Local SEO for multiple locations is the most effective method when it comes to optimizing a website to sell products or services in various locations in a systematic manner. Basically, it has to do with Google Places, NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number), Company Name, and Domain Name.
Without further ado, lets jump right in into understanding what local SEO for multiple locations exactly is. The key factor of local SEO is the search visibility, which leads to a higher number of impressions, denoting an increased interest of customers who may finally direct towards sales. It is different when compared to link building, as the local SEO helps to increase search visibility, whereas link building strategies aim for organic search results. Locality is one of the major factors which affect the search engine results. Hence, the only way small local businesses can compete with the more resourceful, large businesses and outrank them is through Local SEO.
You might be thinking with so many tools out there, why Local SEO is so much important. It’s vital for any SEO campaign because Google, as well as other search engines, prefer locally based data while displaying the search results. You might have also noticed how the search engines offer location data along with maps, accurate addresses, and other specifications.
Moreover, many searchers also tend to customise their search according to their location and prefer local businesses rather than well-known brands. Thus, small scale businesses should never underestimate the power that comes with their proximity location.
Now that you have an idea about local SEO for multiple locations let’s take a look at some of the strategies you can implement for multiple locations.
# NAP Consistency
For businesses that want to imprint their identities on the widespread digital world, the NAP data is a necessity. As you have to mention the NAP data on various sites across the web, you need to maintain consistency. You might think that you are getting it all right, but if you notice carefully, you will realise that there is always room for tiny spelling mistakes such as writing ‘Road’ at a site and ‘Rd’ on another. Eliminating such mistakes is vital to maintain consistency and improve your online presence. On the other hand, providing wrong information can damage your website’s reputation as the local searchers would immediately know about it and avoid your business in the future. Thus, you should also frequently update any change in address or phone number.
# Subfolder/Subdomain
While making an effective SEO strategy, you should take into account the nature of your business and the resources you possess. It is obviously difficult to maintain multiple websites for one business, especially when you want all of them to rank well on Google. But, suppose you create ten websites, you get the added burdened of writing ten different versions of pages such as “About Us”, “Contact Us”, and “Service”. In such situations, choosing the right option in subfolders and subdomains becomes essential.
Subfolders- Also known as subdirectories, subfolders are more suitable for businesses that cater to more than three but less than si or seven locations. With subfolders, your task gets cut down to just listing down all your locations in the home page and get it linked to the respective pages of the localities. Creating a geo-targeted landing page for each location is highly recommended. Subfolders are best for companies who lack the workforce and resources to create content for every subdomain.
Subdomain- Subdomain is a preferred option for companies who deal on a larger scale. When making more than five websites, it is better to create a separate domain for each place. Provided that you have all the necessary resources, you should properly optimize the webpages and give each one a specific domain name.
# Better User Experience
When you choose to target local SEO for multiple locations, optimizing content for each location also becomes mandatory. To make search engines like Google index your website, you must dedicate a unique URL for each location and, the same URL should be a part of your website’s sitemap. The geo-specific content you put on each page should get some focus on on-page elements such as heading tags, page titles, localised URLs, and so on.
# Unique Listings
Google and Bing allow users to create multiple listings. They too recommend users to create a unique listing as per the different locations and optimizing each of them separately. Directory listings integrated into the search results are extremely essential for multi-location marketing.
Although local SEO for multiple locations will only help you to earn more profit with time, you should also be aware of some mistakes such as sticking to outdated practices such as using the ‘City + Keyword’ pages.
