Dominate Search Results with Multi-Location Local SEO

Do you have a large brand with multiple locations or branches? Are you finding it difficult to streamline your online marketing campaigns? Perhaps it’s time you looked at multi-location local SEO—a powerful strategy that can allow you to dominate the search results and expand the reach of your local SEO campaign. This type of local SEO considers every location individually. It does not use a one-size-fits-all marketing formula, but instead treats every market differently. This makes it easier to understand how each location is performing and determine markets that are having problems with traffic and rankings.

Pushpin marking location on map

Local SEO 101

 

In understanding how multi-location local SEO works, you must first know what local SEO is and why it matters. Local SEO optimizes your website for the local search results in search engines. When used correctly, it can make you stand out and allow potential customers in your locality to find you. Local SEO is important because of three reasons.

 

First, search engines like Google look at a user’s location data when providing search results. If someone keys in the words ‘Italian restaurant’ in the search bar, for example, Google determines that user’s location and shows him or her Italian restaurants nearby. Secondly, people tend to input regions, states, and cities when looking up businesses online. For example, someone will likely key in ‘barbershop in NYC’ when searching for a place to get a haircut. Lastly, consumers tend to trust businesses with a local presence. Hence, if you operate in several cities or states, you need to have a multi-location local SEO campaign in place.

 

Strategies for Successful Multi-Location Local SEO

 

When working on multi-location local SEO campaign, you need to (1) Create Google+ Local page for each location (2) build location specific landing pages on the site, (3) create keyword-themed content pages, (4) consider microformatting, and (5) build citations and reviews. Here is an overview of each strategy:

 

(1) Google+ Local Pages

Create a Google+ Local page for each location and treat each of them like an individualized SEO campaign. When creating a Google+ local page, make sure that it contains the following information, correctly:

 

* Your business name

* Contact information, including ZIP code & phone number

* Business hours

* Primary Category and supporting categories

* Business description

 

(2) Location Based Landing Pages

Create a location based landing page, preferably for each address, and perform comprehensive SEO on-page optimization of each of them. Additional to standard SEO methods, make sure that such pages contain the following:

 

* Contact details exactly as they look on your Google+ local page for the particular location.
* An embedded Google map
* A KML file
* Trust logos
* Nearby zip codes and cities
* Location-themed content with semantic language for fully targeted keywords

 

(3) Keyword -Themed Pages
Create keyword-themed content pages for each service or product you offer. You can get started with basic keyword research using the Google Keyword Planner tool to find out which keywords are typically used by people to search for information regarding the services you provide. This can give you an insight on the opportunities you might have missed. Once you have identified the best keywords, build pivot tables to see which competitors are using them, too. After securing a keyword list, you can start writing content using those keywords.

 

(4) Microformatting

A microformat can add additional meaning to your web page beyond what typical HTML paragraphs and headings could provide. With microformatting, you can represent address, reviews, events, etc., on every location web page. This is crucial to make sure that search engines can interpret your information as intended, and is especially crucial for presenting the business information such as “Business Name”, “Address”, and “Phone Number” in the correct format.

 

(5) Reviews and Citations
Often, in the case of multi-local local SEO, it’s preferred to build citations with individual location page URLs instead of using your homepage or root domain. Additionally, don’t forget to link to your social media profiles from each citation, use videos, offer coupons and discounts when possible, and post photos of the products/services you offer.

Business reviews will boost your organic ranking and the traction of your citations in search results pages, especially if they are in Yelp and Google+ Business Pages. One good way to get reviews is to make a survey with three to four questions and send them to your clients with a link to the profile where you want them to write their feedback about you.

 

Get Help from the Experts

 

More than a decade of experience and extensive website valuation expertise makes SEOValley™ qualified to assist you in your multi-location local SEO campaign. Let us help you improve your search rankings for higher profitability and more leads.