There are multiple ways you can optimize your website for local searches. If you are operating a business in a single location, the local search engine optimization is pretty straightforward. However, there are many challenges associated while managing local SEO for multiple locations.
If you want to find successful local SEO strategies for multiple locations, you have landed at the right spot. This article focuses on top local SEO strategies for multiple locations to strengthen online visibility and drive more traffic.
#1. Conduct comprehensive competitor research
If you want to effectively implement SEO for multiple locations, it is essential to understand the market and assess your competition. Try to identify what makes your company unique and how you can leverage your strengths for a specific location. This will help you design and implement a local SEO strategy to attract and convert more customers.
Simply commence by conducting a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis. Executing competitor research will help you completely understand the market and implement local search optimization campaigns that resonate with your target audience and helps in increasing sales.
#2. Opt for a single domain
When you are handling a business at multiple locations, you may wish to create separate domains for each location. However, because each domain is indexed individually, your marketing efforts will only affect the content you publish and build links to.
In other words, when you want each of your locations to rank well in search results, it is advisable to create one site with individual pages for each of your locations.
Nonetheless, you can use a subfolder or subdomain to create and publish unique content for each location. This will enable you to geographically target specific divisions of your website without controlling and optimizing multiple sites.
#3. Create location-specific content
This is one of the most overlooked strategies. Often, businesses do not focus on creating location-specific content. If you want to rank in top places for each of your locations, it is mandatory to generate pages and content precisely optimized for each location.
For instance, you can create pages with testimonials from local customers for each location and optimize on-page elements like page titles, H1’s, and content for each area you are targeting.
#4. Avoid keyword stuffing
When you want to optimize your site for local searches, it is essential to avoid stuffing your content with keywords.
The content that is jam-packed with keywords seems unnatural to readers, and search engines like Google will pick up on the stuffed text (may penalize your site).
Hence, smartly use keywords that sound a natural fit in the content flow. In other words, you can use the synonyms of certain words rather than repeating the same keywords or hard fitting the phrases.
#5. Claim your Google My Business listings
Claiming your business on Google My Business (GMB) is a relatively straightforward process that allows you to show up your business on Google Maps for local searches. GMB enables you to add additional locations manually or if your company has more than 10 locations.
GMB listing helps to streamline all of your business information and boost local searches with prominent visibility. Also, consider listing your business on online directories to make your business easily found for local searches.
#6. Keep citations consistent
When listing your business on GMB or online directories, you must remain consistent when citing the NAP details (Name, Address, Phone number) about your business location. For example, if you have listed your business as 1300 WoodLane, Suite 2 on your website, you don’t want it to display as 1200 Wood Ln., #2 in other places on the web.
This can confuse potential customers and search engines. The online business citations can help you drive leads and attract customers, so remain consistent when listing business details on the web.
#7. Emphasis on link building
The number and quality of backlinks on your website define the authority; domain authority. A higher number of quality backlinks means higher domain authority.
You can also focus on getting more authority backlinks from the local searches that will boost your rankings in local search results.
You can also get links from local publications by sponsoring or hosting events. With such activity, you can earn more local links and send positive signals to Google that will eventually increase your rankings in local search results.
#8. Promote local reviews
Another way to drive local business is to encourage people to post a review about your business. This will help other locals get a feel for your company and the products and services you provide. Customer reviews are also significant social proof as people tend to trust what other customers have to say about your company more than the information you publish about your business.
You can send short email surveys about your services and encourage potential customers to participate in them. You can also ask customers to give feedback about their shopping experience after they make a purchase with your brand. This will help you obtain valuable insight into why your company is doing well and what you can improve.
Improving local search optimization is a time-consuming process. But, with expert advice from a local SEO consultant, you can achieve desired results effectively. PeddleWeb, a local SEO marketing company, offers SEO services that boost your business’s online visibility and drive organic traffic. If you are operating multiple business locations, local SEO practices must be strong enough to attract more customers. Connect with us to optimize your multi-location business for local searches.