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NaijaTaste does not require you to register your restaurant. If your business is on Google Maps, you’re already in the pool. This page explains how to make sure you’re visible to the right people — across web, WhatsApp, and every app that integrates the NaijaTaste API.

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Step 1: Verify your Google Business Profile

Our recommendation engine reads directly from Google Places. Your Google Business Profile is your listing. Check that the following are correct:
  • Business name (as diners know it)
  • Full address (street, area, city)
  • Phone number (reachable)
  • Category (e.g., “Nigerian Restaurant”, “Buka”, “Fast food restaurant”)
  • Opening hours (accurate, including public holidays and Ramadan)
  • At least three photos of your food and space
Go to business.google.com to manage your profile.

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Step 2: Collect honest reviews

Review count and rating are the strongest ranking signals. The fastest ways:
  • Ask satisfied customers in person: “Please drop a review on Google, it helps people find us.”
  • Print a small card with a QR code linking to your Google review page
  • Post your Google review link on Instagram or WhatsApp Business status
Do not pay for fake reviews. Google detects and removes suspicious reviews. A manipulated rating also misleads the diners you actually want to attract.

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Step 3: Keep your hours accurate

The recommendation engine checks open/closed status in real time. Wrong hours = missed searches. Update whenever you:
  • Change opening times
  • Close for public holidays or Ramadan
  • Take temporary closure
  • Open a new branch

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Step 4: Tag your cuisine correctly

Food-type matching is how diners find you by craving — on web chat, on WhatsApp, and through the API. In your Google Business description and menu, list dishes using terms Nigerians actually search: ✅ jollof rice, egusi, suya, amala, pepper soup, moi moi, banga soup, ofada
❌ Nigerian cuisine (too broad, doesn’t match specific cravings)

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What good visibility looks like

A restaurant that surfaces consistently across all NaijaTaste channels typically has:
  • 4.0+ star rating with 20+ reviews
  • Accurate hours showing correct open/closed status
  • Price level matching the neighbourhood’s expectations
  • Clear cuisine tags that match what it actually serves
  • Active Google profile (photos updated in the last 6 months)
These are not hard thresholds. A 3.8-star buka with 200 reviews and correct price signals for a budget-persona user can outrank a 4.5-star restaurant with 5 reviews.

How review signals work

Deep dive on how Google reviews translate into NaijaTaste ranking signals.