The Local Growth System for Brick & Baia

Local SEO sounds like a dark art. It isn't. It's five simple habits done consistently, plus good writing. The writing and the thinking are the parts you hand to Claude. Your real job is ~1–2 hours a week of clicking publish and keeping things current.

The five levers (this is the whole game)

• Google Business Profile — the #1 driver of "near me" and map-pack visibility. Keep it complete, fresh, and responsive.
• Reviews — more of them, more often, all replied to. This is how Brick's 4.1★ climbs and Baia's volume grows.
• On-page SEO — your website actually saying the words people search, on the right pages.
• Citations — your name/address/phone identical everywhere online.
• Content — a steady trickle of posts about specials, events, and seasons.

Do these once per restaurant, up front. This is the foundation everything else stands on — and where you set the baseline so you can prove progress later.

• Get admin access to both Google Business Profiles (business.google.com) and both websites' hosting/WordPress. Owner adds you as a manager.You
• Screenshot today's numbers from each GBP (views, calls, directions, review count + rating). This is your "before."You
• Set up Google Analytics 4 + Search Console on both sites — free, and the source of all reporting.Claude guides
• Complete every GBP field — categories, hours, attributes, menu link, services, photos, description.Claude writes
• Audit citations — check name/address/phone on Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing, TripAdvisor, Facebook. Note anything inconsistent.You
• Set up the review-ask system — QR codes for the tables/receipts + a Toast follow-up message. (Templates below.)Claude writes
• Lock the keyword list for each restaurant (starter lists below) and map each keyword to a page.Claude writes

Once setup is done, the whole program runs on this four-week loop — the same rhythm every month, for both restaurants. Print it, pin it.

These are the phrases real guests type. Work them naturally into each site's page copy, headings, GBP description, and posts. (Claude refines and expands these with Search Console data once it's live.)

Aim for ~1 post per week, per restaurant. Swap the highlighted bits. Keep it warm, specific, and end with an action. Always add a photo.

🔥 This week at [Restaurant]: [dish + 1 mouth-watering detail].

Made with [local/fresh detail — e.g. "herbs from our rooftop garden"]. Available [days] while it lasts.

📍 [City] · Reserve your table → [link]

🎶 [Event name] — [day, date, time]

Join us for [what to expect]. [Food/drink hook — e.g. "Ember Hour specials till 6"].

Walk-ins welcome, but tables go fast → reserve at [link]

☀️ Weekend brunch is on at [Restaurant].

[2–3 standout brunch dishes] + [drink — mimosas, bloody marys]. [Days & times].

[Baia: "...with the best bay views in Calvert County."] Book now → [link]

🍂 [Holiday/season] at [Restaurant]

[Seasonal menu item or offer]. Now taking reservations for [occasion] — [date].

Spots are limited. Reserve → [link]

Reply to every review, good or bad, within a day or two. Google rewards engagement, and future guests read your replies as much as the reviews. Personalize the highlights — never copy-paste robotically.

Thank you so much, [name]! We're thrilled you enjoyed [dish/detail they mentioned]. It means the world to the whole team. Can't wait to welcome you back to [Restaurant] soon! 🔥

Thanks for the kind words and the honest feedback, [name]! So glad you loved [positive]. We hear you on [the small thing] and we'll keep sharpening it. Hope to see you again soon.

Hi [name], thank you for letting us know — and I'm sorry your visit didn't meet the standard we hold ourselves to. This isn't typical of us. I'd genuinely like to make it right; please reach me at [email/phone]. We appreciate the chance to do better.

The single fastest way to lift both ratings. Make it effortless: a direct link to the Google review box. (Claude can generate the short link + QR code for each restaurant.)

Loved your visit? ❤️ It would mean the world if you'd leave us a quick review.
Scan the code → tell us how we did. Thank you for dining with [Restaurant]!

Hi [name]! Thanks for visiting [Restaurant] today. If we earned it, a 30-second Google review helps us a ton: [review link] 🙏

"So glad you enjoyed it! If you have a sec, we'd really appreciate a Google review — there's a QR right on the check. It honestly makes a big difference for us."

Once a month, paste these numbers from each GBP + Analytics into the block and send to Claude. You get back a clean, plain-English report for the client — proof, not vanity metrics.

MONTH: [e.g. July 2026]

— BRICK —
Google profile views:   [#]  (last month: [#])
Calls from profile:     [#]
Direction requests:     [#]
Website clicks:         [#]
Reviews / rating:       [#] / [x.x]★
Website visitors (GA4): [#]

— BAIA —
Google profile views:   [#]  (last month: [#])
Calls from profile:     [#]
Direction requests:     [#]
Website clicks:         [#]
Reviews / rating:       [#] / [x.x]★
Website visitors (GA4): [#]

Notable this month: [events, specials, anything unusual]

You can run the whole program on free tools. The paid ones are optional accelerators — add them only when the retainer supports it.

These are the exact prompts to fire at Claude each month. Copy, fill the blanks, send. This is your engine.