Do you own a business that has multiple locations? If so, then you are probably looking for ways to boost your rankings in every city. Luckily, with the right strategy, multi-location SEO is now possible!
This guide to local SEO for multiple locations will teach you how to target searchers in every city with relevant keywords and content.
1. What is Multi-Location SEO
Multi-location SEO refers to when a website has multiple locations or target cities. It can include a nationwide, regional, local (to a town), or any combination where the company operates in more than one location. In this case, multi-location SEO is not just about ranking well for your main keywords but also for the keywords in each of your target locations.
When combined with an effective content strategy, multi-location SEO can lead to additional leads and expand your business significantly within an increasingly competitive marketplace.
2. Have a separate page for each location
A multi-location SEO strategy starts with a geographic hierarchy. First, ensure that you have an individual page for each location, including your company headquarters and other locations in the same city (or region). This will allow you to optimize those pages individually based on their specific keywords.
Your location pages should make it easy for people interested in visiting your business to find you. Ensure to include the local address and contact information such as a phone number and email to reach out with any questions or inquiries.
Optimise each location page for SEO
In the next step, create unique content tailored to the local audience and keywords. Unfortunately, many location pages are concise on content. Make sure you don’t make that mistake.
Each location page should include:
- A detailed description of your services.
- A photo of your location. It can help convey your customer’s experience.
- Reviews – They are crucial to capturing customers with a strong intent to buy. When someone is thinking of buying your offer, they usually conduct searches including “your brand + reviews” before the final buying decision.
In addition to that, ask yourself the following questions:
- What are people in this city seeking?
- Which phrases do they search for?
- How can we better target them with relevant keywords and content tailored to their needs?
Title Tags and Meta Description
Certainly, the title tags and meta descriptions are the most important aspects of a website. They are the first things that appear on search engine results pages. These two elements work together to increase your rankings in SERPs by giving information about what the user will find on your page.
Google has stated many times that title tags and meta descriptions aren’t ranking factors. However, a relevant and attention-grabbing meta description will indirectly boost your SEO by driving clicks and increasing your traffic. Above all, the click-through rate is a user signal and one out of over 200 ranking factors.
Tip: If your website is built on WordPress, you can use SEO plugins like Yoast or All in One SEO. You can easily change your title tags and meta descriptions with these plugins.
In the example beyond, you can see that both the title tag and meta description include the keyword “Dentist in London”:
Optimising your website’s URL structure
Creating an organized URL structure can also improve your chances of ranking and pleasing users and search engines.
For example, a coaching business with locations in London, Glasgow and Manchester could use the following URL structure for location pages:
- yourdomain.com/business-coaching/london/
- yourdomain.com/business-coaching/glasgow/
- yourdomain.com/business-coaching/manchester/
3. Create a Google My Business listing for each location
Once you’ve created unique content for each location, it’s time to get them set up on Google My Business.
Follow this link to create your business listing: https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/business/.
Tailor each business profile for that specific location. Add images, store hours, contact information, and website URLs, all tailored to the local area so customers can find you more easily!
For multiple locations, it can be quicker to bulk-upload them all at once using the bulk upload spreadsheet.
Your Google My Business listing is the cornerstone of your local SEO strategy for multiple locations. As a result, it can significantly impact your ability to get found in local searches.
Get Reviews for each location.
According to BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey, 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a recommendation from their friends. And 49% of them won’t choose to do business with any company without at least 4 stars!
Many local search results include business review listings featuring prominent star ratings, and these listings often appear above organic search results.
Therefore, your business needs to get reviews on Google My Business, Yelp and other portals. Ask your most satisfied customers to leave a review!
4. Build backlinks and local citations
It’s important to have a solid backlink strategy- even if you’re site is young. Backlinks can boost your location pages, but be sure that they are natural and honest when getting them!
A few simple ways to acquire links:
- Creating high-quality content like blogs or infographics.
- Guest blogging by providing relevant information such as tips, tutorials or guides.
- Sponsor a local event and ask for a link back to your location page.
Local Citations
Making sure that your business is listed in the local directories can be a great way to increase your visibility in local searches.
To ensure your NAP (name, address and phone number) information is always accurate, you’ll want to add it to the online directories that are most widely used by your target audience.
Here are the most important directories in the UK:
Source: whitespark.ca
Conclusion: Multi-location SEO takes time
A multi-location SEO strategy will allow you to rank your website for many search terms and get more people to visit your site.
In conclusion, it is a time investment that can pay off with a competitive advantage in the SERPS. If you don’t have the resources to kickstart your multi-location SEO activities, consider getting a Local SEO consultant on board.