) Optimization: Enhanced the GMB profile with high-quality images, regular updates, and mobile-friendly features to boost local discoverability.
- Social Media Campaigns: Focused on Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) to increase visibility through paid ads while aiming to improve organic engagement.
- Website and SEO: Optimized the website for search visibility, targeting high-intent keywords, and improving user experience to drive traffic and reservations.
- Paid Advertising: Leveraged Meta Ads and Google Ads to drive targeted traffic, focusing on local reach and conversions like direction requests and calls.
Results
The strategy delivered remarkable results across all channels, significantly enhancing ITALIANO Restaurant Rawai’s digital presence.
Google My Business (GMB) Growth
GMB achieved 7,648 profile views (+492.4%) and 5,394 searches (+556.2%), driving 798 interactions (+1,127.7%). Key actions included 613 direction requests (+939.0%), 81 website clicks, and 35 calls (+483.3%).
Key GMB Metrics
| Metric | Value | Change vs. Mar 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Profile Views | 7,648 | +492.4% |
| Total Searches | 5,394 | +556.2% |
| Direction Requests | 613 | +939.0% |
| Website Clicks | 81 | Not provided |
| Calls | 35 | +483.3% |
GMB Performance: 7,648 profile views and 613 direction requests.
Social Media Visibility Surge
Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) delivered 980.2K views (+21.0%) and 291.2K reach (+17.7%), with 1.3K content interactions (+8.3%) and 339 link clicks (+12.6%). However, 99% of views were ad-driven, highlighting a need for organic growth.
Social Media Metrics
| Metric | Value | Change vs. Previous Report |
|---|---|---|
| Total Views | 980.2K | +21.0% |
| Total Reach | 291.2K | +17.7% |
| Link Clicks | 339 | +12.6% |
| Content Interactions | 1.3K | +8.3% |
Social Media Performance: 980.2K views, primarily ad-driven.
Website Traffic Growth
The website saw 113 visitors (+31.5%), 588 impressions (+74.6%), and 12 clicks (+50.0%). Sessions surged to 121 (+245.7%), with a 42.1% engagement rate (+13.0%).
Website Metrics
| Metric | Value | Change vs. Previous 28 Days |
|---|---|---|
| Total Visitors | 113 | +31.5% |
| Sessions | 121 | +245.7% |
| Impressions | 588 | +74.6% |
| Engagement Rate | 42.1% | +13.0% |
Website Performance: Traffic spiked with 121 sessions.
Ad Performance Excellence
Meta Ads delivered 1.5M views (+100%) and 443 link clicks with a ฿12,127.53 spend. Google Ads generated 221K impressions, 6.06K clicks, and 3.78K local actions with a ฿12,498.59 spend.
Ad Metrics
| Platform | Metric | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Ads | Views | 1.5M |
| Meta Ads | Link Clicks | 443 |
| Google Ads | Impressions | 221K |
| Google Ads | Local Actions | 3.78K |
Ad Performance: Meta Ads achieved 1.5M views.
Impact
The multi-channel strategy significantly enhanced ITALIANO Restaurant Rawai’s digital presence:
- Increased Visibility: Achieved 7,648 GMB profile views, 980.2K Meta views, 221K Google Ads impressions, and 588 website impressions.
- Enhanced Engagement: Drove 1.3K Meta content interactions (+8.3%) and a 42.1% website engagement rate (+13.0%).
- Higher Conversions: Generated 863 total link clicks (81 from GMB, 339 from Meta, 443 from Meta Ads) and 3.78K local actions from Google Ads.
- Local Intent: Strong local engagement with 613 GMB direction requests and 165 Google Ads call clicks, reflecting high intent from tourists and locals.
Recommendations for Future Growth
Building on this success, the following strategies can further elevate ITALIANO Restaurant Rawai’s digital performance:
- Mobile Optimization: Enhance GMB and website for mobile users, as 90% of GMB views are from mobile devices.
- Organic Social Growth: Increase organic posting frequency on Meta platforms (5–7 times per week) and use interactive content to reduce ad dependency (99% of views).
- SEO Expansion: Optimize website meta descriptions for high-impression queries like “Italian food near me” to improve the 2% CTR from search.
- Ad Optimization: Shift Meta Ads budget to Local Reach campaigns (e.g., 14 Feb ad with 298 link clicks) and improve CTR beyond 0.13%. Use Google Ads Performance Max to target high-intent audiences.
- Conversion Tracking: Integrate Google Tag Manager to track website reservation form submissions and conversions.
- Local Engagement: Add a 360° virtual tour to GMB and implement a review campaign to boost ratings and visibility.
Conclusion
ITALIANO Restaurant Rawai’s digital marketing transformation demonstrates the power of a multi-channel approach in a competitive market. By optimizing Google My Business, leveraging Meta and Google Ads, enhancing social media visibility, and improving website performance, the restaurant has significantly increased its online presence and engagement. With continued focus on organic growth, SEO, and conversion tracking, ITALIANO Restaurant Rawai is well-positioned for sustained success in 2025.