How Trades Delicatessen Became One of Dallas’ Top Sandwich Shops—Outranking National Chains
A Restaurant SEO Case Study by Lobster Ferret
Introduction
Trades Delicatessen isn’t just another sandwich shop. From house-smoked meats and scratch-made breads to handcrafted desserts and specialty coffee, they offer a truly artisanal deli experience. But with so many offerings, communicating their standout value in local search results was a challenge.
With sandwiches being Trades’ top revenue driver, we focused on one high-impact goal: dominate local search for “sandwich shop near me.”
When they partnered with Lobster Ferret in April 2024, their online presence told a different story:
🔻 Average rank of 20.13, buried deep in search results
🔻 0.68% share of voice, ranking #49 among competitors
🔻 89% of rankings outside the top 20, making it nearly impossible for new customers to discover them
But by February 2025, their growth was undeniable:
✅ Average rank improved to 6.88, a massive leap in visibility
✅ Share of voice skyrocketed to 9.28%, ranking #3 overall for "sandwich shop near me"
✅ Outranking major competitors like Jason’s Deli, Potbelly, Jersey Mike’s, and even Subway
And the real-world results were just as impressive:
📈 487% year-over-year growth in Google Business Profile impressions (from 3.28K to 19.22K)
📞 80% increase in interactions (phone calls, directions, and online orders rose from 1.08K to 1.94K)
This case study highlights how Lobster Ferret’s Local SEO for Restaurants & Brick-and-Mortar Businesses helped Trades become one of Dallas’ top sandwich destinations—outranking national chains in an ultra-competitive market.
Challenge: Standing Out in an Oversaturated Market
With Dallas’ thriving food scene and massive national brands dominating local search, Trades faced an uphill battle. Their biggest obstacles:
Highly competitive keyword market—ranking #49 for “sandwich shop near me”, one of the most searched food-related terms.
Low search visibility, with nearly 90% of rankings outside the top 20 in Google.
Competing against powerhouse brands like East Hampton Sandwich Co., Potbelly, Subway, Jason’s Deli, and Jersey Mike’s.
Despite offering a superior product and unique deli experience, customers weren’t finding them online.
Our Strategy: Local SEO for Restaurants & Brick-and-Mortar Businesses
1. Optimizing Google Business Profile (GBP) for Maximum Visibility
Since Google Business Profile is the key to ranking in local search, we enhanced Trades’ GBP to:
Ensure their profile reflected their top-selling category (sandwich shop) while also incorporating their full range of offerings.
Strengthen business details and descriptions to improve relevance for high-intent searches.
Enhance customer-generated content, including photos and keyword-rich reviews.
2. Strengthening Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) Consistency
Trades needed a stronger digital footprint across major directories. We:
Distributed and standardized their business information to boost local search credibility.
Removed duplicate listings and outdated information, ensuring Google recognized them as a leading local sandwich shop.
3. Leveraging Review Growth & Engagement
A steady stream of high-quality customer reviews helped:
Increase engagement and trust, reinforcing Trades’ reputation as a top-tier sandwich shop.
Improve search rankings, with keyword-optimized responses to enhance relevance.
4. Driving Off-Site Local Search Improvements
Without touching their website, we executed a highly effective off-site SEO strategy to:
Increase Google’s recognition of Trades as a go-to sandwich destination.
Expand their reach, driving massive growth in impressions and interactions.
The Results: From #49 to #3 in Less Than a Year
By February 2025, Trades had achieved:
✅ A jump from #49 to #3 in share of voice, now competing with only two Dallas staples—East Hampton Sandwich Co. and Sandwich Hag.
✅ A 487% year-over-year increase in impressions, bringing in thousands of new eyes.
✅ An 80% year-over-year increase in interactions, driving more foot traffic and orders.
✅ Outranking national chains including Jason’s Deli, Potbelly, Subway, Cheba Hut, Corner Bakery, and Jersey Mike’s.
The before-and-after of our share of voice map and ranking distribution map illustrates their dramatic growth in local search:
Want More Customers Finding You Instead of the Competition?
If you own a restaurant, café, or brick-and-mortar business and want to outrank competitors, increase local visibility, and drive real customer engagement, our Local SEO for Restaurants & Brick-and-Mortar Businesses service is built to deliver results.
Let’s help your business dominate local search—schedule your free local SEO consultation below.