Fifth Group Restaurants Case Study
How SEO and SEM Fueled Dining Demand Across Atlanta
Executive Summary
Fifth Group Restaurants, a leading hospitality group in Atlanta, partnered with Papaya Search to expand online visibility and boost high-value conversions across its portfolio of upscale restaurants. Through a strategic blend of SEO and SEM from 2020 to 2024, we delivered:
- Significant growth in organic visibility, including a 180% increase in monthly traffic and top-three rankings for high-intent keywords
- Strong paid search performance, generating over $71K in gift card revenue and thousands of reservations, store visits, and private dining leads
- Above-industry engagement and conversion rates across channels, driven by optimized content, targeted campaigns, and full-funnel strategy integration
By combining long-term SEO improvements with conversion-driven SEM, Fifth Group secured top rankings, attracted ready-to-book guests, and turned digital visibility into measurable growth.
About Fifth Group Restaurants
Established in 1993, Fifth Group Restaurants is a leading restaurant group based in Atlanta. It operates eight distinct restaurants and a premier catering division. Fifth Group is known for innovative menus, warm service, and memorable ambiance that engages all five senses, making it a cornerstone of Atlanta’s culinary scene.
The Challenge
Despite a strong local reputation and loyal following, Fifth Group Restaurants was not fully capitalizing on opportunities in search marketing:
- Low baseline organic traffic, with just ~3,000 monthly sessions at the start of 2023 and limited visibility for key branded and local searches
- Weak keyword rankings, with only 739 total ranking keywords and just 65 appearing in Google’s top 3 positions in early 2023
- Minimal paid search presence, missing out on high-intent conversions like gift card purchases, reservations, and private dining inquiries
- No integrated strategy across brands, leading to inconsistent traffic performance and difficulty scaling digital campaigns
- Covid-19, facing a global pandemic with high impacts on the restaurant and private dining industry.
Fifth Group needed a results-driven search strategy to grow organic reach, drive revenue-generating actions, and establish a dominant presence across Atlanta’s competitive dining landscape.
Strategy
Papaya Search developed an integrated SEO and SEM strategy focused on three core pillars:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Drive sustained organic growth by improving keyword rankings, enhancing technical performance, and optimizing local presence through content and Google Business Profile improvements.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Capture high-intent actions through Google Ads campaigns tailored to gift card purchases, reservations, and private dining – structured by restaurant brand, service type, and audience intent.
Multiple Search Channels
Leverage performance insights across both channels to inform targeting, maximize search visibility, and ensure Fifth Group dominates results pages with a unified presence in paid and organic listings.
What We Implemented
To execute this strategy, Papaya Search:
- Resolved technical SEO issues and implemented schema markup for enhanced search appearance and crawlability
- Published optimized content across restaurant pages targeting branded, local, and service-specific keywords (e.g., private dining, brunch, gift cards)
- Enhanced Google Business Profiles for all locations to improve local visibility and support Google Maps and “near me” searches
- Rebuilt and segmented Google Ads campaigns by brand, location, and intent, covering reservations, gift cards, and event bookings
- Implemented end-to-end conversion tracking for gift card purchases, online reservations, store visits, and private dining leads
- Executed seasonal PPC promotions aligned with peak demand periods like holidays and special dining occasions
Results
- Over 85,000 organic sessions with 440,000 on-site events and a 58% engagement rate
- 180% growth in monthly organic traffic—from ~3,000 to 8,400 sessions by the end of 2024
- 1,330 ranking keywords by December 2024, with 119 in the top 3 Google positions (up from 65)
- Over $70,000 in restaurant gift card revenue from Google Ads
- Nearly 7000 online reservations, over 6000 tracked store visits, and over 1000 private dining leads generated through paid search
- Above-industry click-through and conversion rates across all paid campaigns
Fifth Group surpassed industry benchmarks in SEO performance and SEM efficiency, generating high-value actions and sustained growth across all locations.
Key Takeaways
- SEO Fuels Scalable Growth: Technical improvements, local optimizations, and targeted content helped Fifth Group rank for more high-intent keywords, resulting in a significant increase in organic traffic.
- SEM/PPC Converts Intent into Action: Google Ads campaigns delivered high-ROI conversions, including thousands of reservations, store visits, and over $71K in gift card revenue.
- Integrated Search Strategy = Maximum Impact: Coordinated SEO and SEM efforts expanded visibility, improved conversion rates, and amplified overall marketing performance.
- Local Optimization Wins: Enhanced Google Business Profiles and geo-targeted content ensured Fifth Group appeared in top positions for “near me” and location-specific searches.
- Data Drives Performance: Full-funnel conversion tracking enabled ongoing optimization and demonstrated the value of every marketing dollar spent.
