Google Just Gave Restaurants More Control Over Online Ordering. Here’s What to Do First.

Restaurants can now choose which ordering links appear on their Google Business Profile, and the choice sticks. Hide a provider, and it stays hidden, even when that provider updates its data feed to Google. Then make your own site the “Preferred by Business” option. Guests who search your brand by name will see your first-party ordering first. You keep more of each order, and the guest relationship stays with you.

The goal is a profile where every ordering option earns its spot.

Do this first:

1. Set your first-party ordering site as Preferred for pickup and delivery.
2. Hide unauthorized provider links.
3. Search for your restaurant on Google and Maps, tap Order, and confirm only your preferred ordering links are visible.

What’s new with online ordering on Google Business Profile?

When a guest searches for your restaurant on Google, they've already chosen you. Until now, you didn't always get to choose what happened next. Tapping "Order" could surface third-party links automatically, even ones you didn't want listed.

Before: You asked each provider to remove its link and had to wait for each request to be processed. And then the link could come back with the next feed update, and the process started over. It’s been a painful process for restaurants, to say the least.

Now: You turn the provider off in your dashboard. Your setting overrides provider feeds, and the link stays off until you turn it back on.

Google just rolled out the new control in late October. Here's how it fits with the settings that were already there, per Google's help center:

Show or hide specific providers. Under Food ordering, restaurants can turn any provider off or on for pickup, delivery, or both. This affects only the ordering link—reservations, menus, and deals connected through that provider stay in place.

Set a preferred provider. Choose the ordering option you want guests to see first, for pickup, delivery, or both. Google labels it “Preferred by Business” when guests tap Order.

Why this matters: Third-party ordering links reach your profile through providers' data feeds to Google. Under the old process, even after a provider removed a link, a routine feed update or a new location ID could bring it back. Now your settings take priority over those updates, so a provider you hide stays hidden.

Why should restaurants set a preferred ordering link on Google?

A guest who searches your brand name on Google is close to ordering. Where that order lands decides who owns the guest, the margin, and the experience.

• Protect your margin. Sending branded search traffic to your own ordering site keeps more of every check.
• Own the guest relationship. First-party orders give you the guest's contact details, order history, and the chance to earn marketing consent. That data powers loyalty, personalized offers, and win-back campaigns.
• Control the brand experience. Your menu, photos, pricing, upsells, and promotions appear exactly as you designed them. If something goes wrong, you handle the recovery directly.

How do I set a preferred ordering link on Google Business Profile?

This takes a few minutes per location. Brands with many locations should start with their top-traffic stores.

1. Sign in to Google Business Profile as the Owner or Manager and open the profile for the location.
2. Go to the Food Ordering section to see every ordering provider currently linked.
3. Set your own ordering site as preferred. Make sure your first-party link is listed (if it isn’t, select Add a link) and marked "Preferred by Business." This is the step that sends Google traffic to your channel.
4. Hide providers you don't work with or simply don't want listed. All providers are enabled by default. Turn off any outdated, duplicate, or unauthorized links. If customers prefer ordering via third parties, they will still easily find you on their preferred apps. This update lets you choose what's best for your business.
5. Test it like a guest. Search for your restaurant on Google and in Maps, tap Order, and confirm that only your preferred links are showing up.

Should restaurants remove third-party ordering links from Google?

The update gives you a choice, and the strongest setup is a lineup you picked on purpose: your own site as the preferred option, plus the partners that help you reach more guests. Some guests stay loyal to the app where they hold a subscription or saved payment details. Removing the link on the Google Business Profile will not remove your location from the third-party apps. Loyal app customers will still find you on the apps that they’re used to. 

Before you keep or hide a provider, ask: Does this partner bring in guests we wouldn't reach via Google search otherwise?

Keep the partners that fit your strategy. Make your first-party site the preferred option, so guests who are already looking for you can order directly. And if your strategy changes, you can turn a provider back on anytime.

Want your ordering link to stand out on Google? Olo's Order with Google Enhanced Redirect shows your logo and brand name instead of a web address, and automatically sends Google your menu details, quote times, and estimated fees. Talk to the Olo team to get started.

Looking to reduce tedious tasks and automate your location information across Google, Apple, Yelp, and Facebook? Check out Olo Sync.