How to Get More Customers as a Caterer in Perth

Most caterers in Perth still rely on word of mouth to fill their calendars. A recommendation from a happy bride or a corporate event planner leads to the next booking, and the cycle continues. That approach worked brilliantly 10 years ago.

But the landscape has shifted dramatically.

In 2026, 97% of customers search online before choosing a local business. That includes event coordinators, office managers planning corporate lunches, and couples researching wedding caterers. They're typing queries into Google, scanning reviews, and increasingly asking AI tools like ChatGPT for recommendations — all before they ever pick up the phone.

If you're not showing up in those moments, you're invisible. And invisible caterers don't get booked.

The good news? You don't need a massive marketing budget to fix this. You need a system. A structured, repeatable approach to making sure your catering business appears in front of the right people at the right time.

This guide walks you through exactly how to get more customers as a caterer in Perth — step by step, from the fundamentals to the cutting-edge tactics that most of your competitors haven't even heard of yet. Whether you handle intimate dinner parties or large-scale corporate functions worth $50,000+, these strategies apply.

Let's get into it.

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TL;DR

• This is a step-by-step guide to getting more customers as a caterer in Perth
• We cover Google Maps, reviews, website optimisation, content marketing, and AI search
• The average catering job ranges from $1,000 to $50,000 — so even one extra booking per month changes your business
• Most of these strategies cost nothing except your time
• We also cover when it makes sense to bring in a professional team like ours

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Step 1: Claim and Optimise Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the single most powerful free marketing tool available to Perth caterers. When someone searches "caterer near me" or "wedding caterer Perth," the map pack — those three businesses displayed with a map at the top of Google — gets roughly 42% of all clicks.

If you're not in that map pack, you're losing jobs to competitors who are.

Here's how to set yours up properly:

Claim your profile. Go to business.google.com and either claim your existing listing or create a new one. Verify your business through the postcard, phone, or email method Google offers.

Complete every single field. Google rewards completeness. Fill in your business name (exactly as it appears on your signage and ABN), your address or service area, phone number, website, business hours, and business category. Your primary category should be "Caterer." Add secondary categories like "Wedding Caterer," "Corporate Caterer," or "Event Caterer" where relevant.

Write a compelling business description. You get 750 characters. Use them. Mention Perth, your specialties, your experience, and what makes you different. Don't stuff keywords — write for humans.

Upload quality photos. Businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more click-throughs to their websites. Upload images of your food presentations, your team in action, venue setups, and behind-the-scenes kitchen shots. Add new photos monthly.

Post weekly updates. Google Business Profile has a posts feature. Use it to share recent events you've catered, seasonal menu highlights, or special offers for corporate clients. These posts signal to Google that your business is active and engaged.

Set up messaging. Enable the messaging feature so potential clients can reach you directly through your listing. Respond within minutes, not hours. Speed wins jobs.

For a deeper breakdown of local ranking factors, check out our guide on local SEO for caterers in Perth.

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Step 2: Get Your Website Ranking for Local Keywords

Your Google Business Profile gets you into the map pack. Your website gets you into the organic results below it. Owning both spots doubles your visibility and builds serious credibility.

The foundation of ranking locally is targeting the right keywords with the right pages.

Start with your core keyword. Your homepage should target "caterer in Perth" or "Perth catering services." This means including the phrase naturally in your page title, your H1 heading, your meta description, and throughout your body copy.

Build service-specific pages. Don't cram everything onto one page. Create dedicated pages for each service you offer:

• Wedding catering Perth
• Corporate catering Perth
• Private chef hire Perth
• Event catering Perth
• Cocktail party catering Perth

Each page should be 500+ words, include relevant keywords, showcase photos from actual events, and feature a clear call to action.

Create suburb pages. This is where most caterers miss a massive opportunity. If you serve Fremantle, Joondalup, Subiaco, Rockingham, and Mandurah, build a page for each. "Wedding Caterer Fremantle" is a far less competitive keyword than "Wedding Caterer Perth," and the people searching it are ready to book.

Each suburb page should mention local venues you've worked with, specific logistics for that area, and include unique content — not just the same template with the suburb name swapped in.

Technical basics matter. Make sure your site loads in under three seconds, works flawlessly on mobile (over 60% of searches happen on phones), uses HTTPS, and has clean URL structures. A slow, clunky website kills conversions regardless of how well it ranks.

Our comprehensive guide on SEO for caterers in Perth covers keyword research, on-page optimisation, and technical setup in much more detail.

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Step 3: Build a Review Generation System

Reviews are the digital version of word of mouth. They influence both Google rankings and customer decisions. A catering business with 47 five-star reviews will always get more enquiries than one with six reviews averaging 4.2 stars.

The problem? Happy clients rarely leave reviews on their own. You need a system.

When to ask. Timing matters enormously. The best moment to request a review is 24–48 hours after the event, when the experience is still fresh and the client is riding the high of a successful function. Don't wait a week — by then, they've moved on mentally.

How to ask. Send a short, personal message. Here's a template that works:

"Hi [Name], it was a pleasure catering your [event type] on Saturday. We'd love to hear how everything went. If you have 30 seconds, a Google review would mean the world to us — it helps other Perth families and businesses find us. Here's the link: [direct review link]"

Make it ridiculously easy. Generate your direct Google review link (search "Google review link generator" and follow the steps). Send it via text message, not just email. Text messages have a 98% open rate versus 20% for email.

Respond to every review. Thank people for positive reviews. Address negative reviews calmly and professionally — your response is really for the hundreds of prospective clients who'll read it later.

Set a target. Aim for two to four new reviews per month. Consistency matters more than volume. A steady stream of recent reviews signals to both Google and potential clients that your business is active and trusted.

Never offer incentives for reviews. It violates Google's terms of service and can get your listing penalised. Just ask genuinely.

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Step 4: Create Content That Attracts Customers

Content marketing for caterers isn't about going viral on social media. It's about creating resources that answer the questions your ideal clients are already typing into Google.

When a corporate office manager searches "how much does corporate catering cost in Perth," and your blog post answers that question thoroughly, you've just positioned yourself as the expert before they've even contacted you. That's powerful.

Blog post ideas that drive real traffic:

• "How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost in Perth? (2026 Guide)"
• "15 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Caterer in Perth"
• "Corporate Catering Menu Ideas for Perth Office Events"
• "How to Choose Between a Buffet and Sit-Down Dinner for Your Perth Wedding"
• "What's Included in a Catering Quote? A Breakdown for Perth Clients"

Create FAQ pages. Think about every question prospects ask during your sales conversations. Write them down. Build a dedicated FAQ page — or better yet, add FAQ sections to each service page. This helps with rankings and gives potential customers the information they need to move forward.

Show your work. Case studies and event recaps are underrated content gold. Write up a 400-word summary of a recent corporate event you catered: the brief, the challenges, the menu, and the outcome. Include photos. Mention the venue and suburb. This type of content ranks well, builds trust, and gives prospective clients a concrete picture of what working with you looks like.

Publish consistently. Two quality blog posts per month is enough. Don't stress about frequency — stress about usefulness. Each piece should answer a real question that a real person in Perth would actually search for.

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Step 5: Optimise for AI Search (GEO)

Here's what most Perth caterers — and frankly, most marketers — aren't paying attention to yet: AI-powered search is growing rapidly.

More and more people are asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google's AI Overviews, and other tools questions like "Who are the best wedding caterers in Perth?" or "Can you recommend a corporate caterer near Subiaco?"

These AI tools pull their recommendations from publicly available online information. If your business has a strong web presence — a well-optimised website, consistent citations across directories, solid reviews, and authoritative content — you're far more likely to be mentioned.

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the practice of structuring your online presence so that AI tools can find, understand, and recommend your business.

Key tactics include maintaining consistent business information across all platforms, getting mentioned on industry-specific directories and lists, creating content that directly answers common catering questions, and earning backlinks from reputable Perth-based websites.

This is still an emerging field, and early movers have a genuine advantage. We wrote a detailed guide on GEO for caterers in Perth if you want to go deeper.

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Step 6: Track Your Results

Marketing without measurement is just guessing. You need to know what's working so you can do more of it, and what's not so you can fix it.

Track these metrics monthly:

• Google Business Profile insights: How many people viewed your profile? How many clicked to call? How many requested directions? Google provides this data for free inside your GBP dashboard.
• Website traffic: Use Google Analytics (also free) to monitor total visitors, which pages they land on, and how long they stay. Pay attention to organic traffic specifically — these are people finding you through search.
• Phone calls and form submissions: This is the bottom line. Install call tracking if possible, and make sure every contact form submission triggers a notification you actually see.
• Keyword rankings: Track where you appear for terms like "caterer in Perth," "wedding caterer Perth," and your suburb-specific keywords. Free tools like Google Search Console show you which queries bring traffic.
• Review velocity: How many new reviews did you earn this month? What's your average rating?

Set a monthly reminder to review these numbers. Even 30 minutes once a month gives you a clear picture of whether your efforts are paying off.

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When to Hire a Professional

Everything in this guide is doable yourself. But let's be honest — you're running a catering business. Between menu planning, sourcing suppliers, managing staff, and actually executing events, marketing often falls to the bottom of the list.

That's the gap where opportunities quietly slip away.

Consider doing it yourself if you have 5–10 hours per month to dedicate to marketing, you're comfortable with basic technology, and you're in the early stages of your business where budget is tight.

Consider hiring a professional if you're established, your calendar has gaps you need to fill, and the value of even one extra booking per month ($1,000–$50,000) far outweighs the cost of expert help.

At Searchmaxxed, we work specifically with local service businesses across Australia. Our packages range from $500 to $2,000 per month depending on your goals, and we handle everything from Google Business Profile optimisation to content creation to GEO.

Book a free strategy call with our team and we'll show you exactly where your catering business is leaving money on the table — and how to fix it.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How can caterers get more customers online? Optimise your Google Business Profile, build a website targeting local keywords, generate consistent reviews, publish helpful content, and ensure your business appears in AI search results.

What's the fastest way to get more calls as a caterer? Fully optimise your Google Business Profile with photos, reviews, and weekly posts. Most caterers see an increase in calls within 30 days.

How much should I spend on marketing as a caterer? Allocate 5–10% of your revenue. For a caterer earning $300K annually, that's $1,250–$2,500 per month across all marketing channels.

Is Google Ads or SEO better for caterers? SEO delivers better long-term value. Google Ads provides faster results. The ideal approach combines both, starting with SEO as your foundation.

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Ready to Fill Your Calendar?

You now have the complete playbook for how to get more customers as a caterer in Perth. The caterers who implement even half of these steps will pull ahead of competitors who are still relying solely on word of mouth.

If you want expert help executing this strategy, reach out to us at Searchmaxxed. We'll handle the marketing so you can focus on what you do best — creating exceptional food and experiences for your clients.