You might have great food, great prep, and solid service - but if the delivery platforms aren’t ranking you well, customers may never see you.
Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat all use ranking algorithms to decide which restaurants show up first in search results or featured carousels. While the exact formulas are private, what we do know is that the algorithm rewards restaurants that are easy to promote and deliver great customer experiences.
🔍 How the Algorithm Works (And What Affects It)
You don’t need to game the algorithm - just understand what it values.
Here are the core drivers of visibility - and what your team can do about each:
Key drivers include:
⭐ Average star rating (aim for 4.5+)
⏱ Prep time and wait time
❌ Rejection and refund rate
🛒 Conversion rate (how often someone orders after viewing your menu)
📍 Opening hours reliability
📢 Active promotions or offers
The better you perform, the more the platform will push your restaurant.
But performance alone isn’t always enough — promotions boost visibility, directly.
☀️ Why Promotions Boost Visibility — and Why We Run Them for You with the MVP Package
🎯 Smart Promotions = Better Visibility (Not Just Discounts)
Some partners worry that running discounts reduces profits — but here’s the reality:
The platforms reward restaurants that run promotions — even modest ones — with more visibility, more traffic, and better placement.
Most platforms (especially Deliveroo and Uber Eats) prioritise restaurants that run offers — because they convert better, retain customers, and increase basket size (Average Order Value (AOV)).
🔍 Here’s what promotions do for you:
Put your brand in the Offers tab, which many customers browse first
Increase your ranking position, even in standard search
Help attract new customers, who are more likely to try a brand with a deal
Improve conversion rate, which is a core ranking metric
Drive repeat orders, when offers are paired with consistent experience
📊 What We Do at Sessions:
Remember, promotions aren’t just about price - they’re how the platform decides who to show customers first. At Sessions, we strategically manage promotions for you, using platform data to decide:
When to run offers (e.g. midweek vs. weekend)
Which brands to rotate for maximum impact
How to attract new vs. returning customers
It’s not about offering constant discounts — it’s about using promotions to trigger the algorithm to reward your brand with better placement and higher conversion. You don’t have to manage this — but it’s important to understand why it’s happening.
When you pair that with strong kitchen execution?
That’s how you rise to the top.
Go to: Week 7: "Obsess the Details." - Refining the Craft 🔎
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To explore more of our training content, click the 'Our Brands' button below to view content tailored for your brands. Remember to share these with your kitchen team so each team member delivers the same standards and consistency, every time! 🎯