Creating Value And Content Across Multiple City And Area Service Pages
Post Author: Harry James
Post Date: 8 September 2024
Aligning your SEO strategy with your business goals is crucial for multi-location businesses. Efficient local SEO campaigns drive brand visibility and conversions.
Learn how to create scalable, efficient local SEO campaigns that return long-term ROI. Tailoring your content approach to provide value for users and Google is essential.
Aligning SEO Strategy with Business Objectives
For multi-location businesses, aligning your SEO strategy with business objectives is vital. Whether you operate a franchise model or multiple service hubs, your SEO approach must reflect your unique goals.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) for enterprise local SEO campaigns typically focus on driving visibility and footfall to individual locations, funneling local intent searches to online stores for deliveries, or a combination. The definition of success will influence your strategy and reporting metrics.
Programmatic SEO for Multi-location Businesses
The methodology for creating multiple area service pages has evolved. Nowadays, programmatic SEO (pSEO) allows scalable content generation while maintaining a unique value proposition for Google indexing.
For businesses with numerous locations, pSEO is attractive but risky if it doesn’t offer unique value. Common website architectures include central service pages with local variations or store locators, both posing challenges in differentiation and internal linking.
Google’s indexing quality threshold must be met, requiring innovation beyond typical SEO practices. Programmatic content can fulfill a majority of a page’s requirements, but some manual intervention is necessary to ensure uniqueness.
Challenges with Localisation and Differentiation
Effective local pages must tailor content to the specific location.
Adding irrelevant information about local infrastructure or sports teams won’t drive conversions if it distracts from the main service message.
Changing only the location name in URLs, H1 tags, and body text results in near-duplicate pages, which Google deems low-quality. This can cause indexing issues in Search Console.
Duplication to an extent is acceptable, but differentiation is key. Unique local specialisms, user data, and targeted keywords help.
Partially Programmatic Content Creation
A partially programmatic approach can cover standard content like service offerings and pricing, while manual edits address local specialisms.
For example, a multi-state courier service may use the same service details across cities but differentiate by explaining different hub locations.
Incorporating local data, such as travel times or specific community needs, enhances relevance and provides a competitive edge.
Internal Linking Strategies
Proper internal linking aids both SEO and user experience. Pseudo-HTML sitemaps effectively link service pages and benefit users.
An example from a property finder page shows how a County > Town/City page structure helps filter users to their specific locations.
Effective internal linking, coupled with user-friendly navigation, ensures valuable information is easy to find.
Google Business Profile Management
Directly linking Google Business Profiles (GBPs) to corresponding local pages is crucial for user experience and SEO.
Many businesses mistakenly link GBPs to their homepage. Instead, linking to specific location pages avoids user confusion and drives relevant traffic.
Proper GBP management, especially in enterprise settings, requires coordination and understanding of how GBPs fit into the broader business objectives.
Adapting to Google’s Local Search Updates
Google’s local search updates, like Pigeon and Possum, aim to refine local search results based on proximity and relevance. Following their guidelines is essential.
Updates enhance ranking for businesses outside city limits and discourage fake local listings. Businesses providing comprehensive, accurate information generally fare better.
Reporting and Monitoring Success
Reporting success for multi-location businesses varies by objectives. Access to granular data from Google APIs helps track impressions and user interactions.
Any multi-location business should implement comprehensive GBP monitoring outside standard analytics platforms for full visibility.
Regular audits and updates ensure ongoing alignment with business goals and adaptability to search engine changes.
Creating value and content across multiple city and area service pages requires a strategic, localised approach.
Programmatic SEO, proper internal linking, and effective Google Business Profile management are key to success.
Source: Searchenginejournal
