Struggling to optimize your website for business locations in multiple cities? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. With our strategic approach to multi-location SEO, we can help you navigate complexities and get all your local business locations ranking higher in search results.
To dominate search results, a thoughtful and well-executed local SEO strategy is an absolute must for any business with multiple locations. We’ve created a comprehensive guide to show you how to optimize for local SEO and soar high in local search rankings. With expert insights on website optimization, content creation, and online presence management, we’ll detail SEO best practices, tips, and strategies you need to know to transform your online presence and make it big in local search results.
Take your local SEO to the next level with expert, custom-tailored SEO services from Augurian.
What is Local SEO for Multiple Locations?
Local SEO for multiple locations refers to the process of optimizing a business’s online presence in specific geographic areas where it has physical locations. Maximizing your online presence in specific geographic areas is crucial for businesses with multiple locations.
But, did you know that multi-location SEO involves more than just targeting regional keywords?
It requires a tailored approach for each physical location, including unique content creation, online listings and directories management, and location page optimization. Reputation management is also key, as the reputation of each location can impact the business’s overall reputation.
Trust us, your multi-location SEO strategy needs to be top-notch to stand out in the crowded digital world.
How is Local SEO for Multiple Locations Different from International SEO?
Overall, SEO for multiple locations and international SEO are distinct strategies that require unique approaches to be effective. Local SEO for multiple locations focuses on optimizing a business’s online presence for specific locations within a certain region or country, while international SEO aims to optimize a business’s online presence for many different countries, cultures, and languages.
Multi-location SEO requires businesses to create unique content and optimize individual location pages on their website for each physical location. In contrast, international SEO focuses on creating content relevant to different countries and cultures as well as adapting its website to accommodate different currencies and languages.
However, there are a few similarities between local and international SEO. Both demand a comprehensive grasp of search engines, localization tactics, and keyword research. Moreover, managing online reputation and citations is crucial for both strategies to increase visibility and drive traffic to websites.
Lastly, both types of SEO necessitate the creation of high-quality, engaging content to attract and retain users.
How does Local SEO for Multiple Locations help drive local business?
Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on optimizing a website for broad search results, SEO with a local focus involves optimizing a business’s online presence for organic search results within specific geographic areas.
For businesses that operate in multiple states or cities, or for smaller franchises that have several locations in one city, local SEO is an essential part of overall marketing strategy. Local SEO is crucial because when it is done well it connects businesses with the right audience in the right place at the right time.
Marketers should focus resources on optimization for each business location because it attracts more customers, increases ROI, and builds brand recognition.
With the increasing popularity of mobile searches, voice search, and location-based queries, optimizing for local searches has become even more critical for businesses that operate locations across various cities, states, and regions.
The benefits of local SEO for multiple locations include:
Improved visibility
Optimizing the online presence for each business location improves visibility in organic search results, making it easier to get in front of customers closest to each location. As a result, this boosted visibility can not only lead to increases in local website traffic, in-store visits, and sales but also strengthen brand recognition, credibility, and trust.
Ultimately, by using local SEO to improve visibility in organic searches, businesses increase the overall opportunity to attract and retain customers for its brand and each of its locations.
Targeted marketing
Multi-location SEO allows businesses to focus on specific locations and customers, adapting their marketing efforts to meet the unique needs of each location.
By tailoring marketing strategies to each location, businesses can effectively reach local audiences, increase engagement, and optimize marketing resources. Targeted marketing through local SEO for multiple locations enables businesses to maximize marketing impact and drive more meaningful results.
Better user experience
By implementing multi-location local SEO, businesses can improve the user experience by ensuring that accurate and up-to-date information about their various locations is readily available. This information may include operating hours, contact details, and customer reviews, making it easier for clients to access the information they require and enhancing their overall experience.
Competitive advantage
Businesses can gain a competitive advantage by using multi-location local SEO, which enhances their visibility in search results and enables them to customize their messaging and promotions for specific markets.
Through optimizing their website and citation listings for local map pack search queries, businesses can improve their chances of appearing at the top of relevant search results, making it simpler for potential customers to find them regardless of where they are located. Additionally, by creating targeted marketing campaigns for each location, businesses can increase their likelihood of generating SEO leads, winning new local customers, and gaining an edge over their competitors.
Increased ROI
Multi-location SEO increases marketing ROI because it helps your business effectively reach a targeted audience within a specific geographic location. By optimizing your website and citation listings with local keywords, your business can increase visibility in local searches, making it easier for people in the area to find and engage with your business. This can lead to more website traffic, more leads, and ultimately more sales.
Strategies for Multi Location SEO
If you have a business with multiple locations and you’re trying to figure out how to rank in multiple cities, we understand how tough it can be to differentiate yourself from competitors and attract new customers.
You know with the right SEO strategy, you can boost your rankings in organic search results, bring in more foot traffic, and ultimately, drive more sales.
But, how do you optimize your website and listings for so many different locations?
And, where do you start?
No worries! We’ll guide you through all the key components of a multi location SEO strategy that drives results!
- The Power of Local Keywords
- Get to Know Local Competitors
- Boost Search Visibility with Localized Content
- Avoid Duplicate Content
- Connect with Local Customers
- Establish Trust and Credibility
- Leverage Local Partners, Sponsorships, and Influencers
The Power of Local Keywords
Optimizing your website content for location-based keywords is one of the best ways to increase search visibility and get in front of customers near you who are ready to do business. Search volume for local keywords can be significantly lower than non-local keywords, but the keywords used in local searches are more targeted and have more of a commercial or transactional search intent.
This means that while there may be fewer searches for local keywords, the users who are searching for them are more likely to be in the immediate area and ready to make a purchase or take action. Businesses need to incorporate both local and non-local keywords into their overall SEO strategy to capture a wide range of potential customers.
Get to Know the Competition
You’ll want to evaluate the strategies of competitors in areas where you do business to gain a better understanding of what is working and what isn’t for their businesses. Recognizing others’ strengths and weaknesses, will help you identify unique opportunities that will set you apart from the competition in the area.
By delving into competitive analysis, you’ll have a chance to explore market trends first-hand, unlock innovative marketing approaches they may not have thought about before, and identify gaps within the industry that could be prime opportunities for business growth.
Boost Search Visibility with Localized Content
One way to improve a website’s search visibility and attract more targeted traffic is by creating location-specific content. Beyond basic location and service landing pages, examples of this type of content include special landing pages featuring employee spotlights and location news, local customer case studies, articles written by local experts, and creative contributions from local influencers. Incorporating location-specific content into the local marketing plan for your business is a powerful way to showcase your knowledge of the community, establish credibility with customers, and give your business a competitive advantage through increased visibility in local organic searches.
Avoid Duplicate Content
To give your local SEO the best possible chance of success, it is essential to make sure that any content you post on your website is original and not plagiarized from other sources. Doing this will prevent search engines from penalizing you for duplicate material. This is particularly important for businesses with multiple locations. By providing unique content for each location, businesses can offer targeted information to local customers and show their knowledge of the local community.
Engage with Customers
Connect with community members by engaging with them on popular review sites and social media platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, and Facebook. This approach not only improves your local SEO visibility but also boosts your credibility among customers. By responding to comments, addressing concerns, and building relationships with your audience, you position yourself as a valuable member of the community that customers can trust. You’ll also benefit from higher local search rankings and increased online visibility in the local community.
Establish Trust and Credibility
Establishing a positive reputation is crucial for attracting local customers and building a strong brand reputation. Customers are more likely to choose a business that they trust and feel positive about. This is especially true for local businesses, as people tend to be more loyal to businesses that are part of their community. If a business has a positive reputation, it can increase customer loyalty and it’s more likely they’ll return for future purchases.
Leverage Partners, Sponsorships, and Influencers
Want to boost your business’ presence in organic search and connect with more local customers? Consider partnering with local organizations, events, and influential individuals. This strategy goes beyond just optimizing your website – it involves actively engaging with the local community to build trust and loyalty.
By collaborating with local partners and influencers, you can increase brand awareness, improve search engine rankings, and drive more traffic to your website. Plus, tapping into their networks can help you multiply your reach within the community.
Local SEO for Multiple Locations Best Practices
To get the most out of your multi-location local SEO strategy, make sure you are following these tried and true best practices. These tactics have been proven effective time and time again to improve visibility, increase website traffic, and ultimately drive more sales.
Implementing these SEO tactics will help increase visibility in search results and make it more likely potential customers will find your products or services. By following these best practices, businesses can also gain a competitive edge and achieve higher ROI from their local marketing campaigns.
Start with Accurate and Consistent NAP Information
Local businesses can’t optimize for local searches without an address. Having accurate and consistent name, address, and phone number (NAP) information is a crucial best practice for local SEO, especially for businesses with multiple locations. This means ensuring each location has a unique NAP and that the information is consistent across all online directories, listings, and platforms. When the NAP information is consistent, it helps establish trust and credibility with search engines and potential customers, improving local search rankings and making the business stand out from competitors.
Companies with multiple locations should start by conducting a NAP audit of existing online listings and directories. This audit will identify inconsistencies, misspellings, and outdated information and updates to location details that need to be made.
Additionally, multi-location businesses should ensure NAP information is consistent across website location pages, social media profiles, and popular maps platforms such as Google, Apple, and Bing.
🔥 Hot Tip: Streamline Location Updates with Data Aggregators
You can save time and energy when making important updates to listings for various locations by using data aggregators such as Acxiom, Neustar Localeze, and Infogroup to distribute data on each location. After submitting business details to an aggregator, the information is then shared with various directories and platforms online.
This approach is more efficient and cost-effective than entering manual updates on individual location listings on multiple platforms.
Claim and Optimize Google Business Listings
Google My Business is a powerful tool for businesses with multiple locations. Not only does it allow you to manage your business information across Google, but it also provides valuable insights into how customers are interacting with your business online.
To start, claim and verify the Google Business Profile for each location. Once you’ve done that, optimize your listings by including high-quality photos, detailed descriptions, available services, attributes, and accurate business hours. Also, make sure to regularly update your listings with new information, such as promotions and events, to keep customers engaged and informed.
🔥 Hot Tip: Optimize Google Maps Profiles with Services and Custom Services
Adding services and custom services to a Google Business Profile is an important optimization that is often overlooked. By listing the services offered, customers searching for those services can find the business more easily, leading to increased visibility and potential customers. Additionally, by including custom services, businesses can differentiate themselves from competitors.
Businesses can also create optimized descriptions for custom services with specific information about offerings at each location. Providing these important details can help to attract the right customers who are looking for the specific services that the business provides.
Create Location Pages for Each Business Location
To effectively optimize your website to appear in searches, it’s crucial to create location-specific pages. Having pages for each location is how to appear in multiple cities with one website.
Optimize location pages by including details about each location, such as the address, phone number, and hours of operation, as well as content specific to that location, including local events, promotions, and products or services. Additionally, make sure to include location-specific keywords in your page titles, descriptions, and content to help search engines understand what each page is about.
🔥 Hot Tip: Include Business Attributes, Services, and Features on Location Pages
To ensure the accuracy and consistency of the online listings for multiple locations, be sure to include business attributes, features, and services on the landing pages for each location. Adding these details makes it easier for search engines to verify the details on your business listings in local directories. Examples of attributes and features to include on location pages include business hours, payment methods, amenities, and quotes pulled from customer reviews.
Use Schema Markup
Have you ever searched for a local bakery or restaurant and struggled to find accurate information, like hours of operation or customer reviews? Well, this is where schema markup can make a big difference! This simple, savvy code can be added to your website pages to help search engines like Google understand your business and all its unique features. From your address, phone number, and hours of operation to areas serviced and services provided, schema markup can help searchers find exactly what they’re looking for. Plus, it can boost your local search visibility and make it easier for locals to discover your business.
To use schema markup for multiple locations, businesses can add LocalBusiness and Service schema markup to their website’s HTML code, specifically on the pages that contain information about business locations. This markup should include details such as the business’s name, address, phone number, opening hours, and reviews as well as services provided.
🔥 Hot Tip: Enhance Local Citations with Structured Data
In addition to adding schema markup to websites, businesses can also use schema markup to enhance listings on local directories and review sites. By including schema markup on these listings, businesses can provide search engines with more detailed and accurate information about their business locations.
Monitor and Respond to Reviews
For businesses with a focus on SEO for multiple cities, it’s especially important to regularly monitor and respond to reviews on popular platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, and Facebook for each location. Encouraging customers to leave reviews and promptly responding to both positive and negative feedback can help maintain strong customer relationships and demonstrate a commitment to exceptional service at every location. By prioritizing review management at all locations, businesses can improve their search engine rankings and increase their visibility in organic search results across all locations.
🔥 Hot Tip: Optimize Responses to Customer Reviews
When responding to reviews, use keywords and location-specific language relevant to the products or services offered and the business location. For example, if your business operates in a specific city or neighborhood, using the location name and city or neighborhood in the response can improve visibility in search results for customers searching for products or services in that area. In addition, incorporating industry-specific keywords in the review response can increase the likelihood of appearing in local search results relevant to your niche.
Examples of Local SEO for Multiple Locations
Discover effective location based SEO strategies that have helped these businesses drive success. Learn from the tried-and-tested tactics implemented by these brands – from expert Google My Business Profile optimization and stellar location pages to high-value localized content and reputation management.
Walmart: Google Business Profiles
If you’re looking for a prime example of how to optimize your Google Business Profiles for local SEO, look no further than the multi-location listings for Walmart. Their Google Business Profiles provide comprehensive details, including current local business hours and special offers and discounts on products at each location. Walmart’s Google Business location listings also feature high-quality images and videos that showcase each store location. The icing on the cake? Walmart has location-specific product searches on each of its Google Business Profiles so customers can look for what they need and make sure it’s in stock when they go shopping at their favorite store.
Aldi: Location Pages
Aldi’s location pages offer up-to-date information, maps, and local SEO optimization with keywords and schema markup. They include call-to-action buttons, e-commerce links, and information on services like grocery delivery and pickup. Aldi encourages customer reviews to build credibility and improve the shopping experience.
Overall, Aldi has the best location page examples because they offer a comprehensive approach to attract and serve local customers.
Minnesota Exteriors, Inc: Localized Content
The article “How To Prepare For A Minnesota Snow Storm” is an excellent example of localized content because it addresses a specific audience in a specific geographic area, namely, the people of Minnesota who are facing snowstorms.
Tips are tailored specifically for the weather conditions in The North Star State so readers can trust the content is up-to-date and relevant. Best of all, it’s presented with crystal clarity in an easy format – meaning those reading will understand what they’re being told – leading to increased trust between customers and businesses alike.
Win at Local SEO for Multiple Locations with Augurian’s SEO Services
Local SEO for a business with multiple locations can be challenging. Boosting website traffic and revenue through local search results requires a comprehensive, proven SEO strategy for multiple locations as well as the knowledge and expertise of local SEO specialists. Working with a trusted local SEO agency like Augurian can help you effectively connect with your target audience across all business locations. Our customized multi-location local SEO services are designed to drive high-quality website traffic and revenue growth for each of your locations.
Are you ready to get started? Get in touch with us today to talk about multi-location local SEO for your business.
Discover how we’ve driven website traffic and revenue growth across multiple locations through local SEO for businesses just like yours:
- GBP Optimization Leads to +503% Visibility & +157% Increase in Form Fills
- Landing Page Refresh Puts Client on the Map (Literally)
- Schema & Content Refresh Led to Market Share Domination
- How to Do SEO for Multiple Locations - March 31, 2023
